You wonder how some fighters get nicknames that don't suit them, like “assassin,” when a fighter doesn't have a high knockout ratio.
Eric “Butterbean” Esch, 65-2-3, ended the career of Larry “The Easton Assassin” Holmes on July 7, 2002. He was credited with a questionable knockdown in the tenth and fourth rounds. Final. Holmes never played again, while Butterbean finished with a record of 77-10-4.
I believe it was Muhammad Ali who nicknamed Holmes “Peanut Head” due to Holmes' small head and large body.
Speaking of Ali, he called himself “The Greatest!” 56-5. He often gave opponents nicknames like “Rabbit” for Floyd Patterson, 55-8-1. Maybe it's because he was off his feet multiple times when he landed on that left hook.
Ali called Sonny Liston, 50-4, “The Big Ugly Bear.” His birth name was Charles, so “Sonny” was his nickname. Other people whose nicknames he fights without necessarily giving them nicknames are:
Knockout king light heavyweight champion Archie Moore, 186-23-19, is known as “Old Mongoose.”
Cleveland “Big Cat” Williams, 82-13-2, until shot was a knockout threat. Oscar “Ringo” Bonavena of Argentina, 58-9-1.
Of course there is “Smokin” Joe Frazier, 32-4-1. Ali said: “Smoking is bad for your health, Joe!” Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury, 34-0-1.
“Big” George Foreman, 76-5, Ali called “The Mummy!” Chuck “The Bayonne Bleeder”, 36-14-2, like our own Henry “Henry” Cooper, 40-14-1, is another bleeder. Earnie “The Black Destroyer” Shavers, 76-14-1, a very fitting nickname given his 70 knockouts.
“Neon” Leon Spinks, 3-26-17, and his brother Michael “Jinx” Spinx, 31-1. “Austria” Joe Walcott, 49-20-1. Rocky “Brockton Bombshell” Marciano, 49-0. So did Ezzard “The Cincinnati Cobra” Charles. Alvin “Green” Lewis, 30-6.
Primo “The Ambling Alp” Carnera of Italy, 88-14. James “Cinderella Man” Braddock, 46-24-4. Joe “The Brown Bomber” Louis, 66-3. Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, 43-3-1, Max “Livermore Larupper” 66-13, from Larupper, CA. “Ruby” Bob Fitzsimmons, 61-8-4. “Iron Man” Mike Tyson, 50-6. James “The Boilermaker” J Jeffries, 1-19-2. James “Gentleman” Jim Corbett, 11-4-3. Jack “Galveston Giant” Johnson, 54-11-8. Max “Black Uhlan of the Rhine” Schmeling, 56-10-4.
Floyd “Jumbo” Cummings, 15-6-1, was “Smokin” Joe Frazier's final opponent. “Slappie” Maxie Rosenbloom, 207-39-26. Mike “The Giant” White, 26-13-1. Ray “Windmill” White, 40-14-5. “Two tons” Tony Galento, 78-26-6.
Far ahead of serious opponents was Roberto “Hands of Stone, Duran, 103-16, also known as “El Cholo”. Alexis “Thin Man” Arguello, 77-8, is also “El Flaco Explosivo”. Willie “Will o' the Wisp” Pep, 229-11-1.
How many people are named “Sugar”? Topping the “Sugar” list is Ray Robinson, 174-19-6. Olympian “Sugar” Ray Seales, 57-8-3. Another Olympian “Sugar” Ray Leonard, 36-3-1. “Sugar” Shane Mosley, 49-10-1.
One of many Philly fighters like Tommy “Phantom of Philly” Loughran, 90-25-10. Garnett “Sugar” Hart, 7-29-2. Willie “The Worm” Monroe, 40-10-1. Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts, 7-39-1. Stanley “Kitten” Hayward, 12-31-4. Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, 9-39-1.
His son's name is Jesse “Hard Work” Hart, 30-3. “Gypsy” Joe Harris, 24-1. Earl “The Pearl” Hargrove, 32-6. “Bad” Bennie Briscoe, 66-24-5. Augie “Broomall Bomber” Pantellas, 6-28.
Anthony “Two Guns” Fletcher, 4-24-1. Brother Frank “The Animal” Fletcher, 6-18-1. “Joltin” Jeff Chandler, 33-2-2. Brothers Jaron ”Boots” Ennis, 31-0, and Derek “Pooh” Ennis, 24-5-1, along with father/coach Derek “Bozy” Ennis, 4-2.
