There have been some great boxing nicknames over the long history of the sport. Of course, there have also been a lot of terrible boxing nicknames as well. What are the best boxing nicknames, and what makes a good boxing nickname anyway?
A lot of different factors work together to form a really great nickname for a boxer. A great nickname will describe a fighter’s style and his between the ropes personality. Of course, a great nickname might just flow really well with the fighter’s real name, or just sound cool, or dare I say… badass. Now if only I followed my dreams and turned professional, then The Hebrew Hammer could hold a spot on this list. If only…
With all of that said, here are my top 10 boxing nicknames in history.
Honorable Mentions – Mike “The Body Snatcher” McCallum; Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini; Ruben “Hurricane” Carter
10. “El Flaco Explosivo” Alexis Arguello – I don’t think the Explosive Thin Man sounds that great, but El Flaco Explosivo has a ring to it. Either way, Arguello delivered vicious, pinpoint power shots that were delivered effortlessly and seemingly came from nowhere, making the name a perfect descriptor.
9. Tony “Two Ton” Galento – Weighing in at about 230-240 lbs and standing just 5 feet and 9 inches tall, Two Ton was a large fella for the professional boxing ring. He gave Joe Louis a serious scare, knocking him down once and hurting him on several occasions before being knocked out himself.
8. “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas – Another name that’s even better in Spanish than in English, El Feroz was exactly that as a young, brash kid knocking out world champions and top challengers.
7. Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong – Kind of puts “Hammerin’ Hank” to shame doesn’t it? And truthfully, one of the great ballplayers of all-time should not have any shame being displaced on the best nicknames involving the name Hank list, considering Henry Armstrong is unanimously regarded as one of the best 3 fighters to ever lace up the gloves.
6. Arturo “Thunder” Gatti – When Arturo Gatti was fighting, you might not be waiting to see the finest the craft ever offered, but you would be guaranteed to see a battle. Whether the power of his punches, his personality or the level of applause he heard as he walked to and from the ring, Thunder fit Gatti excellently.
5. Ike “Bazooka” Quartey – Bazooka came to signify Quartey’s swift, thudding jab, his best punch while he was in his prime as one of the top welterweights of the 1990s.
4. “Smokin'” Joe Frazier – Something about Smokin’ Joe just sounds like it was made to be. While Marvin Hagler had his name legally changed to Marvelous Marvin, Joe Frazier didn’t have to, because everybody knew him as Smokin’ Joe. The two brutal losses to George Foreman and losing two out of three against Ali overshadow the rest of his great career.
3. “Iron” Mike Tyson – When you’re the baddest man on the planet, you can’t have some silly nickname… all of the Magic Mans of the world I’m looking in your direction. Iron Mike tore a hole though the (albeit) weak heavyweight division and had most of his opponents beaten before they entered the ring through sheer intimidation.
2. Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Duran – Manos de Piedra, or Hands of Stone, Roberto Duran was a fierce, in your face fighter that traversed the waters all the way from lightweight to middleweight.
1. Jake “The Raging Bull” LaMotta – Maybe the Raging Bull is a bit cliché now, but anything that becomes cliché is at first just excellence. LaMotta brought it all into the ring, and of course was immortalized by his movie namesake, where Robert De Niro played The Raging Bull himself. Today, champion Vic Darchinyan goes by the name.
