Which fighter(s) sparked you?

In my thread about not being excited about the next generation, I touched on my feelings a bit on certain fighters who I really connected with : Guys who sparked me. So who did it for you? Who are the guys you loved watching the most? The ones who transcended the sport and just captured your ass? If you could, please give a brief explanation/description of how and why. That's what this thread is about : The guys who you were most passionate about. So don't just drop a name and leave the thread. My list has to include........(in no particular order.....except Hopkins at #1) Bernard Hopkins - Everybody here knows this. He's my hometown hero, we're both from Philly. He grew up in Germantown, I grew up a few miles away in Kensington. This dude was to me what Superman, Batman, or the Ninja Turtles were to most other kids. Marco Antonio Barrera - What a fucking fighter. The saying "he can do it all" gets thrown around a lot, but Barrera really could do it all. A lot of people disliked his unsportsmanlike conduct both in and out of the ring : But I loved it. When I saw him hit a man at a press conference, or ram Hamed's face into the turnbuckle I said to myself : "This is a man who doesn't take shit from anybody.". Barrera had a fine line that most never crossed, and if you crossed it, he'd let you know. I loved that, it showed me two things : 1.) He was a man's man and 2.) He took this sport very seriously. It's hard for me not to love a guy like that. Diego Corrales - Corrales touched me, for some reason. He was a carefree, get along type of guy outside the ring, always wore a smile from ear to ear. He loved his fans, he loved his family, and he loved boxing. Inside the ring, he was the true definition of a warrior. He never gave up, he never backed down, and he always got up when he was dropped. Even when he was in over his head against Mayweather he was pissed when they stopped the fight. You could see it in his eyes that he didn't want it to end like that. Same thing with the mouth cut against Casamayor, you could see it in his face that he was so passionate about this sport that he was willing to die for it. I still can't believe he's gone, and I still think about him from time to time. R.I.P. Pernell Whitaker - To say I loved watching this guy is an understatement. I only got to watch some of his fights live, at the end of his career, because I was so young. But I enjoyed the replays as much as I've ever enjoyed watching any live broadcast. Of all the things I loved about him, the defense was obviously #1. There's all kinds of slick boxers : There was only 1 Pernell Whitaker. He'd stand infront of you and dare you to hit him, and try as you might, you couldn't : Because he wouldn't let you. It was hilarious and beautiful at the same time. I love Sweet Pea. Joe Frazier - A top 5 favorite of mine. I feel that Joe still doesn't get the credit he deserves. Sometimes I read things about him on here that turn my stomach : Some people say he was overrated, or that he owes everything to Ali, I've even seen some say that his chin was shit. (Because we all know they'd smile at George Foreman's best shots, right? :rolleyes: ) Frazier was way before my time. But I was still able to connect with him. It's amazing to think that he accomplished what he did while he was pretty much blind in one eye for most of his career. That, coupled with arthritis and a very short career. But Joe will always be special to me. I think he's still very underrated around here. Honorable mentions - Meldrick Taylor, Marvin Hagler, Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, Erik Morales, Ricardo Lopez, and Juan Manuel Marquez. Your turn.