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Besides Tyson and Mayorga, I don't know.
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I would have to put Jack Johnson at the head of the list.Given the times,what was more controversial than his life style?The man not only dated white women,he had the nerve to marry them.Which at the time was illegal in many states in America.
It does not get more controversial than that...and of course it lead to his demise.
Sonny Liston was in and out of trouble,his death was certainly full of controversy,as was his life.And of course Mike Tyson is the current poster boy for a life of waste.Comment
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Easily Jack Johnson by a country mile. Not only did he have the audacity to be black, he also had the great gumption to be unashamed of the fact. In the United States at the time that was considered a grave sin.Comment
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Carnera was a gentle giant who was manipulated by powers he barely had a grasp of. He is one of the last people I'd consider.
Jack Johnson for sure, he challenged the social norms of his time more than any boxer in history, including Ali and Tyson.Comment
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Lmfao??????????????????????????
And it's not even close. He became a counterculture Icon....
He supported the black panthers, malcolm X, and openly refused to fight overseas during a time filled with civil revolts.
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Run beat me to it. He dodged the war man. That was huge back then. Tyson too of course.Comment
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I can understand how a case could be made for Ali.When you factor in all of the above things RunW/Knives said...there is no question that Ali was a most controversial figure.He has no greater fan and admirer than me.
I respect Ali for standing up and suffering for his beliefs.
As for the most controversial between Ali and Johnson...
One could look at it like this...Ali had a great deal of support,between the ******s,the anti-war movement,and black people in general while he was going thru his controversial times.He suffered the brunt,but he was not alone.
In fact he was an icon and hero to many during his banishment.
Johnson on the other hand,was alone.He was villified by all,there was no safe haven for him.He was hunted down and jailed by an entire nation.He was forced out of his native country...a country filled with people who would have preferred him lynched.
All for the crimes of being black,proud,unbeatable and loving who he wanted.
I don't believe any of us in our present day world,can imagine how the USA was for a black man in the early 1900s.And then to have this man with a white woman?...that alone makes Johnson the most controversial figure,period.Comment
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Yeah Ali is a close second but as you've said, Ali had a great deal of support in the various counterculture movements, the youth of the nation, etc. Johnson was so ahead of his times that many blacks were even against his behavior.Comment
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HE wasnt controversial, but his career was definetly one of the most controversial sports careers ever. How could you NOT consider him
He was thrown in the ring with guys he hardly trained for, Fixed fight after fixed fight, and eventually ditched with no money.
His trainers and managers earned a whopping total of 2 million bucks before his MAX BAER fight, while he had a total of 348 bucks to his name
The vast majority of his first 80 odd fights were fixed.
How is this career NOT controversial.
The fact that Carnera had no knowledge of the fixing certainly brings him down a notch, but id still say he is the most controversial boxing figure ever.
Maybe Jake Lamotta for fixing his fight with Fox, Beating his wife, drinkin like a made man, all while he was an incredible fighter in the ring, the first fighter to beat SRR, etc etc etc. Thats pretty Controversial as wellComment
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