List of all African-American boxing champions (200+)

[Anthony342]

Yeah I couldn't give a ****.


Although, let's play "one of these is not like the other"

11/18/1970 - Joe Louis won the WBA Heavyweight title

12/03/1970 - Billy Backus won the WBA & WBC Welterweight title

01/22/1973 - George Foreman won the WBA Heavyweight title



Any takers ?.

Little hint: Billy Backus is not African American my dude

Really? But Foreman was still lineal, because he beat Frazier, who previously beat Ali in 1971, so how could Foreman have not been "the guy"?

[_Rexy_]

Man.

There are schools in boxing

There are advantages un each race

Mexicans are durable and they have a lot of stamina

African-americans ... well, they have a lot of speed and athletism.

They have a strong mentality and personality in boxing

This is the reason why they are the most succesful boxing schools in the world.

Is that a race thing or nationality though? African Americans dominate in boxing, but Africans don’t. Jamaicans don’t.

Mexicans dominate in boxing, but other Spanish counties don’t (not the same, but you get my point)

I wonder what would happen if you took a Russian and dropped him at 8 years old into a top USA gym, a black kid at 8, drop him in a Mexican gym and a Mexican kid at 8 and drop him in one of those Ukrainian gyms...I think my high ass is onto something lol

[The Old LefHook]

Africa is a continent, and poor in hockey talent.

[NChristo]

Really? But Foreman was still lineal, because he beat Frazier, who previously beat Ali in 1971, so how could Foreman have not been "the guy"?

[travestyny]

This is not necessarily aimed at the OP, but it's sad that someone felt a need to compile this list.

[The Old LefHook]

It's not sad at all. People who think it is sad are sad halfwits.

[Clegg]

I guess David Reid is the blackest dude in boxing history as he's the only guy listed twice.

[QueensburyRules]

Does that mean if white former IBF Heavyweight Title holder Francois Botha who comes from South Africa ever became an American citizen, he would also be included on this list?

Yup, welcome to the 3rd millennium where moderns in their unholy quest for every demographic splinter possible have gotten far removed from Dr Kings wanting to be judged on the content of character instead of the color of skin.

I do applaud the OP diligence in a project that obviously means much to him. Maybe he can use that motivation to research something with more meaning to humanity.

[Marchegiano]

These are always weirdo threads first off & idk the point of them that isn't some weirdo agenda sh^t, but just curious what makes one "African American" for this list?

Cuz to me & I imagine many others Andre Ward is biracial more than he's African American. And I'm sure there are others on this list that could qualify as such.

I mean this is 2018 not the past where racist mfers like to act like one drop of African blood makes ones African & this angle usually makes being African a negative thing more than a positive thing from their point of view.

But mainly I think a stance that a African American & another genre of human makes an African American kid is a outdated concept. They make a person of two backgrounds neither of which should be discounted or overhyped for that matter.

I can not agree with you more.

You've read me before and by now you have to know I like to babble. I will try to keep this short and sweet without missing points because it's important to me and I do hope you read it in full.

Firstly let me note, I am not black, I am white by skin tone and puerto rican by ethnicity. Ain't no pony in this race far as race is concerned. I am a history fan.


It is my opinion after having done research from 686 BC to the present that black boxing is the single hardest avenue of boxing history to get right and that is because the colorline knowingly and with malice tried vehemently to bury their history.

So I endorse black centric research in all its forms. Those who dwell in the well-knowns, like this list for example, serve the purpose of motivating others to look deeper.

It is no different from a list of short HWs or left handed boxers. People learn who Tua is through these means. I think hardcore or long term fans forget this and think these lists useless but they're actually great for lurkers.


In my opinion, Dark Ages boxing is difficult because the church went out of its way to demonize the sport and do away with it. So true record keeping sucks but we do have good church records. Russian, French, Veneto, and German boxing all fall into similar situations. Difficult, but, plenty enough information considering the age and atmosphere. In this period the hated has little voice but the hater speaks for them so we do get some story and narrative.

England has so much info on it most their stories conflict like the bible or some such. I guess in the 1700s no one gave a **** if they contradicted themselves a few pages later.

So it isn't as if the buried and lesser known history hasn't got it's challengers. Dark Ages European boxing is a heck of a challenge, but, black boxing is the hardest mug I ever tackled because the whites did not try so much to demonize it as much as ignore it and if not for Richard K Foxx, who was a racist, we'd have very little understanding of where the black boxer even came from.

It is why I have yet to make a post that proudly states I have listed all the important figures in boxing. I still find more everytime I take a peek into black boxing history.

I need help. I need folks like OP to become motivated or motivate others into researching the black boxing histories that are nearly lost, so, for me, I smiled when i seen this and reckon'd it good and valuable.

What needs to be done is more folks need to hit up news papers of the olden eras when newspapers mattered a ****load. NY Clipper, Police Gazette, that sort of ilk. the info is still in the papers we've just yet to have a historian organize and transcribe it to a readable text. The papers come in image form, usually PDF. Ye olden language mixed with poorly formed characters makes transcription a real pain....making us all ignorant to the history of black boxing around the world. edit- brough that home poorly. I'm trying to say guys like Kevin Smith who did write brilliant books that give you a huge leg up still have yet to actually transcribe their sources and make them easy for the public to handle. Someone has to do that before the public can be made aware of the information otherwise you have book readers simply telling non-book readers what is in their books with nothing to back it leaving the non-reader skeptical where there should be none.

I don't mean to argue sensibilities, just reckon'd you'd understand this and at minimal find some level of respect for his act.

**** me that's a babble...I'll leave her here then I reckon.

[TonyGe]

These are always weirdo threads first off & idk the point of them that isn't some weirdo agenda sh^t, but just curious what makes one "African American" for this list?

Cuz to me & I imagine many others Andre Ward is biracial more than he's African American. And I'm sure there are others on this list that could qualify as such.

I mean this is 2018 not the past where racist mfers like to act like one drop of African blood makes ones African & this angle usually makes being African a negative thing more than a positive thing from their point of view.

But mainly I think a stance that a African American & another genre of human makes an African American kid is a outdated concept. They make a person of two backgrounds neither of which should be discounted or overhyped for that matter.

Well said....