WHAT follows is not intended as a definitive list, merely my own personal selection of the 25 most significant black fighters from boxing history. My selection is predominantly influenced by historical, cultural and social significance, as opposed to pure pugilistic prowess. In other words, this is not an attem pt to rank fighters using ‘pound-for-pound’ criteria. Furthermore, it should be noted that my chosen 25 are not ranked in any order, other than the chronology of their birth.
My bias towards contextual factors is reflected in the fact that of the 25 boxers featured, only one is still active, and only four were born post-1945 -a stark demonstration of how boxing has receded from being a central facet of British and American life to, frankly, a niche concern.