The game’s greatest rim protector, Russell single-handedly shifted the NBA’s competitive balance upon his 1956 arrival. Monsoon’s name took on a kitsch factor as age softened his features, shaping him into a kindly grandfather-type to viewers watching at home. The Undefeated and SurveyMonkey collaborated to rank the 50 Greatest Black Athletes as determined by the public. Angelo “King Kong” Mosca and King Kong Bundy were already stomping around rings at that time, which led Vincent J. McMahon — Mr. McMahon’s father — to rechristen him “Bruiser Brody” when he came to New York to rumble with Bruno Sammartino. For Larry Fitzgerald, one of the perks of being the son of a Minneapolis sportswriter was the chance to be a Vikings ball boy. Seventh year: Pistons reach 1988 Finals (only Thomas’ sprained ankle keeps Detroit from the title). Found inside – Page 193She explains who she is through Muhammad Ali; he helps her silence her rude classmates. She uses her knowledge of history ... Nidali refers to him as “the great one,” a slightly Arabized English reference to his nickname, “the Greatest. Covers every aspect of Ali's life and career - from the fights to the Civil Rights movement, from his fans to his family. From Jake LaMotta to Rocky Graziano to Kid Gavilán, Robinson fought all comers. With his incredible size and one-of-a-kind look, Kamala the Ugandan Giant dominated rings from Memphis all the way to WWE. Yet, somehow, The Dynamite Kid never felt like a diminutive handle for a competitor who might’ve socked anyone who dismissed him as an adolescent. Joe Frazier 40. Years earlier, Mikey was discovered while flying around a wrestling ring that he had set up before an ECW event. However, as he honed his craft in Japan and NWA, the two-time WWE Hall of Famer’s natural ability and burgeoning sense of style led him to adopt a new nickname. Bestowed upon White by New Japan Pro Wrestling head and WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki, the persona was inspired by a Japanese comic-book villain of the same name. Douglas, however, took the hate like a G, telling reporters, “I’m actually grateful for having this hair on my head.” In 2016, Douglas helped the U.S. team win gold at the Rio de Janeiro Games, before which she debuted her own Barbie doll, with hair as beautiful as that which flows from her head. — BOBBY MELOK. Dressed down, he was a respected figure in sports-entertainment who went on to train a man who chose a much more direct ring name — Edge. In 1999, The Associated Press named Robinson “fighter of the century.” ESPN.com in 2007 named him the best in history. So why the name? The only UCLA athlete ever to letter in baseball, basketball, football and track, Robinson could ball. Brazilian President Jânio Quadros couldn’t allow Pelé to leave on his watch. Found inside – Page 123Marlee Richards. George Foreman was down for the count in round eight of the 1974 bout with MUHAMMAD ALI. ... Many reporters claimed this fight confirmed Ali's self-styled nickname, the Greatest of All Time. He accompanied a 1972 relief flight he arranged to help the people of Nicaragua after a deadly earthquake. During his four-year career at Mississippi Valley State, Rice earned one of the dopest nicknames when teammates and coaches began calling him “World” because of his ability to catch anything and everything thrown in his vicinity. He became “Sputnik” in 1957, when a female fan likened him to the “Sputnik 1” satellite the Soviets had just launched into space. Hit for average, hit for power, run, throw and field — those are the required skills of a coveted “five-tool” player, who are few and far between in Major League Baseball. At the 1935 Big Ten Championships, the star Ohio State athlete tied the world record for the 100-yard dash while setting world records in the long jump, 220-yard dash and 220-yard low hurdles. The world’s fastest man sprinted into history at roughly the speed limit of driving through a school zone. He was Rookie of the Year, selected All-Star and World Series MVP in the same year (2000), earned five Gold Gloves and was MLB’s 28th player to reach 3,000 hits. And Tim Duncan. When Serena Williams won the 2017 Australian Open, the 35-year-old superstar made history with her 23rd Grand Slam title in the 50-year history of the Open era. “If she played the men’s circuit, she’d be, like, 700 in the world,” John McEnroe said in June, to which Williams responded with admirable grace: “Dear John, I adore and respect you but please please keep me out of your statements that are not factually based.” Moral of the story: If you come at the queen — on or off the court — you best not miss. He was an oversized fan favorite with blue jeans and a full head of hair back then, but when he was recruited by the villainous manager Gary Hart, he stomped out in his trademark black singlet and bald head as King Kong Bundy. Robinson’s first-game numbers: 14 points and 14 rebounds, birthing the career of one of basketball’s greatest big men. Ellison’s love for money had inspired the handle, and it would eventually inspire her to claw her way out from under The Elephant Boy’s shadow and become something great. The athletes were ranked in order based on their average scores to form a top 50 list. It took the man whom Joe DiMaggio once called the “best and fastest pitcher” he’d ever faced more than two decades to finally get his moment. Finding success that had previously eluded him, Rude’s egotistical attitude made him one of the most hated Superstars throughout the late ’80s and early ’90s. Maurice Vachon was born with a name so elegantly French-Canadian, no one would have blinked if it was listed in a ballet playbill. The WWE Hall of Famer’s name actually comes from where he was raised in Austin, Texas. 24. Sayers also has held the NFL’s single-game touchdown record since 1960, with a six-score performance in his first season. Borrowing from different aspects of Japanese culture, he created a look that hushed audiences every time he stepped in the ring. He was named one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players (1997) and inducted into the Hall of Fame (2000). Lennox Lewis 34. There was a time, though, when Gorilla Monsoon was a lumbering giant from the land of Manchuria who punished fan favorites such as Bruno Sammartino and even Muhammad Ali with his debilitating airplane spin. After his professional debut in the Negro Leagues in 1926, Paige reached the long-overdue career milestone of playing in the majors 15 months after Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier on April 15, 1947, though Paige once said, “it still was me that ought to have been first.” And, honestly, he was right. Often referred to as the “Jackie Robinson of wrestling,” the 270-pounder originally went by the name “Boo Boo” Brazil, but when a promoter made a printing error, he simply became Bobo. He defeated Thomas “Hitman” Hearns. Although Ronnie Garvin used the name before him, One Man Gang made the handle his own as he flattened opponents with his 747 Splash, everywhere from Bill Watts’ Universal Wrestling Federation to WCW. The Arm, The Aussie Amazon = Margaret Court A-Rod = Andy Roddick B. Baron von Slam, Boom Boom Boris = Boris Becker The Barcelona Bumblebee = Arantxa Sánchez Vicario "Le basque bondissant" (French for "The Leaping Basque") = Jean Borotra Bee = Barbora Strycova ; Big, Bad Betty = Betty Stove The Big Cat = Miloslav Mecir Big Bill = William Tilden, Jr. Big Pancho = … His trainer, Ted Betley, gave the feisty upstart the nickname, and Billington accepted it without protest. He provided one of the grittiest performances in basketball history by scoring 25 points in the third quarter of a Finals game on a severely sprained ankle. The most elusive back of his era followed his 1989 Rookie of the Year season with 10 Pro Bowl trips, six first-team All-Pro honors, two Offensive Player of the Year awards and four rushing titles. He’s already No. Thomas changed that. Eventually his left knee broke down, too, forcing Sayers to retire in 1971 after just seven NFL seasons. When it comes to receiving, every NFL wideout who’s succeeded him is stuck in Rice’s world, playing catch-up. “There were so many other things that were involved in life,” he said of the feat’s aftermath. The shining moments for Jackson, who combined power and tremendous bat speed, are numerous. Found insideA Tribute to the Greatest Thomas Hauser ... FERDIE PACHECO: If you add it all up, Muhammad Ali reigned officially as heavyweight champion for less than seven years. ... ALI'S NICKNAMES FOR OPPONENTS Sonny Liston—The Big ... 2 ranking, making a pair of black sisters raised in Compton, California, the two best players in the world. — K.P. Each athlete was ranked on four factors: overall ranking, dominance, inspiration and impact on society. "The Greatest" Muhammad Ali was simply that; the best to set foot in the ring. But the stout, 5-foot-7, five-time AWA Champion was never known to stand on his tippy-toes. Four years ago, Michael Jordan named the players he thought could be great in his golden era of the NBA. Had blocks been tallied when he was playing, the Philly native would likely lead in that category as well. The seminal moment of Mays’ legendary career came in the 1954 World Series, when the New York Giants center fielder robbed Vic Wertz of a deep base hit with his trademark basket grab. The Walter Payton Award honors the most outstanding college player in the Football Championship Subdivision, while the NFL presents the Walter Player Man of the Year Award to one player for his volunteer and charity work. At the 2012 London Summer Olympics, Gabby Douglas became the first African-American woman to win a gold medal in individual all-around gymnastics competition and the first American woman to win gold in both the all-around and team competitions. Mayweather’s flash? No-nonsense at the time, Janos adopted a more flamboyant style when he got in the ring as Jesse Ventura — his surname meant to inspire images of sunny California. — R.M. The allure of Stephen Curry is simple: No one predicted he’d be a serviceable player, let alone a two-time MVP, two-time NBA champion and future Hall of Famer. The greatest … Respondents for this survey were randomly selected from the nearly 3 million people who take surveys on the SurveyMonkey platform every day. / 'Peanut' Louie-Harper / This tennis nut made a name for herself on court", "Wimbledon 2011: Questions for... Grigor Dimitrov", "Prince of clay looks to dethrone the king", "Becker's route to Hall a grass-roots success", "How Rod Laver Became Known As "The Rocket, "A tribute to Rusty: the resilience of Lleyton Hewitt", "Maria Bueno: Brazilian star of 1960s women's tennis dies", "John McEnroe: The golden rage of Superbrat (retd. Sputnik Monroe’s name was inspired by a Russian satellite, but this icon of the Memphis wrestling scene was a true American original. Respect him. Wrong. Which was better, yet too derivative for a sports-entertainment original. — R.M. There’s no hesitation in saying that O’Neal in his prime was the most dominant player in NBA history. Yet, as his health waned, his legacy proved to be not just of sports, but of the world. — R.M. Later, after contracting AIDS, he created a foundation for research about the deadly disease. Vincent Edward “Bo” Jackson’s athletic life was about a lot of “not only.” Not only was he a supernatural athlete as a teenager, dominating in track (including two decathlon titles), baseball and football. After his playing career ended, his impact on the court and in the sneaker industry gave Jordan the means to become the only African-American majority owner in major professional sports, yet another step on his journey to eminence. However, Shreve has rarely been known by his given name. — R.M. Scott Charles "Bam Bam" Bigelow could’ve been named Shirley and he still would have been one of the most intimidating men to ever step inside a wrestling ring. It’s not afraid to tackle an issue rarely discussed: Does the heavyweight title deliver on its promise to young men in the inner city? This is the definitive story of Leon and Michael Spinks. A short life for a man who left an everlasting legacy. Not that Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey wanted a black player who was afraid to fight back. some consider him to be the greatest of all time, became the league’s all-time leading rusher, death from bile duct cancer in 1999 at age 45, Earvin “Magic” Johnson announced he had tested positive for HIV, most unbreakable record in league history, first African-American all-around winner at the World Championships, The Atlanta Braves outfielder launched his 715th career home run, Aaron said in 2007, when Barry Bonds broke the record. Bang! And, in the realm of basketball, some consider him to be the greatest of all time. A high school shot-put champion, Neidhart used that same technique to turn the competition into his own exhibition. A. The Undefeated’s Justin Tinsley, Jerry Bembry and Aaron Dodson wrote the biographies of the athletes, although they didn’t agree with some of the rankings. Failing to find much success early on, Harris went to the United Kingdom as The Mississippi Mauler — a persona that foreshadowed what would become his most memorable identity. Average scores were calculated from each factor to create a composite score. A statue of Banks, known as “Mr. Just look at him. It launched 630 home runs, sixth all time. As for The Elephant Boy? Paige’s arm, competitiveness and showmanship that he translated into an estimated 2,500 games, 2,000 wins, 300 shutouts and 55 no-hitters over his career deserved to be on display in the majors long before 1948. When he became “Killer” Kowalski in the early ’50s, the moniker aptly summed up his particular brand of mayhem. All this as his every move and decision (pun intended) have been lauded, yes, but more so overly dissected and criticized. So he co-chaired the group Artists and Athletes Against Apartheid. Focus on Sport/Getty Images No list of nicknames would be complete without Ali. 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