Forget what you heard about Philly fighters and Detroit tough guys. When it comes to producing world-class boxers, nobody \u2014 and we mean nobody \u2014 touches Brooklyn. The Borough of Kings has been churning out champions like it\u2019s a factory, and the assembly line runs straight through Brownsville, Bed-Stuy, and East New York. Here are the best boxers from Brooklyn NY \u2014 from heavyweight destroyers to slick technicians to modern warriors.<\/p>\n
Brooklyn\u2019s Greatest Fighters
\nMike Tyson<\/p>\n
Heavyweight \u00b7 Fort Greene \/ Brownsville \u00b7 50-6 (44 KOs)<\/p>\n
\u201cIron\u201d Mike Tyson remains the most famous boxer to ever come out of Brooklyn \u2014 and honestly, the most famous boxer most people can name, period. Born in Fort Greene and raised in Brownsville, Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history at age 20 in 1986. Ferocious power, terrifying speed, and the kind of menacing presence that had opponents beaten before the opening bell. At his peak, Tyson wasn\u2019t just winning fights \u2014 he was ending careers in under two minutes and making it look easy. His 13-fight, 13-knockout run in Atlantic City<\/a> alone is one of the most dominant stretches in heavyweight history.<\/p>\n Riddick Bowe<\/p>\n Heavyweight \u00b7 Brownsville<\/p>\n \u201cBig Daddy\u201d Riddick Bowe ruled the heavyweight division in the early 1990s \u2014 and if he\u2019d had better management and more discipline, we might be talking about him as the greatest heavyweight ever. He beat Evander Holyfield twice in one of boxing\u2019s best trilogies and held every major belt. At 6\u20195\u2033 and 240 pounds, Bowe could box, brawl, fight on the inside, fight on the outside \u2014 the total package from Brownsville.<\/p>\n Round 10 of Bowe-Holyfield I is still one of the greatest rounds in heavyweight history. Two men trying to take each other\u2019s head off for three straight minutes. That fight alone cements Bowe\u2019s legacy, and he did it twice more.<\/p>\n Shannon Briggs<\/p>\n Heavyweight \u00b7 Brownsville \u00b7 60-6-1 (53 KOs)<\/p>\n Another Brownsville product, Shannon \u201cThe Cannon\u201d Briggs held the WBO and lineal heavyweight titles. Known for his devastating knockout power and infectious \u201cLet\u2019s Go Champ!\u201d mantra, Briggs overcame adversity to become a two-time champion and remains active in the sport as one of boxing\u2019s most recognizable personalities.<\/p>\n Mark Breland<\/p>\n Welterweight \u00b7 Brooklyn \u00b7 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist<\/p>\n A two-time Olympian and 1984 gold medalist, Breland won the WBA welterweight title with his incredible reach and jab. His amateur record was an astonishing 110-1, making him one of the most decorated amateurs in American boxing history before transitioning to a successful professional career.<\/p>\n 110 and 1. Read that again. Breland was so dominant as an amateur that the gold medal almost felt like a formality. He went to Los Angeles and brought hardware back to Brooklyn like it was nothing.<\/p>\n Zab Judah<\/p>\n Junior Welterweight \/ Welterweight \u00b7 Brownsville \u00b7 Five-Time World Champion \u00b7 44-9 (30 KOs)<\/p>\n If you want to talk about pure, God-given talent coming out of Brooklyn, the conversation starts and ends with Zab Judah. \u201cSuper\u201d Judah had the fastest hands in boxing \u2014 and that\u2019s not hyperbole, that\u2019s just what everybody who ever shared a ring with him will tell you. He burst onto the scene in 2000, claiming the IBF junior welterweight title at just 22, and went on to unify the welterweight division with the WBC and WBA belts. Five world titles across two divisions. Let that sink in.<\/p>\n Judah shared the ring with the best of his era and belonged there every single time. He gave Floyd Mayweather genuine problems with that blinding speed, went to war with Kostya Tszyu, and beat Miguel Cotto when Cotto was still considered untouchable. His left hand was a weapon of mass destruction, his footwork belonged in a highlight reel museum, and Brownsville might never produce a more gifted fighter. Yeah, we said it.<\/p>\n Paulie Malignaggi<\/p>\n Junior Welterweight \/ Welterweight \u00b7 Bensonhurst<\/p>\n The \u201cMagic Man\u201d captured titles at junior welterweight and welterweight with basically no power and all brains \u2014 which is the most Brooklyn thing imaginable. Famous for his slick defense, his even slicker mouth, and a commentating career that keeps him in the spotlight, Malignaggi proved you don\u2019t need to knock guys out when you can make them miss all night and talk trash while doing it.<\/p>\n Daniel Jacobs<\/p>\n Middleweight \/ Super Middleweight \u00b7 Brownsville \u00b7 Two-Division World Champion<\/p>\n \u201cThe Miracle Man\u201d Daniel Jacobs overcame bone cancer to become a two-division world champion. His wars against Gennady Golovkin and Canelo \u00c1lvarez showcased his heart and skill on the biggest stages in boxing. Jacobs\u2019 story transcends the sport \u2014 a testament to the toughness Brooklyn breeds.<\/p>\n The guy was told he might never walk again, let alone fight. He came back and nearly shocked the world against GGG at Madison Square Garden<\/a>. If that doesn\u2019t scream Brooklyn, nothing does.<\/p>\n Eddie Mustafa Muhammad<\/p>\n Light Heavyweight \u00b7 Brownsville \u00b7 WBA Champion (1980)<\/p>\n The slick light heavyweight won the WBA title in 1980 and was known for his defensive mastery. A thinking man\u2019s fighter from a neighborhood known for brawlers, Muhammad proved Brownsville could produce technicians too.<\/p>\n Junior Jones<\/p>\n Bantamweight \/ Super Bantamweight \u00b7 Brooklyn<\/p>\n A bantamweight and super bantamweight champion, Jones pulled off massive upsets over Marco Antonio Barrera and Kennedy McKinney. Jones was the kind of fighter who rose to the occasion when the lights were brightest.<\/p>\n Sadam Ali<\/p>\n Junior Middleweight \u00b7 Brooklyn \u00b7 2008 Olympian<\/p>\n A Brooklyn-raised Olympian, Sadam Ali captured the WBO junior middleweight title with a stunning upset win over Miguel Cotto in 2017. Ali represented the next wave of New York talent carrying the borough\u2019s proud tradition forward.<\/p>\n Curtis Stevens<\/p>\n Middleweight \u00b7 Brooklyn<\/p>\n The hard-hitting middleweight contender earned the nickname \u201cThe Real Deal\u201d for his knockout power. Though he fell short in title fights \u2014 including against GGG \u2014 Stevens remains a fan favorite for his all-action style and willingness to trade leather with anyone.<\/p>\n Why Brooklyn Produces Champions<\/p>\n It\u2019s not an accident. The borough\u2019s gyms \u2014 Gleason\u2019s<\/a>, Starrett City, the old Bed-Stuy boxing clubs \u2014 built a culture where toughness wasn\u2019t optional, it was the price of admission. Brownsville gets called the toughest neighborhood in America for a reason, and the kids who grew up there either sank or learned to fight. Most of the names on this list chose to fight.<\/p>\n Today, rising stars like Bruce Carrington<\/a> are keeping the pipeline flowing, proving that Brooklyn\u2019s boxing tradition isn\u2019t some relic of the \u201980s and \u201990s. The Borough of Kings is still producing kings \u2014 and if history\u2019s any guide, the next one\u2019s already lacing up gloves in some basement gym right now. For more on the scene, check out our complete guide to NYC boxing gyms and history<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Forget what you heard about Philly fighters and Detroit tough guys. 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