Can You Identify These '70s Boxers From a Screenshot?

SPORTS

By: Gavin Thagard

6 Min Quiz

Image: Wiki Commons by Arquivo Nacional

About This Quiz

It would be easy to call the 1970s the decade of "Ali," but in reality, a variety of talented boxers came through the ring during those years. Led by the heavyweight division, which many considered to be in its Golden Age, the '70s gave boxing fans some stellar bouts fueled by fierce rivalries. 

Of course, the best fights were not limited to the heavyweight division, even if it was the most popular at the time with names like Joe Frazier and Ken Norton. Instead, the action was spread across a variety of weight classes. There were national icons like Roberto Duran and small, power hitters such as Wilfredo Gomez, who were making boxing a spectacle no matter the weight of the fighter. 

Will you be able to identify all of the boxers who made the sport a booming industry in the '70s? From South America to Asia, these fighters came from all over the world to compete at the highest level. To get them all correct, you'll have to know your boxing. 

If you're ready to take a pounding, get started with this boxer identification quiz and see if you can throw enough counterpunches to score a knockout. 

This heavyweight was kicked out of the sport for a few years because he refused to be drafted into the military. Who is he?

At 22 years old, Muhammad Ali won his first world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston. The pair had a rematch a year later for the same title belt, with Ali again coming out victorious in a first-round knockout. The outspoken Ali refused to be drafted into the Army, citing religious beliefs and his opposition to the war in Vietnam.

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What's the name of this champion who held belts in four weight classes?

Roberto Duran had extreme punching power, earning him the nickname "Hands of Stone." In 119 fights with 103 victories, Duran proved his punching power by winning 70 of those fights by knockout.

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Are you familiar with this boxer who fought with an orthodox stance?

Though he rose to prominence in the 1970s, "Sugar" Ray Leonard helped revolutionize the lower weight classes in the 1980s as one of "The Fabulous Four." His skill in these classes made him one of the best pound for pound fighters of all time.

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How familiar are you with this boxer who fought his last match against Muhammad Ali?

Floyd Patterson might have been past his prime when the '70s rolled around, but he was still a top-level boxer in the early part of the decade. Patterson won nine fights in the '70s and had only one loss during that time before leaving the sport. He also dabbled in acting, his credits including the television series, "Wild Wild West."

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Which former undisputed middleweight champion is this?

After becoming the undisputed middleweight champion, "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler defended his title 12 times without a loss. Most of those fights he won by knockout, though he did have a 15 round slugfest against Roberto Duran that ended with a unanimous decision victory for Hagler.

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Who is this defensive specialist from the welterweight division?

After leaving the ring, Floyd Mayweather Sr. trained his son, Floyd Mayweather Jr. The latter surpassed his father in the ring, finishing his career with an undefeated record and holding titles in five weight classes.

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Can you name this fighter who represented the Mexican style of boxing?

Ruben Olivares possessed a deadly left hook that helped send 49 of his first 52 opponents to the ground, with a knockout count as the end result. Olivares won his first title in his 53rd fight, finishing the fight against Takao Sakurai with a knockout in the sixth round.

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Do you recognize this power puncher from the United States?

Earnie Shavers never won a world title, but he did have the opportunity to fight twice for championships. His final chance to win a world title came against Larry Holmes. Shavers went toe to toe with Holmes until he was knocked out in the 11th round.

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Do you recognize this fighter who wasn't afraid to jump up weight classes?

Utilizing an upright stance and a well-placed jab, Alexis Arguello was one of the best defensive boxers of his time. The typical fan probably saw this style as dull, but true boxing experts could appreciate the chess game Arguello could play in the ring.

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Can you identify this boxer who finished his career with a tie against Floyd Cummings?

Known for putting pressure on his opponents, Joe Frazier was a relentless swinger in the ring. This style of fighting was one of the main reasons that 27 of his 32 victories came by knockout.

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You might recognize which boxer shown here for promoting his grill?

George Foreman proved that age is just a number when he defeated Michael Moorer for the unified WBA, IBF and lineal titles at the age of 45. The win made Foreman the oldest world heavyweight champion in history.

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Few boxers had the jab power of which heavyweight depicted here?

Larry Holmes, who was mentored by Muhammad Ali, was the only fighter to stop Ali before the final bell rang. The fight took place near the end of Ali's career, a time when Parkinson's disease had already begun to take its toll on Ali.

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Few fighters had the heart of which boxer depicted in this image?

In 1979, Vito Antuofermo defended his middleweight title against "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler. The fight went 15 rounds and ended in a controversial draw, allowing Antuofermo to keep his title belt.

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Have you watched enough boxing to name this heavyweight?

James Tiller rose through the boxing ranks in the late '70s, winning 12 straight fights to complete the decade. However, it was in 1986 that he famously fought Mike Tyson to a decision. Though the decision favored Tyson, Tiller was the first fighter to push Tyson to the finish. He says his nickname, the Fighting Cowboy, was given to him by Muhammad Ai.

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Can you identify this heavyweight who had tough bouts with competitors like Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes?

Ken Norton received the only world heavyweight title of his career after Leon Spinks forfeited the belt. He lost the title to Larry Holmes not long after gaining it. Holmes defeated Norton by split decision.

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Can you identify this boxer who is one of the best pound for pound fighters in history?

Carlos Ortiz fought from an early age, but it wasn't in the ring. The future International Boxing Hall of Famer grew up on the tough streets of New York City. After learning to fight on the streets, Ortiz transitioned to professional boxing when he turned 18.

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How well do you know this middleweight who was an icon in Argentina?

Carlos Monzon had a tough life growing up. As a boy living in Argentina, he was sold to fight. He eventually found his way into professional boxing. After three early losses, Monzon went 81 fights with either a victory or a draw.

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An orthodox fighter from Louisville, Kentucky, who is this world-class fighter?

Jimmy Ellis had two championship fights in the '70s, both ending in losses. Of course, those fights were also in the stacked heavyweight division against two of the greatest boxers of all time, Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali.

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Does this Puerto Rican boxer have a familiar face?

Turning pro at 15, Wilfred Benitez was the youngest fighter in the history of boxing to win a world title. He was only 17 years old when he won the title by defeating Antonio Cervantes in a match that was decided by split decision.

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Do you know this heavyweight known for his wild boxing style?

Oscar Bonavena had one of the toughest fights of his career against Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight title. The match went to the 15th round, where Ali knocked Bonavena down to the mat on three occasions, finishing in a loss for Bonavena.

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Which famous knockout artist do you see here?

Though small in stature at 5 feet, 5 inches tall, Wilfredo Gomez could throw a punch like no one's business. While at his best in the ring, Gomez won an astounding 32 straight fights by knockout.

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You might remember which boxer shown here for his tough fight against George Foreman?

Ron Lyle didn't have his first professional fight until the age of 30, partly because he spent time in prison during his early life. According to Lyle, one of the prison guards got him interested in the sport during his time behind bars.

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Have you been into boxing long enough to identify this fighter who had more than 100 professional fights?

Emile Griffith had a professional boxing career that spanned from 1958 until 1977. After he left the sport as a boxer, he turned to training, where he helped boxers like Wilfred Benitez and Juan Laporte win championships.

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You might recognize which boxer shown here as an Olympic gold medal winner?

Teofilo Stevenson was known throughout the '70s for his lethal right hand that sent many fighters to the mat. Even when fighters knew about the power his right hand held, they could do little to defend against it, earning Stevenson three gold medals during his prime.

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Can you identify this fighter who had 53 professional wins?

An American fighter out of Akron, Ohio, Michael Dokes had a successful amateur career before turning to pros in 1976. One of his best accomplishments as an amateur was winning a silver medal at the 1975 Pan American Games.

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What's the name of this fighter known for his unique grin?

After seven victories and one tie, Leon Spinks was given the biggest fight of his career in a heavyweight title match against Muhammad Ali. This took place in 1978. Spinks got the win in what was the only fight Ali lost while holding the title belt.

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Are you familiar with this light heavyweight who is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame?

After the WBA light heavyweight title became vacant in 1974, Victor Galindez challenged Len Hutchins for the belt. The fight carried into the 13th round, during which Galindez secured a knockout victory.

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What's the name of this boxer who was part of the 1972 U.S. Olympic team?

Throughout his career, Duane Bobick had the power to knock opponents out, winning his first 19 professional fights by knockout. Bobick's career began with a 38-0 record before he lost to Ken Norton in 1977.

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Nicknamed "The Deputy Sheriff," which boxer is this?

Though he fought in an orthodox stance, Bob Foster could throw a powerful punch with both hands. He used that power primarily in the light heavyweight division, but occasionally, Foster moved up to the heavyweight division, where the pay was much higher.

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Are you able to identify this heavyweight who fought for the pride of Canada?

Two of George Chuvalo's most famous fights were losses to the great Muhammad Ali. Chuvalo managed to push both matches to the final bell, but the judges ruled in Ali's favor. For his determination, Ali referred to Chuvalo as one of the toughest fighters he has ever faced.

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He represented South Korea in the ring. Which fighter is this?

Making his boxing debut in 1970, Yum Dong-kyun had a relatively short boxing career compared to most fighters. He ended his career in 1980 after his bout against Hong Soo-hwan ended in a draw.

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Is this Italian fighter with only two loses on his resume a boxer you recognize?

After losing the first fight of his career, Bruno Arcari fought 72 more bouts as a professional. Only one of those fights was a loss and another a tie. The rest of the fights went to Arcari.

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Is this former World Welterweight Champion a boxer you remember?

Throughout his career, Jose Napoles displayed the ability to beat his opponents to a pulp. In his title fight against Curtis Cokes, Napoles knocked Cokes around so bad that the referee had to stop the fight in the 13th round.

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This fighter was an icon in Spain. Who is he?

After one loss early in his career, Pedro Carrasco won 83 consecutive fights and didn't have another loss until his 92nd fight. He finished his career with 116 wins and only three losses.

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This Brazilian fighter had one of the hardest punches for his size. What's his name?

Before starting his professional career, Eder Jofre competed in the Olympics, losing in the quarterfinals of the competition. He wouldn't lose another match until he faced Fighting Harada, who captured Jofre's bantamweight title.

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Do you know this left-handed featherweight?

Known for his endurance, Vicente Saldivar was a relentless southpaw fighter who enjoyed attacking the body of opposing fighters on the defense. Saldivar's style allowed him to maintain power into later rounds, where he could secure the win with a knockout.

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He was a competitor who twice appeared in the Summer Olympics. Is this boxer familiar to you?

As with most boxers competing in the heavyweight division in the '70s, Rudi Lubbers had to complete his right of passage by taking a bout against Muhammad Ali. The fight went to Ali, but Rubbers at least went all 12 rounds with the champ.

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Does this member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame have a familiar face?

Throughout his career, Ismael Laguna proved he was one of the best defensive boxers with one of the toughest jaws in the sport. He competed in 75 fights and was never knocked to the mat.

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A featherweight champion from Cuba, how familiar are you with this boxer?

With the ability to avoid hard blows, Jose Legra preserved his body over a long career, during which he fought 150 bouts. The Cuban right-hander had only 12 losses.

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