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Five name-based nicknames from boxing history
Boxers need many things, often in different measures. Bravery and talent certainly help, but the top tier of boxers all have nicknames that capture the imagination.
Some fighters earn appellations thanks to their physical features, for example Saul Alvarez’s ginger hair leading to his nickname of ‘Canelo’ – cinnamon, in Spanish. Other boxers are assigned nicknames based on their hometowns, such as the Motor City Cobra Thomas Hearns, the five-weight champion hailing from Detroit.
But sometimes a boxer’s nickname stems from one of the names they already have. This weekend Gerome Warburton will be in action against Kieron Conway on the undercard of Jonny Fisher and Dave Allen’s headlining rematch, live on DAZN.
Warburton’s nickname? The Bread Maker, a pun on his surname matching the British baking giants.
Here are five other surname-based nicknames throughout boxing history.
‘Merciless’ Ray Mercer
Once upon a time, a mercer would have dealt with fine textiles and fabrics, importing and selling brocaded silks and linens. Whilst at times Ray Mercer could possibly have been described as silky, the only thing the American fighter ever dealt out was big punches.
A heavyweight gold medallist in the 1988 Olympics, Mercer would become a world champion in the same division by winning the WBO belt in 1991.
Whilst it is easy to see how Mercer could quickly become merciless, Ray’s credentials for such a nickname were bolstered by his punching power.
In the build-up to the 1988 Olympics, fellow members of the American boxing team were reluctant to box Mercer; so powerful were his punches. He certainly showed no mercy, making his name fitting on two counts.
Owen ‘What the Heck’ Beck
A good rhyme can get anything stuck in your head. Be it songs, advertising campaigns, or a mnemonic specifically designed to remember something, rhyming words sound good to the ear.
Owen Beck put his possible nicknames to a vote – with his family settling on ‘What the heck’. Recalling the source of his nickname, Beck told boxing247.com: “It was a family member. I didn’t like it, but we took it to a vote and I was outvoted. So I had to stick with it!”
A Jamaican heavyweight, Beck earned spots on the promotions of Frank Warren in the UK and Don King in the States. Certainly towards the end of his career Beck took a ‘what the heck’ attitude to selecting his fights; he ended his life as a boxer with a run of 10 defeats, leaving him with a record of 29-13 (13).
Michael ‘Second to’ Nunn
Just like boxers, puns can be very hit and miss. Even a clever one can be groan-inducing, with Michael Nunn’s nickname very much in that ballpark.
Fighters love to big up their quality via their appellations, from Muhammad ‘The Greatest’ Ali to Chris ‘Simply the Best’ Eubank Jr.
Nunn was no different, but he utilised a homophone of his surname to great effect. The nickname “Second to” seems bizarre in isolation, but when inserted into Michael’s name, it becomes one of boxing’s best puns.
Michael ‘Second to’ Nunn backed up his nickname in the ring; a 62-fight career (58-4 (38)) led to Nunn becoming a two-weight world champion with titles at middleweight and super middleweight.
‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler
Marvin Hagler was another dominant American middleweight, reigning as undisputed champion during both the two- and three-belt eras. Winner of the inaugural IBF middleweight belt, Hagler would finish his career with a 62-3-2 (52) record.
Once Hagler adopted the nickname for himself, he found that many of the boxing reporters and the TV companies refused to use it. So he did what he had to do and changed his name by deed poll to add to it the ‘Marvelous’ monicker.
So ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler legally became Marvelous Marvin Hagler in 1982.
Gennady ‘Triple G’ Golovkin
Sometimes nicknames just have to be simple. Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin had an alliterative name that was a bit of a mouthful for English speakers; the starting letters of each name highlighted and turned into his nickname.
Triple G was at the forefront of the boxing world during the second half of the 2010s, with fans reducing his name to GGG in discussions both in person and online. Golovkin earned attention thanks to his boxing ability, but his catchy nickname became one of the most prominent in the sport.
Whilst in his native Kazakhstan, Golovkin would go by all three of his names, Gennadyevich simply meaning son of Gennady, in the western world he went by his first name and family name, ironically making him only Double G.
