Bonecrusher. The Motor City Cobra. Boom Boom. The Golden Boy. Smoking Joe.
If these names sound familiar to you, then chances are you have spent at least some time in or around one of the world’s most controversial professional sports: Boxing.
Whether you love it or hate it, boxing is one of the most prolific arenas in the sporting world for the genesis of creative personal names. In a special audio report called Ring Names, boxer/reporter Alex McClintock gives lovers of onomastic pugilism an inside look into some of the most (in)famous nicknames to ever come out the ring.
If you are curious to know the official persona names of the athletes who donned the above monikers, here are the answers: James Smith, Thomas Hearns, Ray Mancini, Oscar De La Hoya, and the legendary Joe Frazier. Click here for a list of more boxing nicknames and their genesis.