Legends of the Ring: Great American Boxers

The bare-knuckle boxer John L. Sullivan in the late 1800s, the ferocious fists of "Iron" Mike Tyson in the 1980s, the culture shock of the legendary Jack Johnson, the worldwide phenomenon of Muhammad Ali--the sport of boxing has shaped American culture for more than a century. No sport is more enthralling than boxing--called "the noble art" and the "sweet science." As famed boxing announcer Larry Merchant once said, boxing is the "theater of the unexpected." Its storied history has seen momentous bouts, the breakdown of racial barriers, and fights of the century. In this eighteen-part series, the inimitable David L. Hudson, Jr., takes you on a thrilling ringside ride. You'll explore the rich history of the sport, its greatest heavyweight champions, controversial decisions, historic upsets, and much more. Along the way, you will hear the sagas of such luminaries as Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott, Sugar Ray Robinson, Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Ray Leonard, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, and Mike Tyson. Other lectures include segments on controversial decisions, great ring tragedies, ring weirdness, and bare-knuckle boxing.