The heavyweight division is known as boxing’s glamor weight class. So, it’s pretty fitting that horse racing and boxers sometimes go hand in hand with success.
World Boxing News takes a look in the article below at three heavyweight greats who had the honor of a racehorse taking their famous name.
Just like boxers can earn millions of dollars inside the ropes, horses too can make massive amounts of money for races such as The Kentucky Derby and The Grand National.
The amount of money spent each year of both sports worldwide in the betting stakes at places like stands in the billions of dollars.
Betting also outdoes NFL despite a massive outlay from team bosses. Audiences around the world bet big on all three sports.
JOE FRAZIER
Joe Frazier, probably most famous for his three epic fights against Muhammed Ali, had his name bestowed on a three-year-old Kentucky colt.
Between October 2020 and this year so far, Joe Frazier has won three of ten races. The offspring of Distorted Humor and Third Dawn, Joe Frazier, still has races to run.
The fighter was known for his grit and determination. He could take any opponent into the trenches – apart from George Foreman.
‘Big’ George annihilated Frazier infamously in 1973 six times in two painful rounds. Despite the one-sided nature, it got voted Fight of the Year.
They met again three years later, but Frazier was down again twice in the fifth and lost before retiring one fight later.
TEÓFILO STEVENSON
Cuban amateur star and Olympic superpower Teofilo Stevenson passed away in 2012. But his name has decorated more than one horse around the world.
Jim Bolger named a horse Teofilo in his honor. Just like Teofilo, Stevenson proved somewhat unbeatable.
The horse won five straight races until injury ended its career early.
Stevenson was known for remaining in the vested code for his entire career and turning down millions of dollars to turn professional.
The six-foot five-inch brute won over 100 bouts and was a three-time Olympic and world champion.
TYSON FURY
Himself named after a famous boxer in Mike Tyson. Fury got approached during the height of his return from a long-term absence.
Initially apprehensive about lending his name to a horse, Fury eventually agreed, and the horse was an instant success.
Winning two of its first three races, Tyson Fury was seemingly on the march to huge honors. But since then, the horse has failed to win a single race.
Prize money to date for Tyson Fury stands at just over $40,000.
As for Fury, his latest purse was a $20,000,000 payday for defeating heavyweight rival Deontay Wilder for the second time.
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