Thomas Hearns
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Thomas Hearns is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 2006. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra", and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns's tall, slender build and oversized arms and shoulders allowed him to move up over fifty pounds in his career and become the first boxer in history to win world titles in five weight divisions: welterweight, light middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight.
Hearns at the White House in 1987
Hearns, center, in Detroit, December 1981
Hearns signs autographs in Houston in January 2014
The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year
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The Ring magazine was established in 1922 and has named a Fighter of the Year since 1928, which this list covers. The award, selected by the magazine editors, is based on a boxer's performance in the ring.
Barney Ross
Muhammad Ali has been named Fighter of the Year more times than any other boxer in history. He was disqualified from the honor from 1964 to 1966 due to controversy over his religious and political beliefs, but it was retroactively awarded in December 2016. Ali won the award six times in total.