There can be little doubt that the story of working-class Italian-Americans making the big time in boxing is a truly loved and time-tested one; especially with an abundance of such heroes hailing from NY.

From the “Rocky” franchise to “Raging Bull,” popular culture has also played its part in incubating the relationship between American citizens of Italian descent and the noble sport, and how the world embraces that relationship. As such, we have ranked the five greatest American boxers of Italian descent, and how their influence still impacts the sport today.