1910 T220 Champions Tommy Burns 🥊🏒
On the eve of the start of the 2025-26 NHL season, my mind wanders to crossover athletes who were World Boxing Champions and also hockey players.
Boxing and hockey both prize toughness and hand skills, but it’s rare to find someone who competed seriously in both.
That's where Tommy Burns steps into focus.
Tommy Burns, born in Canada, became the World Heavyweight boxing Champion from 1906 to 1908.
His is the first and only Canadian-born to hold that title. Though small for a heavyweight at just 5'7" and around 175 pounds, he relied on speed, skill, and tenacity to defeat much larger opponents. Burns made history by defending his title around the world.
Before his boxing fame, Burns was a skilled hockey player in Ontario, known for his quick skating and physical toughness, traits that translated directly into his boxing success.

1921 Exhibit Supply Co., Jack Dempsey. 🥊
Jack Dempsey (“The Manassa Mauler”) – The most iconic “Saturday Night” fighter of the 1900-20's era -- a ferocious, crowd-thrilling heavyweight champ who brought violence and spectacle like a rock concert. 🤘 🎶 🤘
TURN IT UP!🔊
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26wEWSUUsUc

1948 Leaf #48, Joe Louis. ⭐🥊⭐
Joe Louis, the “Brown Bomber,” was one of the most dominant and influential boxers in history. He ruled the boxing world as heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949 — a record 12-year tenure — and successfully defended his title 26 times, also a record. Known for his devastating punching power, precise technique, and calm demeanor in the ring, Louis became a unifying figure in American sports during a time of racial segregation. His 1938 rematch victory over German Max Schmeling carried profound political symbolism on the eve of World War II, boosting American morale and challenging Nazi propaganda. Beyond his athletic achievements, Louis helped break racial barriers in boxing, paving the way for future African American champions. His combination of dominance, dignity, and cultural significance secured his place as both a sports legend and an enduring symbol of pride and perseverance.

Join Mantel's Boxing group - you might like it.🤔
https://www.onmantel.com/group/8dec1691-bd0f-4aef-b536-c9279a03f502

1911 W.D. & H.O. Wills Green Star & Circle Issue, Jack Johnson.
Scarcity matters.🥊
The first Black Heavyweight World Champion of Boxing.
Have a great weekend!😀

1966 DC Thompson Hornet Cassius Clay 🥊
This card was issued as part of a set in "The Hornet", a weekly British comic published by DC Thomson.
This card features Cassius Clay, the name Muhammad Ali used before his 1964 name change following his conversion to Islam. Though issued in 1966, it still refers to him as Cassius Clay, capturing an early and transformational phase of his life and career. That makes it one of the last widely distributed items to use his birth name.
It's much rarer than traditional American boxing cards of Ali from the same era, like those from 1960s Panini or Hemmets Journal, and is condition-sensitive.
Join Mantel's ⭐ The Sweet Science Boxing Group to learn and share more.🥊