my favorite fictional boxer is Peekay in The Power Of One and Tandia by Bryce Courtenay. he seems like his opponents represent the challenges he faces in order to help his country.
my favorite real boxer is ali. because he was not only a boxer but taught some lessons to the american people, using his fame.
boxing isnt all about beating someone up. for some people the ring is the only place where a black man could beat a white man on equal terms: fists up. in south africa is was a big part of their culture in the 1950s because of the rascism there at the time.