Coolest Nicknames From Non-Traditional Sports

Athletes have been blessed with some inventive and fun nicknames.

We all know Dizzy and Daffy, Crazy Legs, Shoeless Joe, King James, The Great One and Air Jordan. But those come from the big four traditional sports: baseball, football, basketball and hockey.

What are the greatest nicknames outside of the big four? We’re talking about boxing, soccer, golf, horse racing, Olympic sports, even billiards. And not only with athletes but team owners, executives and broadcasters, too.

These are the coolest nicknames from the non-traditional sports world.

30. The Iceman – George Woolf

George Woolf with Bold Venture and Morton L. Schwartz

Bold Venture after winning the 1936 Preakness Stakes with jockey George Woolf, far right. Owner Morton L. Schwartz holds the reins. AP Photo

Sport: Horse racing

Country: Canada

Active years: 1928-46

Bottom line: You’d have to be a real horse racing aficionado and historian to know George Woolf. Or you could have watched the great film “Seabiscuit.”

Woolf was one of the most famous and revered jockeys of his time, earning his nickname for his cool patience before making his move.

Woolf won 721 races in his career, perhaps none more famous than when he stepped in for Seabiscuit’s regular rider, Johnny “Red Pollard,” and rode the horse to victory over the legendary War Admiral in a 1938 match race.

29. Rocket Man — Elton John

Rock star Elton John, a part-owner of the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League, kicks a soccer ball at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1976. AP Photo

Sport: Soccer

Country: England

Active years: 1976-2002

Bottom line: The famous singer got his nickname from one of his popular songs. Not terribly original, but it was a big deal in England for John to own a piece of the Watford Football Club in two different stints, including one as club chairman.

During his tenure, the rock star helped the squad reach the English Premier League despite financial constraints.

John also was a part-owner of the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League.

28. Boomer — Chris Berman

Chris Berman while doing a live segment of ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” in 2008. Jessica Hill / AP Photo

Sport: All

Country: United States

Active years: 1977-present

Bottom line: Most famous as a football and baseball broadcaster, Chris Berman covered virtually every sport, especially during his early days at a fledgling network known as ESPN.

Berman is known for singlehandedly bestowing more nicknames on athletes than any broadcaster, and his own moniker of “Boomer” came from his outsized personality and his booming voice, which caused technicians to often have to lower his voice levels.

The veteran broadcaster changed how sports fans get their news and how sportscasters approach their work.

27. The Walrus — Craig Stadler

Craig Stadler tees off at the 2013 Encompass Championship tournament in Glenview, Illinois. Nam Y. Huh / AP Photo

Sport: Golf

Country: United States

Active years: 1976-present

Bottom line: The 1982 Masters champion is still going strong on the Champions Tour at the age of 66.

Fellow golfer Jerry Pate tagged Stadler with his famous nickname in 1975 during the Walker Cup at St. Andrews.

There was no great method to the madness. Pate just felt like Stadler looked and moved like a walrus.

26. Rampage — Quinton Jackson

Quinton Jackson in 2012. Rampage Jackson / Facebook

Sport: MMA

Country: United States

Active years: 1999-present

Bottom line: Quinton Jackson has one of the more fitting nicknames in sports, both for his actions during competition and his off-the-mat behavior.

Jackson was one of the first true superstars of mixed martial arts, and one of the most popular. He made numerous film and television appearances, often playing himself but sometimes testing his acting chops in character roles.

He has four children, including three boys with the middle name of Rampage and a girl whose middle name is Page. Jackson also has been arrested several times for reckless driving.

25. Sweet Pea — Pernell Whitaker

Pernell Whitaker, right, fights Davey Montana in 1987. Lionel Cironneau / AP Photo

Sport: Boxing

Country: United States

Active years: 1984-2001

Bottom line: One of the best pound-for-pound fighters ever. In fact, Pernell Whitaker was given the designation from 1993 to 1997 by The Ring magazine.

Competing mostly in the lightweight division, Whitaker was regarded as one of the sport’s greatest defensive boxers and won titles in four different classes.

He earned his nickname when a sportswriter in his hometown of Norfolk, Virginia., misinterpreted the crowd’s chants of “Sweet Pete” as “Sweet Pea,” and the new nickname just stuck.

Whitaker tragically passed away on July 14, 2019, after being hit by a car.

24. Stevie Me — Steven Gerrard

Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard, left, scores a goal against Levski Sofia in 2004. Dimitar Deinov / AP Photo

Sport: Soccer

Country: England

Active years: 1998-2016

Bottom line: Steven Gerrard was one of Liverpool’s best midfielders and also captained the English national team. Today, he is the manager for the Rangers of the Scottish Premier League.

This moniker is a bit of a derisive, if certainly inventive, nickname. We’re not saying Gerrard was a ball hog but he did ask for it quite a bit and was, disappointed, shall we say, when he wasn’t on the other end of a pass.

23. Smokin’ Joe — Joe Frazier

Joe Frazier knocks down Jerry Quarry in a 1974 fight. AP Photo

Sport: Boxing

Country: United States

Active years: 1965-81

Bottom line: One of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, Joe Frazier was the world champion from 1970 to 1973 and was known for epic battles with Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, among others.

Frazier, who worked his way through Philadelphia’s famous boxing scene, got his nickname from a trainer who often said, “Go out there … and make smoke come from those gloves.”

22. Flo-Jo — Florence Griffith Joyner

Florence Griffith Joyner wins gold in the women’s 100-meter at the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul. Rusty Kennedy / AP Photo

Sport: Track and field

Country: United States

Active years: 1979-96

Bottom line: Florence Griffith Joyner still holds the world records in the women’s 100-meter and 200-meter dashes at the 1988 Olympics. It’s a testament to her amazing ability

A flamboyant personality, Griffith Joyner was one of the first to be dubbed by the media with the now ubiquitous nickname that shortens the first and last names. J-Lo. A-Rod. Flo-Jo. And so on.

She died tragically at the age of 38 in 1998 of an epileptic seizure.

21. The Wasp — Laura Flessel-Colovic

Laura Flessel-Colovic has won five Olympic medals in fencing. Fédération Française d’Escrime / Facebook

Sport: Fencing

Country: France

Active years: 1988-2012

Bottom line: Laura Flessel-Colovic earned her nickname as an epee fencer for the way she stung so quickly. She was an aggressive athlete who always kept her opponents off balance.

She is the winner of two gold medals, two bronze and a silver in three different Olympics in Atlanta, Sydney and Athens.

Flessel-Colovic is the winningest female athlete in French Olympic history.

20. Marvelous — Marvin Hagler

Marvelous Marvin Hagler celebrates knocking out Thomas Hearns to win the world middleweight championship in 1985. AP Photo

Sport: Boxing

Country: United States

Active years: 1973-87

Bottom line: For one of the greatest boxers of all time, “Marvelous” was both a nickname and name for Marvin Hagler.

He got the moniker early in his career but became somewhat perturbed that announcers didn’t call him by it during fights. So he legally changed his name in 1982 to Marvelous Marvin Hagler.

He was the undisputed middleweight champion from 1980 to 1987, making 12 title defenses — almost an unheard-of two per year.

19. Hitman — Thomas Hearns

Thomas Hearns, right, hits Sugar Ray Leonard during their title bout in Las Vegas in 1981. AP Photo

Sport: Boxing

Country: United States

Active years: 1977-2006

Bottom line: Tommy “Hitman” Hearns was a product of the fabled Kronk Gym in Detroit, and was known as a devastating puncher despite his tall, lanky frame.

Hearns was the first boxer in history to win world titles in five different weight divisions — welterweight, light middleweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and super middleweight — and was named fighter of the year by The Ring magazine in both 1980 and 1984.

Hearns also was nicknamed the “Motor City Cobra” and was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.

18. The Flying Scotsman — Eric Liddell

Eric Liddell won Olympic glory for Great Britain in the 400-meter race at the 1924 Summer Olympic Games. AP Photo

Sport: Track and field

Country: Scotland

Active years: 1920-25

Bottom line: Maybe you don’t know the name, but you know the story — Eric Liddell was immortalized in the movie “Chariots of Fire.”

As a devoted Christian, Liddell refused to run in the 100-meter dash heats in the 1924 Olympics because the race was held on a Sunday, and he refused to break the Sabbath. He won a gold medal later in the week when he won the 400-meters.

Liddell was nicknamed after the famous express train that ran between London and Edinburgh.

17. The Shishmaref Cannonball — Herbie Nayokpuk

Herbie Nayokpuk, left, and Joee Redington Jr. Iditarod the First Ten Years / Facebook

Sport: Sled dog racing

Country: United States

Active years: 1973-88

Bottom line: Herbie Nayokpuk is a legend. Born in Shishmaref, Alaska (hence the nickname), he was one of the first mushers to participate in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race when it was founded in 1973.

Though he never won the race in 16 years of competition, Nayokpuk is so revered and respected among Alaskans that he was chosen to be part of the delegation that officially represented the state at the 1981 inauguration of President Ronald Reagan.

16. The Raging Bull — Jake LaMotta

Jake LaMotta, left, pounds Marcel Cerdan in a 1949 fight. AP Photo

Sport: Boxing

Country: United States

Active years: 1941-54

Bottom line: For many years during his career, Jake LaMotta was known as the “Bronx Bull.” All that changed when the fighter was portrayed by Robert De Niro in the film “Raging Bull.”

Whether it was the Bronx or Raging, LaMotta was most definitely a bull. He was devastating in the ring, but because of his aggressive style, he often got as good as he gave.

The middleweight champion of the world from 1949 to 1951, LaMotta fought six epic battles with Sugar Ray Robinson during his career.

15. The Spider — Anderson Silva

Anderson Silva celebrates a win against Forrest Griffin in 2009. H. Rumph Jr. / AP Photo

Sport: Mixed martial arts

Country: Brazil

Active years: 1997-present

Bottom line: Sure, this might not be the most original nickname, but if you take into account Anderson Silva’s background, it is perfect.

Silva, who once worked at McDonald’s, is a notorious lover of comic books and comic book heroes, and lists Spiderman as one of his heroes.

Silva held the UFC middleweight championship for 2,547 days between 2006 and 2013, a record. That included a record 16 consecutive victories during that span.

14. The Great White Shark — Greg Norman

Greg Norman after winning the 1986 Kemper Open in Bethesda, Maryland. Scott Stewart / AP Photo

Sport: Golf

Country: Australia

Active years: 1975-2009

Bottom line: Greg Norman earned his nickname after he burst onto the scene at the 1981 Masters. It was a combination of the great white shark being prevalent in Australia and for the way he stalked some of the best players in the world.

He finished fourth in that tournament, the first of eight top-five finishes at the fabled tournament. For his career, Norman won 88 tournaments, including 20 PGA events and two majors.

And he wasn’t just a shark on the course, either. Norman is the CEO of the ultra-successful Greg Norman Company, which oversees apparel businesses, interior design, private equity, golf course design and more.

13. Manos de Piedra (Hands of Stone) — Roberto Duran

Roberto Duran, right, fights Ray Lampkin a lightweight title bout in 1975. AP Photo

Sport: Boxing

Country: Panama

Active years: 1968-2001

Bottom line: Some people will sarcastically say Roberto Duran’s nickname should be “No Mas,” the infamous phrase he uttered when he quit during a fight against Sugar Ray Leonard. They forget that Duran was once one of the most feared boxers in the world.

He began boxing at age 17 and is only the second fighter in history to compete in five decades, winning four world championships in four different weight classes.

As his amateur career in Panama developed, Duran drew his famous nickname from his hometown. He grew up in the city of El Chorrillo in the neighborhood known as “La Casa de Piedra” (The House of Stone).

12. The Golden Bear — Jack Nicklaus

Jack Nicklaus won his sixth Masters title in 1986. Phil Sandlin / Ap Photo

Sport: Golf

Country: United States

Active years: 1961-2005

Bottom line: Jack Nicklaus is arguably the greatest golfer of all time. Nicklaus won two U.S. amateur titles before turning pro, then won 117 tournaments, including a record 18 majors.

He also won several Senior Tour events before finally calling it quits at the 2005 British Open.

His nickname has a rather humble story. Golden Bears was the nickname of the high school Nicklaus attended, Upper Arlington in Arlington, Ohio.

11. Sugar — Ray Robinson

Welterweight champion Sugar Ray Robinson stands over Joe Rindone in 1950. J. Walter Green / AP Photo

Sport: Boxing

Country: United States

Active years: 1940-65

Bottom line: There is no other Sugar Ray without Sugar Ray Robinson. Simple as that.

One of the greatest pound-for-pound boxers in the history of the sport, Robinson won 175 bouts and was a world welterweight and middleweight champ. The nickname came from his trainer, who described him as “sweet as sugar,” and the name stuck with reporters.

Ironically, his real name wasn’t Ray Robinson. He was born Walker Smith, but in order to box at a local club, he needed an Amateur Athletic Union card. He borrowed one from a guy by the name of Ray Robinson.

10. Chicharito — Javier Hernandez

Mexico’s Javier Hernandez in a 2018 World Cup match against Sweden. Martin Meissner / AP Photo

Sport: Soccer

Country: Mexico

Active years: 2006-present

Bottom line: One of the premier strikers in the world, Javier Hernandez made his name known on two continents — playing for the Mexican national team and for West Ham United in the English Premier League.

He is rarely, if ever, called by his real name. Chicharito was a name he picked up from his father and means “Little Peas.”

9. Boom Boom — Ray Mancini

Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini hammers a right to the head of Booby Chacon in 1984. AP Photo

Sport: Boxing

Country: United States

Active years: 1979-92

Bottom line: A lightweight world champion, Ray Mancini inherited his nickname. That is, his father, Lenny “Boom Boom” Mancini , was himself a boxer who helped train his son.

In May of 1982, the younger Mancini won the world title and made a successful defense before he was paired with a South Korean boxer named Duk Koo Kim.

It was a tremendous fight with plenty of action, won by Mancini with a 14th-round TKO. But Kim collapsed after the fight and died shortly thereafter.

Mancini was never really the same again.

8. Il Divino Codino (The Divine Ponytail) – Roberto Baggio

Roberto Baggio playing for Italy at the 1994 World Cup. Michael Probst / AP PHoto

Sport: Soccer

Country: Italy

Active years: 1982-2004

Bottom line: Roberto Baggio was one of the most remarkable soccer players Italy has ever produced. An attacking midfielder who could play several positions, Baggio starred for more than a half-dozen Italian club teams during his lengthy career.

But he truly shined on the big stage. Although he could never deliver a World Cup title for Italy — third in 1990, second in 1994, quarterfinals in 1998 — his nine World Cup goals are the most ever for an Italian player.

The nickname is pretty self-explanatory.

7. The Bayonne Bleeder — Chuck Wepner

Chuck Wepner, left, in a fight against Sonny Liston. Boxing News / Facebook

Sport: Boxing

Country: United States

Active years: 1964-78

Bottom line: This is all you need to know about Chuck Wepner. He was the inspiration for the Rocky character developed by Sylvester Stallone — a durable, difficult-to-put-away fighter who just kept coming and coming and coming.

Wepner had some memorable fights, including a 1975 world heavyweight title bout in which he knocked down Muhammad Ali in the ninth round but lost with just seconds remaining in the 15th.

The nickname? Uh, yeah, you’d be called “The Bayonne Bleeder” too if you once took 72 stitches to the face after fighting Sonny Liston.

6. Pocket Hercules — Naim Suleymanoglu

Naim Suleymanoglu at the 1988 Seoul Games. Olympic Weightlifting History / Facebook

Sport: Weightlifting

Country: Turkey

Active years: 1983-2000

Bottom line: Naim Suleymanoglu drew his nickname from his small stature — 4 feet, 10 inches. His father was only 5-foot tall, and his mother was 4-7. But boy could Suleymanoglu lift.

He set a world record in the clean-and-jerk at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, lifting 342.5 pounds, earning the gold medal.

He also earned gold at the 1992 and ’96 Olympic Games. He was also a five-time world champion between 1989 and 1995.

5. Iron Mike — Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson, right, delivers a powerful blow to Trevor Berbick in a 1986 fight. Douglas C. Pizac / AP Photo

Sport: Boxing

Country: United States

Active years: 1985-2006

Bottom line: “Iron” might not seem so original, but never was it more fitting.

Until getting sidelined by a series of poor choices that included bad trainers, bad management and prison time after being convicted of rape in 1992, Mike Tyson was indeed the baddest man on the planet.

At 20, he became the youngest man ever to win the heavyweight title and still holds the third-longest championship reign in heavyweight history.

4. The Intimidator — Dale Earnhardt

Dale Earnhardt after winning the Busch Clash in 1986. Chuck Luzier / AP Photo

Sport: Stock car racing

Country: United States

Active years: 1979-2001

Bottom line: The nickname came from Dale Earnhardt’s brash, aggressive style. Nobody — and we mean nobody — wanted to see No. 3 coming up from behind on their tail nor on their side trading paint.

The world was shocked when then-NASCAR president Mike Helton stepped to the podium after the 2001 Daytona 500 and announced that Earnhardt, a seven-time NASCAR champion, had been killed after crashing into a retaining wall on the last lap.

3. The Black Widow — Jeanette Lee

Jeanette Lee lines up a shot in 2001. Christopher Pfuhl / AP Photo

Sport: Billiards

Country: United States

Active years: 1989-present

Bottom line: Jeanette Lee grew up in Brooklyn, so already you know she’s tough.

But when she decided to take up billiards, her friends tagged her with the nickname because when she put a stick in her hands and got near a pool table, she became a different person and “would eat people alive.” Hence, The Black Widow.

How tough is she? Lee has suffered from scoliosis since she was 12, and has had 10 surgeries on her back and neck despite playing a sport that requires to almost constantly lean or bend over.

2. Tiger — Eldrick Woods

Tiger Woods wins the 2009 Masters. Chris Carlson / AP Photo

Sport: Golf

Country: United States

Active years: 1998-present

Bottom line: Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer of this generation.

Earlier in 2019, he pushed aside debilitating back pain and surgeries, as well as some deep personal issues, to win the Masters. That gives him 15 major championships, second behind only the 18 won by Jack Nicklaus.

We’re so accustomed to calling him Tiger, but that’s really a nickname to honor his father’s friend from the Vietnam War, Col. Vuong Dang Phong, also nicknamed “Tiger.”

1. The Greatest — Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali went 56-5 in his career with 37 knockouts. AP Photo

Sport: Boxing

Country: United States

Active years: 1960-81

Bottom line: Also known as the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), Muhammad Ali never worried about someone giving him this nickname. He did. But you know what they say if you can back it up.

First as Cassius Clay and then as Ali, this was arguably the greatest boxer of all time who had epic fights with Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and George Foreman, among others.

A three-time world heavyweight champion, Ali successfully retained the title a whopping 19 times in 20 fights, losing it only when he was suspended and in a 15-round loss to Leon Spinks.