What's in a (nick)name?

I am not sure who the first fighter was with a nickname but he started a trend that has lasted the test of time. We have been blessed with some of the greatest nick names ever. This trend crosses all boundaries and is common in all sports from basketball to Muay Thai. Nicknames have a soul, offer the fans a glimpse into the warrior mindset of the fighter they're going to see or are a fan of. I mean where would we be without one of the most famous monikers ever "SUGAR". Ray Robinson's style was considered "sweet as sugar" by his manager and the nickname sugar was born.

Now it's considered a bit of a sacred nickname. If you want to call yourself "sugar" you better be able to back it up. "Sugar" Ray Leonard and "Sugar" Rashad Evans have surely proven to be able to do that in their careers.

Of course my favorites are some of the greatest MMA and kickboxers of all time. Guys like "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva or Anderson "The Spider" Silva. No hype here, just a whole pile of whoop a$$. How about "The Flying Dutchman" Remy Bonjasky. He was given that name because of his jumping striking techniques."The Iceman", "The Natural", and "The Jet". I could do this all day. Nicknames are a part of the fight culture. Part of the culture period, I nickname almost every person I get to know. I can't help it..lol. Anyway, that brings me to my current fighters.

I fooled around with nicknames for them but it's official Felipe has to be "Babyface", I don't think his genes give me much choice. Yoka will be billed as "The Diamond" after someone I think she relates to, Ramon "The Diamond" Dekkers.

Anyway, nicknames are fun for fans, crucial for promoters and fighters when trying to sell fights and entice fans. It's also a way fans relate socially when debating the fights upcoming and in the past. I guarantee you'll probably never hear Ray Robinson's name mentioned without "Sugar" in front of it, heck Ray Robinson wasn't even his real name...