Boxing nicknames usually fall into three categories. There’s the smart, such as Michael “Second To” Nunn. The cool: “Sugar” Ray Leonard. And, most often, the blunt: James “Bonecrusher” Smith, “Iron” Mike Tyson and Roberto “Hands of Stone” Durán.
But when, in 2012, a British coach in the Olympic Village chose a nickname for a young heavyweight prospect with a troubled past, it had nothing to do with his ability to inflict pain. Rather, it focused on his friendly nature, akin to that of the character played by the Australian actor Paul Hogan in a 1980s film.
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