Three Sporting Legends Born In Georgia

There aren’t many states in the U.S. that can claim to have as much sporting royalty as Georgia. Some of the biggest sports teams in the country represent the state, with the Atlanta Braves playing in the MLB and the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Falcons playing in the NBA and NFL respectively. The sporting heritage in the state also ensured that Georgia played host to the 1996 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. So, who are the biggest sporting legends to have been born in Georgia?

Hulk Hogan

There is a no bigger name in professional wrestling than Hulk Hogan, and his career began in Georgia. His wrestling career spans over 35 years, and he is still regarded as one of the most instantly recognizable stars in the sport. He achieved everything that he could in wrestling, as he won the WWF World Championship on six occasions and still holds the record for the second-longest title reign in the history of the sport.

Hogan also won consecutive Royal Rumble matches in 1990 and 1991, which no other superstar has been able to replicate. He was a massive star in the boom of professional wrestling in the ’90s. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and is one of very few superstars that has been inducted twice, as the NWO will be inducted in 2020.

Sugar Ray Robinson

Georgia was also the birthplace of the fighter that is widely believed to be the best in the history of boxing. Sugar Ray Robinson turned professional in 1940 after an esteemed amateur career. His record was staggering, as he fought 200 times and won 173 times. Robinson remains the only fighter to have won a divisional title on five occasions.

That fifth and final success came against Carmen Basilio in 1958, which came six years after he had initially retired from the sport. His legacy is still remembered to this day, as Bert Sugar revealed that he believes that he is the best boxer of all-time, while The Ring magazine also placed Robinson at No. 1 in their rankings of the best “80 Fighters of the Last 80 Years.”

Bobby Jones 

There haven’t been more pivotal figures for the long-term success of golf than Bobby Jones. He was an influential figure throughout his career and was one of the co-founders of the Masters. You can bet on the upcoming Masters with Caesars Sportsbook. His impact was a profound one, with the innovations that he implemented in the Masters now being used in almost every professional golf event around the world to this day.

On the course, he achieved everything, as he won 13 majors throughout his career and achieved a Top 10 finish in 27 tournaments. Jones won the US Open on four occasions, which included back-to-back successes in 1929 and 1930. Meanwhile, he also won The Open Championship on three occasions and the US Amateur major on five occasions. It’s fair to say that golf wouldn’t look like it does now without Bobby Jones.

Photo Credits: Hulk Hogan by Petty Officer 1st Class Kristin Fitzsimmons, USN, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Sugar Ray Robinson from Associated Press, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; and Bobby Jones statue from the Atlanta Athletic Club via Wikimedia Commons.