Unknown author · CC BY-SA 3.0

Born Dov-Ber Rosofsky on Chicago's West Side, Ross became the third boxer in history to hold world titles in three weight divisions, the first to hold two simultaneously under modern rules, and went undefeated by knockout across an 81-fight career; The Ring named him Fighter of the Year in both 1934 and 1935. He later joined the Marines in World War II and, wounded during a night patrol at Guadalcanal, single-handedly held off a Japanese assault to save a fellow Marine, earning a Silver Star and Purple Heart. His early years running with a Chicago street gang, an association that included the future Jack Ruby, are part of the record but not the reason he is remembered.