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Pugilistic prisoners

Following is a partial list of successful boxing figures who spent time in prison before, during or after their boxing careers.

Tony Ayala, Jr., Aggravated sexual assault and burglary/attempted assault, 1983-99 and 2001, Up-and-coming junior middleweight was 22-0 when convicted first time; comebacks never took hold

Michael Bennett, Armed robbery, 1991-98, After learning to box in prison, heavyweight won gold medal at 1999 world championships and was captain of 2000 U.S. Olympic team; short and mediocre pro career

Trevor Berbick, Theft/misdemeanor assault, 1992-94, WBC heavyweight champ in 1986 served time in Florida state prison and won a minor title six months after release

Kenny "Bang Bang" Bogner, Robbery, 1999-2002, Lightweight contender in the 1980s did time in New Jersey; also had two prior robbery convictions

Riddick Bowe, Interstate domestic violence, 2003-04, Brooklyn-born heavyweight champ (1992-93) and 1988 Olympic silver medalist kidnapped wife and children from North Carolina home

Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, Murder, 1966-85, Career of top-ranked middleweight contender stopped by murder conviction which was overturned after 19 years in prison

Esteban DeJesus, Murder, 1981-89, WBC lightweight champ (1976-78) had sentence commuted in 1989 after acquiring AIDS in prison and died two months after being released

Michael Dokes, Attempted murder/kidnapping/battery with intent to commit sexual assault, 2000-present, Held WBA heavyweight title in 1982; received 10-year sentence after attack on live-in girlfriend

Clifford Etienne, Armed robbery, 1988-98, Heavyweight won Louisiana state prison championship and reached a top-ten ranking before last year's 49-second knockout by Mike Tyson

Dave Hilton Jr., Sexual assault, 2001-present, WBC super middleweight champ (2000-01) stripped of title when convicted of abuse of two sisters aged 12 and 13 when abuse began

Bernard Hopkins, Armed robbery, 1984-89, Reigning world middleweight champion often returned to prison to train with and talk to former fellow inmates

Ike Ibeabuchi, Sexual assault, 2002-present, Heavyweight contender in 1990s and until time of arrest

Don King, Manslaughter, 1967-71, Shock-haired promoter stomped to death an illegal numbers racket rival; also shot and killed a man in 1954 that was ruled justifiable homicide

Jake LaMotta, Procuring, Mid-1950s, Middleweight champ (1949-51) learned to box while doing time in reform school in the 1930s for burglary; served six months on a Florida chain gang on later charge of encouraging a minor female to prostitution

Sonny Liston, Armed robbery, 1950-53, Undisputed heavyweight champion (1962-64) learned to box in a Missouri prison and finished with a 50-4 record

Ron Lyle, Murder, 1962-69, Heavyweight contender in the 1970s learned to box in Colorado prison and had near-upsets of Muhammad Ali and George Foreman

Tommy Morrison, Drug and weapon possession, 2000-01, WBO heavyweight champ (1993) had several arrests and violated parole but avoided a second prison stretch because of time already served

Carlos Monzon, Murder, 1989-95, World middleweight champ (1970-77) convicted of killing the mother of one of his children; died in car crash while on weekend pass from Argentine prison

Aaron Pryor, Drug abuse, 1991, Junior welterweight champ in the early 1980s had 39-1 record but battled drug addiction

Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Armed robbery, 1972-78, Trained against James Scott in prison; 41-11-1 overall record included WBC light heavyweight and WBA cruiserweight titles in the 1980s

Bruce Seldon, Armed robbery, 1984-87, Emerged from prison and became WBA heavyweight champ in 1995-96; pleaded guilty to endangering welfare of child in 1998

James Scott, Murder/armed robbery, 1976-present, 19-2-1 career record included 9-2 mark inside Rahway State Prison; No.2-ranked light heavyweight before being stripped because he couldn't fight outside prison

Mike Tyson, Rape and assault, 1992-95 and 1999, Former heavyweight champ lost title before rape conviction in Indiana, regained title and lost it again before assault conviction in Maryland