Big men, knock-outs, million dollar paychecks, the frenzied crowd.

These are a few elements that have combined to make the heavyweight division, the premier weight division in boxing.

But what makes it really special are the prize-fighters. Muhammad Ali, Smoking Joe, Jack 'Manassa Mauler' Dempsey, to name a few. These are men who defied imagination, stirred nations out of their slumber and captured the hearts of all those who watched.

Let's take a look at these champions of yesteryear; these heavyweights…

Photographs: Allsport