Boxing's Most Memorable Entrances

One of the reasons boxing is so thrilling is because of the theater: the anticipation, the set up, the drama and ultimately the conflict and resolution. And it all begins with the entrances. In the last decade, the entrances have become increasingly elaborate, more reminiscent of an Earth, Wind and Fire concert than a sporting event.

But no complaints here. Nothing gets the crowd hyped more than a boxer coming out in a dry ice-induced smokescreen to the bass-heavy sounds of Rihanna singing, "We Gonna Run This Town Tonight!" In the fight last Saturday, Floyd Mayweather Jr. had the O'Jays singing live in the ring.

And he's far from alone. Roy Jones Jr. performed live hip-hop concerts, adorned in a microphone headset, singing, "Y'all Must've Forgot," on his way to the ring. Some entrances have eclipsed the fights, most famously, or infamously, Prince Naseem Hamed, who could take as long as 10 minutes with his entrances.

Here are some memorable ones from the history books:

Cory Spinks took what seemed like an eternity to get to the ring, torturing fans who had to watch his spastic dancing to Nelly's rhymes. He then took off his dancing shoes to get whooped by Zab Judah in 2005.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. delights in those who hate on him. When he wore a sombrero in his walk in against Oscar de la Hoya in 2007, with 50 Cent rapping live beside him, he was satisfied that every Mexican in the world now hated him. He then went on to make taco meat of Oscar.

Bernard "B-Hop" Hopkins wore an executioner's mask in 2008, portending horror-movie-like destruction of his opponents, while Philly's Freeway spit at the mike. In this fight, he put on a clinic for Kelly Pavlik.

In the 2002 Mike Tyson versus Lennox Lewis fight, Iron Mike came in to the ring to DMX's 'What's My Name,' after telling Lewis he was going to "eat his children." Lewis killed his appetite by hammering Mike with a right hook in an eighth-round KO that had Mike dazed.

You can pick any entrance from Prince Naseem Hamed...that is if you've got the kind of time it takes for the sun to rise. Here's one from him against Kevin Kelley in 2007, complete with a flashing lit runway, hand clapping and his dancing silhouette.

We're not sure if Beyonce copied his style or vice versa, but we sure do miss his concerts. No one knows where he disappeared to, but it seems in his concert finale, he vanished in his own smokescreen, never living up to his boxing potential.