The sport of boxing is somewhat unique in that nearly all fighters have some sort of nickname, and several go through multiple nicknames in the course of their career.

Nicknames should by right help to improve boxers’ marketability and tell the audience a thing or two about the person or their style of fighting.

Occasionally, however, nicknames have a more sinister motive. They are used to heckle or make fun of the fighter, and these disparaging nicknames sometimes stick more than they should.

For example, Eric Esch was well-known for his nickname “Butter Bean”. Some said his round physique and shaved head gave him the appearance of a butter bean.

Esch was the king of four-round fights.

There was Carlos “The Shock Absorber” Monroe. There is no idea what that nickname tried to portray but the only hope is that he received royalties from the shock and strut company that shares his moniker.

Some fighters like to use word play and convey a message through a word or phrase that combines with their real name to form a catch phrase. The quintessential example is Michael “Second To” Nunn.

One fighter who truly lived up to his moniker is Floyd "Money” Mayweather. The flamboyant American who won 15 major world championships is worth around $450m and his career earnings in and out of boxing total about $1.1bn.

Here at home there is Phumelele Cafu who must be very much awake on Friday night against Filipino Ben “Nightmare” Mananquil when they fight for the WBA Intercontinental junior bantamweight title at East London’s ICC Hall.

Cafu, 24, is nicknamed “The Truth”. This nickname given to Cafu became known through Carl Williams. That American failed twice to become a world champion, losing to Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson, back in the day.

In modern-day boxing, Errol Spence Jr – the current WBC, WBA and IBF welterweight holder – is also known as “The Truth”.

That left-handed American has provided answers – unifying titles after taking the IBF title from Shawn Porter – and also ending the reign of WBA champ Yourdenis Urgas with an 11th-round stoppage. Spence is undefeated after 28 fights.