| LISTON | Sonny, U.S. ex-heavyweight boxer nicknamed The Big Bear (6) |
| EVANDER | ___ Holyfield, U.S. ex-heavyweight boxer (7) |
| REAGAN | Ronald, U.S. ex-president nicknamed The Gipper (6) |
| LEMOND | Greg, U.S. ex-cyclist who won the Tour de France three times (6) |
| CARTER | Jimmy, U.S. ex-president who won the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work (6) |
| PHELPS | Michael, U.S. ex-swimmer born in 1985 who won 23 Olympic gold medals (6) |
| MONICA | ___ Seles, Serbian-born U.S. ex-tennis player and nine-time Grand Slam singles champion (6) |
| VITALI | ____ Klitschko, former heavyweight boxer nicknamed Dr. Ironfist (6) |
| SPINKS | Either of two ex-heavyweight champs |
| SMOKIN | Ex-heavyweight champ "___' Joe" Frazier |
| HOOPLA | On reflection, a large bear is fair game (6) |
| KODIAK | Big bear |
| PANDAS | Large bear-like mammals native to China and Tibet with characteristic black and white markings |
| LOUIS | Joe _ _ _ _ _ , U.S. heavyweight boxer nicknamed the Brown Bomber (5) |
| ROLLINS | Sonny, U.S. tenor jazz saxophonist nicknamed Newk (7) |
| NIGEL | ____ Benn, British former heavyweight boxer nicknamed The Dark Destroyer (5) |
| MEGHANMARKLE | U.S. ex-actress who became Duchess of Sussex in 2018 (6,6) |
| SOCAL | Home of the Big Bear ski resort, informally |
| NICKLAUS | Jack, U.S. ex-golfer who won the British Open three times (8) |
| FLOYD | ___ Mayweather Jr., undefeated U.S. ex-boxer (5) |
