I know Cricket, but not Kabaddi.
For boxing, the greatest in history is considered Muhammad Ali. It's almost undisputed. He was also a very vocal person, which is why people probably find him appealing. For example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsAC4lhbE0g. He's the #1 figure of the sport. Every great boxer is compared to him, and in most boxing discussions his name is usually mentioned in some form.
Other than him, other great boxers were George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Fraizer, and Mike Tyson, and Floyd Mayweather. That last name is not popular. However he has a perfect 50-0 record; and despite how he acts as a person he's undeniably great at the sport.
I'm not sure if I have a favorite Pokemon game because I like every single one of them. In terms of generations I would put them from favorite to least: 2, 3, 6, 7, 1,5,4. There isn't anything wrong with 4 and 5, but I didn't play them until more recently and my experiences are limited.
Yes, I loved Alola. I thought the characters were very appealing and I liked playing a Pokemon game that tried to put an emphasis on story as a change of pace. I understand Black/White did this, but not to the same extent.