Boxing has seen the development of countless renowned players who have left an indelible mark on the sport. The debate over who is the greatest boxer of all time is highly subjective, with opinions varying according to personal tastes and biases.
Choosing the best boxer ever in the game is a matter of personal preference, and some factors have been measured.
Nevertheless, when it comes to boxing, Sugar Ray Robinson is known as the greatest boxer of all time. He’s scored a ton of wins and has won a plethora of awards and accolades possible. Besides him, in this article, we have listed the top 10 boxers of all time who have achieved immense appreciation over the years.
Best Boxers of All Time: Ranked In 2024
Here is the list of boxers of all time:
10. Roy Jones Jr.
Considered a boxing legend, Roy Jones Jr. was named the fighter of the decade in the late ’90s. Mainly boxed at middleweight or light heavyweight, Roy Jones Jr. is an expert in both of them. In 2003, he became the first middleweight title holder to win over a heavyweight breaking the record of 106 years, featuring his class at different weight categories.
In one of the matches, he was able to win 7 titles in one that included IBA, IBF, IBO, NBA, WBA, WBC, and WBF titles.
9. Manny Pacquiao
One of the best fighters of all time, Manny Pacquiao has ranked in The Ring’s Top 10 in four different decades. Although initially, he barely gained media attention, when he was 19, he achieved his first win over Chatchai Sasakul. Although he lost to Mayweather, he beat Tim Bradley in two of his three fights. Not only this but in 9 fights against the trio, Eri Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao went an impressive 6-2-1.
8. Ezzard Charles
Ezzard Mack Charles, known by his stage name Cincinnati Cobra, has entered into a competition with the elite from middleweight to heavyweight for a better part of the decade. Following his return from World War II until his defeat in Jersey Joe Walcott in July 1951, Ezzard Mack Charles shared a 39-1 record, with a 20-1 mark against opponents which ranked in the ring’s ‘top 10’ at lightweight and heavyweight.
7. Willie Pep
Named as one of the greatest boxing athletes, Willie Pep’s real name was Guglielmo Papaleo. With achieving appreciable records of 229-11-1, Willie was a featherweight champion who holds the record of winning 62 fights and 4 victories over rings; top ten featherweight champion over Chalky Wright. With overcoming a plane crash, and an undefeated strike of 73 fights, the overall towering records of Willie Pep reached 134-1. After achieving hundreds of records in his category, Willie Pep ranked among the top 10 boxers bagging several awards and accolades under his name.
6. Floyd Mayweather
With numerous box-office and PPV successes, Floyd achieved victory in five categories, ranking himself as one of the top boxers of recent decades. With his debut win against Genaro Hernandez to his farewell against Conor McGregor, Floyd went on to win over 23 of the ring’s Top 10 fighters. Besides his win over the fighters, he defeated 15 world champions in a row before announcing a retirement.
5. ‘Big’ George Foreman
After clinching a gold medal at the Olympics, George Foreman was one of the strongest fighters in the ring, considering his size and notorious punching power. And In many instances, one punch of Foreman was enough to knock the opponent boxer.
In his boxing stint, he participated in two of the biggest matches, The Sunshine Showdown and The Rumble In The Jungle, against Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. In 1994, George Foreman became the oldest world heavyweight champion after making a straight record of 20 years of winning the title; he lost it to Muhammad Ali.
Besides, in his boxing career, he fought 81 times, while winning 76 times concluding that he lost only 5 times.
4. Sugar ‘Ray’ Leonard
One of the greatest boxing athletes to clinch a gold medal at the Olympics, Sugar ‘Ray’ Leonard was prominently featured with the title “fighter of the decade” in the 1980s. Although, if you check his stats, it might not look impressive; however, after you consider it, you can see that he was fighting against the likes of Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler, and it gets more impressive.
In his boxing career, he took part in boxing competitions 40 times and ended up winning 36; 25 of them were by knockout. This concludes that he lost in only four matches.
3. Iron Mike Tyson
Also known as one of the “baddest men on the planet” Mike Tyson was one of the most feared boxers in the world of boxing. Although an undisputed heavyweight champion for years, he had attracted some of the biggest controversies.
He had rape allegations, and he was disqualified in a match against Evander Holyfield, wherein he has bitten a piece of Holyfield’s ear off.
Nevertheless, he has an impressive record, fighting 58 times, and achieving victory 50 times; 44 of them were knockout. Hence, he lost 6 times, out of which 2 were a consequence of no contests.
2. Muhammad Ali
One of the finest boxers of all time, Muhammad Ali is known for clinching a gold medal in the Olympics and is a former heavyweight champion. Besides his boxing career, Muhammad Ali was known for his strong self-belief and giving some of the best quotes. One of his quotes popularised was “Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee.”
Muhammad Ali, in his decade, was not only a strong boxer but an eminent personality who was praised for the stands he used to make. For instance, he faced a temporary ban from boxing after he refused to fight in the Vietnam War.
Meanwhile, his career highlights include a fight number of 61, out of which he managed to win 56 times. With his five losses and setting numerous records in his illustrious career, he ranks second in the list of top boxers of all time.
1. Sugar ‘Ray’ Robinson
A boxing legend of the 1950’s decade, Sugar ‘Ray’ Robinson has fought at lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight. Among his several other significant accomplishments in boxing, Sugar ‘Ray’ Robinson was a five-time World Middleweight Champion.
Often considered as the finest boxer in history, his incredible skills were praised by some of the accomplished boxers including Joe Louis, Sugar ‘Ray’ Leonard, and Mohammad Ali. Not only this but for acknowledging his credit, the boxing affiliations developed the pound-for-pound rankings.
He participated in 202 fights, and he won 175 of them. Besides, he is one of the few boxers who sustained the record of knocking more than 100 people. With this, he has a total standing of 108, out of which he lost 19 times, drew six, and two of them were no contests.
Conclusion
Beyond the statistics and accolades, the above-mentioned boxer’s legacies lie in the enthusiasm they brought to the sport and the way they captivated their fans and audience’s heart. Not just their on-ring wonders, but some of these boxers have achieved a successful personal life and towering net worth.
In the above-mentioned list, we have coveted the 10 successful boxers of all time. These boxers have not only managed to bag some of the greatest titles but with their unwavering performance have captivated millions of fans.
