Any ranking of the greatest boxers in history is arbitrary. It is susceptible to overrating, underrating, and many types of conflicts.
It's difficult to choose the top performers in any sport. In an individual sport like boxing, that is much more true.
Do you prefer winning or losing? worldwide competitions? of the opposition?
Or maybe it's longevity or general acceptance?
A fighter's peak performance is gauged by how well he performed in comparison to and in opposition to the other Heavyweight Boxers of All Time of his time.
No two individuals will ever have the same list, no matter how you slice it.
But that's part of boxing's appeal.
So there you have it—one man's ranking of the top 20 boxers in boxing history. If possible you can visit more about here: The News Titan.
20. George Foreman
31 OF 50
Stats: 76-5, 68 knockouts
Active from 1969 through 1997
World Heavyweight, IBF/WBA Heavyweight Championships
"Big" George Foreman stands out even among the heavyweight division's legends. He earned a gold medal in the Olympics, and in 1973, he defeated Smokin' Joe Frazier to win his first world championship.
Foreman had a reputation for throwing really devastating punches in his childhood and even later in his career.
In the "Rumble in the Jungle" heavyweight championship fight, which was held in the Congo, he was also a huge favorite to defeat Muhammad Ali.
Foreman left the sport shortly after, only to return in 1994, ten years later, and, at the age of 45, become the oldest man to ever win a heavyweight championship.
19. Julio Cesar Chavez
32 OF 50
108-6-2, 87 knockouts
Active years: 1980–2005
Six world championships in three weight classes have been held.
There is no stronger combatant from Mexico than Julio Cesar Chavez.
Chavez started his career with an amazing 87 victories. Few boxers have ever been able to match his aggressive and swarming fighting style in the ring. He was a warrior.
He had a granite chin and was the epitome of a stalker-type fighter.
In a career filled with several epic events, Chavez is perhaps most remembered for overturning a significant deficit in the standings to defeat Meldrick Taylor with only seconds left in the last round.
He also won convincingly over Edwin Rosario, Greg Haugen, and the late Hector "Macho" Camacho.
18. Mickey Walker
33 OF 50
Record as of: 94-19-4
Decisions in the press: 37-7-1
Active from 1919 through 1935
World Middleweight and Welterweight Championships
Mickey Walker did not adhere to a light schedule, often engaging in combat more than a dozen times a year. This was a fairly common occurrence in the sport at the time.
Walker had victories against well-known competitors, including Tiger Flowers and Jack Britton, from whom he took the welterweight belt. Walker also won the world middleweight and welterweight titles throughout his career.
Additionally, he suffered important losses against Harry Greb at middleweight and Max Schmeling at heavyweight.
17. Jimmy Wilde
34 OF 50
Official stats: 132-4-1, 98 knockouts
Decisions in newspapers: 7-1
Active from 1919 through 1935
World Flyweight Champion; a number of European titles
One of the best fighters to ever emerge from Europe is Jimmy Wilde, if not the best. He spent a large portion of his career there, where he won many trophies.
Additionally, Wilde is regarded as having become the first flyweight division world champion to receive official recognition.
16. Archie Moore
35 OF 50
185-23-10, 131 knockouts
Active from 1935 through 1963
World Light Heavyweight Championship
Most people believe "The Old Mongoose" to be the finest light heavyweight in history. He had one of the longest-lasting careers in boxing history.
He defeated several greats throughout the course of his lengthy career, including Joey Maxim, who defeated Sugar Ray Robinson, Jimmy Bivins, and Lloyd Marshall.
While he was unbeatable at light heavyweight, he struggled against notable opponents like Ezzard Charles and Rocky Marciano at heavyweight.
15. Rocky Marciano
36 OF 50
49-0, 43 KO record
Active from 1948 through 1955
Championships: Heavyweight World
One of the very few boxers to leave the sport unbeaten was Rocky Marciano. In actuality, he is the first and only heavyweight champion to ever pull this off.
In The Ring's 1952 Fight of the Year, Marciano defeated Jersey Joe Walcott to claim the championship. He would successfully defend it six times, defeating opponents like Archie Moore, Ezzard Charles (twice), and Walcott.
14. Gene Tunney
37 OF 50
Record: 65-1-1, 48 knockouts
15-0-3 for newspaper decisions
Active years: 1915–1928
Championships: Heavyweight World
Heavyweight boxers like Gene Tunney shattered the pattern by being more of a tactical boxer than an all-out hitter.Instead of fighting in the conventional, extremely aggressive heavyweight style, he would utilize his left jab to box and subdue his opponents.
He twice defeated the legendary Jack Dempsey when he was the heavyweight world champion. He lost only once in his professional career, and it was against legendary middleweight Harry Greb.
Tunney never lost a heavyweight match.
13. Sam Langford
38 OF 50
Records show: 179-30-40, 120 KO.
Newspaper decisions: 32-14-15
Active years: 1902–1926
World colored middleweight and heavyweight championships (5X)
Sam Langford possessed absolutely devastating power, but he is often forgotten because of the several chances he was denied owing to the widespread prejudice in the sport at the time.
Even fellow black boxer and heavyweight champion Jack Johnson declined to challenge him after he won the title. But Langford did make five attempts to win the World Colored Heavyweight Championship.
At middleweight, Langford has triumphed against Stanley Ketchel, and many people believe that when he faced Jack Johnson before winning the world title, he deserved to win. Johnson won the decision after a closely contested contest, although many thought this was the incorrect call.
12. Joe Gans
39 OF 50
The current date is 145-10-16.
Decisions in the newspapers: 14-2-4
Active Years: 1893–1909
World Lightweight Championships
The best lightweight boxer of all time is often cited as Joe Gans. He is remarkable for being the first African-American athlete to win the sport's global championship.
Between 1902 and 1908, Gans won the lightweight championship for a period of six years and paved the way for competitors of African descent.
11. Harry Greb
40 OF 50
Record as of today: 104-8-3, 48 KO
Journalistic judgments: 157-11-15
Active Years: 1913–1926
Championships: Middleweight World
In his career, Harry Greb engaged in almost 300 fights, making him a freak of nature. Few of these fights were straightforward because they frequently featured other highly rated and lethal boxers of his era.
Greb often competed against heavyweights and light heavyweights outside of his weight division.
Greb was renowned for being aggressive and for using a swarming fighting technique that was difficult for most combatants to control. His 104 official wins and 100 knockouts serve as proof of this. Many great combatants were put to sleep by him.
He often used dirty tactics and would utilize everything in the armory to his advantage.
Greb is the only person to have defeated Mickey Walker and heavyweight superstar Gene Tunney.
10. Sugar Ray Leonard
41 OF 50
36-3-1 record with 25 KOs
Active from 1977 through 1997
Championships: WBC Welterweight (2X), WBA Welterweight, WBA Junior Middleweight, WBC Middleweight, WBC Super Middleweight, and WBC Light Heavyweight each won one title in each of the five weight classes.
Sugar Ray Leonard's fights against the top boxers of his era all ended in defeat.Additionally, he competed during a historical period that had a number of well-known Hall of Fame fighters who are also among the all-time greats.
From welterweight to light heavyweight, Leonard won world titles in five different weight classes. He competed against Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, Wilfred Benitez, and Tommy Hearns, giving him one of the most outstanding résumés you'll ever see.
9. Benny Leonard
42 OF 50
90-6-1 overall, 70 knockouts
Decisions in the Press: 93-18-7
From 1911 to 1932, he was active.
World Lightweight Championships
Benny Leonard was a lightning-quick, smooth boxer who is regarded as one of the greatest lightweight competitors of all time. He is also considered one of the greatest in-ring boxers ever.
Leonard possessed incredible striking power and, despite his technical skill and quickness, earned 70 knockouts in his 90 official victories.
He won the World Lightweight Championship, but when he was disqualified for striking champion Jack Britton while he was down, he was unable to go to the welterweight division.
8. Jack Dempsey
43 OF 50
Record as of: 61-6-9, 34 KO
Newspaper judgments: 4-0-2
Active Years: 1914–1927
World Heavyweight and NBA (later WBA) Heavyweight Championships
In many ways, throughout the late 1910s and early 1920s, Jack Dempsey defined heavyweight boxing. With both hands, he possessed the strength to strike you and cause injury.
"The Manassa Mauler" beat Jess Willard for the world championship in 1919 and retained it until 1926, when Gene Tunney overcame him.
He was ready for a rematch with Tunney after defeating Jack Sharkey by knockout, but he also lost that one by decision.
Everyone recognizes Dempsey as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.
7. Jack Johnson
44 OF 50
53-11-9, 34 KO in the official record
Press judgments: 14-0-3
Active Years: 1897–1931
World Heavyweight and World Colored Heavyweight Championships
One of the many reasons Jack Johnson is a legendary figure is because he became successful in the sport at a time when African-American boxers were deliberately discouraged from competing.
Johnson was not permitted to face heavyweight champion James J. Jeffries, despite being one of the best heavyweights in the world and having won the World Colored Heavyweight Championship. Black competitors were not eligible for the heavyweight championship.
Finally, Johnson competed for and won the heavyweight championship in 1908, six years after Joe Gans had been the first African-American world champion at lightweight.
The prospect of a black champion repulsed the white boxing world, which came up with the term "great white hope" to persuade white contenders to go on against Johnson.
In the Fight of the Century, Stanley Ketchel and Jeffries, who had come out of retirement, were among the noteworthy opponents he vanquished.
6. Roberto Duran
45 OF 50
103-16, 70 knockouts
Active from 1968 until 2001
Championships: WBA/WBC Lightweight, WBC Welterweight, WBA Junior Middleweight, and WBC Middleweight each won five championships.
In his peak, "Manos de Piedra" was a tough, trash-talking brawler who defeated many of the top competitors of his (and probably any) age. He won world championships in four different weight classes and is regarded by many as the best lightweight boxer in history.
Throughout his illustrious career, which lasted five decades and included more than 100 professional triumphs, Duran made history by being the first person to ever beat Sugar Ray Leonard.
5. Joe Louis
46 OF 50
66-3, 52 KOs in the past
Active Years: 1934–1951
Championships: Heavyweight World
Heavyweight champion "The Brown Bomber" Joe Louis' reign is renowned. He held the championship for 140 months and made a record 25 successful defenses of it.
He was renowned for his punching strength, often placing first on all-time lists, and for being the first African-American to become a mainstream celebrity in a racist country like the United States.
Joe Louis is best known for his 1936 Fight of the Year loss to Max Schmeling, as well as victories over James J. Braddock, Billy Conn, Jersey Joe Walcott, and Schmeling himself, whom he subsequently knocked out in the first round to get revenge for his previous loss.
4. Muhammad Ali
47 OF 50
56-5 overall, 37 knockouts
Active years: 1960–1981.
WBA Heavyweight (4 times), WBC Heavyweight (2 times)
The greatest heavyweight of all time is "The Greatest." Ali battled with a flair and flamboyance that either made you adore him or despise him. Whoever you are, you cannot dispute his status as a cultural icon or his position in boxing history.
At the age of 22, Muhammad Ali defeated Sonny Liston to win his first heavyweight championship while still competing under his birth name of Cassius Clay.
He eventually embraced Islam and gained notoriety for abstaining from military service in the Vietnam War, which he opposed for moral and religious reasons. After losing his heavyweight championship, Ali sat out for four years.
In addition to using his renowned "rope-a-dope" approach to defeat George Foreman in the Congo in 1974 to reclaim his belts, Ali is famous for his trilogy of fights with Joe Frazier, in which he lost the first but won the next two.
With this strategy, Foreman had to use a lot of effort to pound Ali's defense. The majority of the blows were blocked or deflected, which allowed Ali to defeat a worn-out Foreman in the eighth round.
Ali has also defeated Bob Foster, Ken Norton, Jimmy Ellis, and Floyd Patterson throughout the course of his storied career. He has held the lineal heavyweight championship three times, making him the first (and, as of this writing, only) man to do so.
3. Willie Pep
48 OF 50
229-11-1 overall, 65 KO
Active from 1940 through 1966
Featherweight World Championship
One of the swiftest and toughest boxers in history is said to be Willie Pep. Even when considering the time period in which he competed, his number of battles is enormous.
Pep was the greatest featherweight boxer of his day, and indeed of any era, winning 62 of his first 68 professional fights. He held the championship until he lost only his second match against Sandy Saddler in 1948. In a rematch, Pep would exact revenge and win back the championship.
Pep had a mixed record against Saddler, going 1-3 overall, but he had destroyed almost every other fighter in his class at the time, leading many to believe he was one of the best ever.
2. Henry Armstrong
49 OF 50
Record: 101 KOs and 150-21-10
active from 1931 until 1945
World Featherweight, World Lightweight, and World Welterweight Championships
Because of Henry Armstrong's exceptional talent, the title of best player of all time is really up for grabs between him and Sugar Ray Robinson.
Armstrong is one of the few boxers in history to hold world titles in three different weight classes at the same time. Given that there were once just eight officially recognized divisions, this achievement is all the more remarkable.
Many of the well-known fighters of this period were challenged by and beaten by Armstrong. He defeated Petey Sarron to win the world featherweight championship in 1937, but his weight subsequently increased.
He defeated Barney Ross to win the World Welterweight Championship in 1938, successfully defended it a record 18 times, then lost it to Fritzie Zivic in 1940 amid controversy.
He won the World Lightweight Championship when he was the welterweight champion, making him simultaneously the featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight champion.
1. Sugar Ray Robinson
50 OF 50
Stats: 173-19-6, 108 knockouts
Active from 1940 through 1965
World Middleweight and Welterweight Championships (5X)
The fabled pound-for-pound rankings, which now dominate most of the debate and conversation in the boxing industry, are said to have been invented as a result of Sugar Ray Robinson.
Robinson's run has been genuinely impressive. He won all 85 of his bouts as an amateur and didn't lose until his 41st professional match against Jake LaMotta. That's 126 wins in a row, which is unheard of in modern times.
Robinson won the welterweight championship in 1946 and retained it until he switched to middleweight and defeated LaMotta to win the belt there.
After losing his bid to unseat Joey Maxim as the light heavyweight champion in 1952, Sugar Ray retired for two and a half years. When he came back, he successfully defended his middleweight championship, something he would do five times during his great career.
Reading Sugar Ray Robinson's resume makes it seem as if you've stumbled onto a who's who of this era's warriors. And compared to all other eras in boxing history, this one was definitely better.
He actually battled and defeated everyone.
Jake LaMotta, Kid Gavilan, Carmen Basilio, Gene Fullmer, Randy Turpin, Carl "Bobo" Olson, and Henry Armstrong
With quickness, a devastating jab, and strength with both hands, Robinson defeated everyone. He could throw any punch in his arsenal, and he always did it with malice.
Nobody else will ever compare to him.
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