5 greatest fighters you have seen in your lifetime as a fan

Born in 1980 and watched boxing on HBO with my dad. I recall being at a party for the Tyson vs Spinks fight, but became a true fan in the 90s. Picking 5 greats from that era is hard but here’s the heavyweights:
Foreman (2nd Career)
Bowe
Tyson
Holyfield
Lewis

 

Born in 2006, got into boxing around October of 2023.

I'd make a top 5 list but I think I need some time to see more proper greats... I'll come back to this thread in a couple years, lol.

 

Became a fan in 2015;

Floyd
Usyk
Pacquiao
Bud
GGG (resume aside and focused largely on the eye-test)

 

The fact that people from 2006 are cognitively functioning human beings is something I doubt I'll ever adapt to lol, y'all will always be third graders to me. My sister is three years my elder and probably thinks the same of me.

 

That's the only way rational people should think, lol. My little brother's two years my junior and I think the same of him.

 

I was born in 1957 and this is only fighters I saw fight either in person or live on TV. Also, because their stories aren't completely written, I did not include any active fighters.

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Roberto Duran
3. Manny Pacquiao
4. Roy Jones Jr.
5. Floyd Mayweather

I didn't want to leave out some other greats so here we go

6. Carlos Monzon
7. Jose Napoles
8. Marvin Hagler
9. Ray Leonard
10. Alexis Arguello
11. Julio Cesar Chavez
12. Pernell Whitaker
13. Ruben Olivares
14. Mike Tyson
15. Bob Foster

There are numerous other great boxers I could have mentioned but I will say this. I have been a boxing fan for 60 years and I have been lucky enough to see a lot of great fighters.

 

Ray Leonard
Roberto Duran
Thomas Hearns
Marvin Hagler
Pernell Whitaker

Roy Jones Jr.
Julio Chavez Sr.
Alexis Arguello
Mike Tyson
Mike McCallum

Michael Spinks ( At lt.heavy only)
Azumah Nelson
Evander Holyfield ( Cruiserweight early heavy)
Larry Holmes
Aaron Pryor

Floyd Mayweather Jr. ( At Jr.lightweight/lightweight only above that was pure smoke and mirrors)
Wilfredo Gomez
James Toney
Oscar Deloyhoya
Felix Trinidad

Wilfredo Benitez
Donald Curry before he got exposed.
Dwight Qawi
Michael Nunn
And believe it or not, Hector Camacho Sr. May have had better potential than all of them
NOTE: The obvious exemption of Ali is I didn't see the very best of his career.
If I had, he'd be in the top five.

 

The Macho Man was amazing, until he met Rosario.

 

Old fart here;Not in any order;
Ali
Ricardo Lopez
Monzon
Mike Spinks
Tie; calzaghe/duran/whitaker/haagler

 

Holmes
Hagler
Arguello
Chavez
McCallum
Didn't make the cut but in contention
Sal Sanchez
Hearns
Azumah
Fenech
Toney
Holy
Tyson
Leonard
Pedroza
JMM
MAB

 

Born 1974. Started watching old boxing films around 1978. Became a fan of contemporary boxing in 1979.

So 1980-2025:

1. Lennox Lewis
2. Evander Holyfield
3. Mike Tyson
4. Oleksandr Usyk
5. Larry Holmes

 

Born 1955. In chronological order -

Muhammad Ali
Roberto Duran
Marvin Hagler
Sugar Ray Leonard
Pernell Whitaker

 

George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, Lennox Lewis and Oleksandr Usyk.

edit born in 1965

 

Muhammad Ali
Roberto Duran
Sugar Ray Leonard
Pernell Whitaker
Roy Jones Jr

That's probably in order. Hearns, Arguello, Chavez, Spinks, Mayweather, Hopkins, Sanchez, Gomez, they come to mind without even thinking as well. That's my top 5 tho. Absolutely.

 

2015 was year I got into boxing properly as well. I was lurking around a bit in 2013 and 2014 though but not fully there yet.