Best ability-wise.

Robinson

 

There's many.

Sugar Ray Leonard always springs to mind.

He had it all. Incredible Boxer and fighter.

 

I don't wanna narrow it down to just one, so I'll pick 5.

Jones, Leonard, Robinson, Duran, and Ali are the 5 most talented fighters of all time.

 

Duran
Robinson
Leonard
Napoles
Holmes
Off the top of my head
Ward and Chocolatito from the current bunch come to mind

 

With all due respect Holmes does not belong there. While I do believe he was a top 5 heavyweight of all time, I don't think he was anywhere close to being one of the most skilled fighters of all time

Holmes had some serious flaws. He was extremely vulnerable to getting hit with right hands, a flaw he never corrected. He also had a bad habit of attempting to brawl his way out of trouble. While he beat some very good fighters, he often struggled vs the best ones barely escaping with close controversial decisions. And after 1982, he handpicked his opposition the rest of his career and avoided top contenders

A great great fighter, but clearly not amongst the best of all time ability wise


You should consider a 1948 Ezzard Charles in your list

 

Ricardo Lopez and Salvador Sanchez

 

Agreed with SuzieQ. Holmes was a terrific talent, but no, not a top 5 all time talent.

 

I actually forgot Charles who I consider a top 6 p4p of all time

 

Roy Jones Jr.
Multiple lead left hooks, hands down defense, doesn't really use the jab in the conventional sense, leads with lunging uppercuts yet never off balance, throws wide right hands yet so precise and fast its very difficult to counter. Everything he did would be a disaster to teach a fighter to do.

 

Marvin Hagler for me he could do it all, a beautiful boxer, Stamina, Iron Chin, Heart, footwork, Quality of opposition, DEEP DEEP RESUME, there wasn't anything in the ring the man couldn't do, he was born to fight and box...:deal

He didn't lose a fight from 1976 to 1987, can you ever think of another fighter who went on an 11 year winning streak, always fighting at least 3 or 4 times a year:deal

 

I have a hard timing knowing how to rate Ali and Jones because often their skills were blended into their incredible athleticism making it hard to distinguish between yhe two. Ali in particular had many flaws that his incredible athleticism glossed over.

 

Joe Louis, Aaron Pryor, Sumbu Kalambay, Michael Nunn.

 

SRR (although SRR is not the best boxer), Jones Jr, Ray Leonard
THEN everyone else.

 

Sub Charles for Holmes and this is a damn good list.