Top 50 Boxers of All-Time - Personal List

This is my personal list of top 150 Boxers of all-time.personally i use this criteria:

Accomplishment, Resume, Historical Significance, Overall Ability, Dominance, Longevity and Mainsteam Appeal


1 Sugar Ray Robinson
Welterweight 1940-1965
174-19-6 (109)
KO13 LaMotta; W15 Gavilan, W15 Basilio
Universally recognized as the greatest fighter in the history of the sport. Easily Top 5 P4P in Punching Power, Ring IQ and Chin. Widely recognized to be Top 1 in Welterweight and Middleweight divisions. Could have been a three division champ had not Heat KO'd him in his match with Joey Maxim

2 Muhammad Ali
Heavyweight
1960-1981
56-5-0 (37)
KO8 Foreman, KO 14 Frazier, KO7 Liston
Second only to Michael Jordan as the most charismatic athlete in the history of sports, the greatest revolutionized the heavyweight division with his boxing style and reflexes. He dominated the division in 1960s and went on to have career defining fights in the 70s.
It is well documented that he is not putting the needed training if he does not feel threaten by the opposition like Banks and Mildenberger.

3 Harry Greb
Middleweight 1913-1926
107-8-3 (48)
W15 Tunney, W15 Loughran, W15 Walker
The Pittsburgh Windmil holds the record for the most number of Hall of Famers beaten (14). He made famous the whirlwind style of fighting. Most of his losses comes in the later part of his career fighting with a blind right eye. What more could he have accomplished had he not die young at age 32?
Most boxing fans and pundits would love to see his fights in film to appreciate how great he really was. On the contrary, there were reports that he is a borderline dirty fighter and seldomly trains.

4 Ezzard Charles
Light Heavyweight
1940-1959
96-25-1 (58)
KO8 Moore, W10 Burley, W15 Louis
The greatest Light Heavyweight in history despite not winning a title. Could have retired early after the death his opponent but went on to have a successful Heavyweight career. Rocky Marciano considers the Cincinnati Cobra as the best he has faced
Often compared to Joe Louis, the public never gives him the iconic status. Also continuously ducked during his light heavyweight campaign

5 Henry Armstrong
Welterweight 1931-1945
152-22-9 (101)
W15 Ross, W15 Ambers, D10 Garcia Homicidal Henry is the only boxer to hold FW, LW and WW title at the same time. He was ahead of his time and his relentless, aggressive and attacking style often caused problems across divisions
Could have added a fourth division had he won against Ceferino Garcia. The fight have declared draw and was voted as Fight of the year in 1940

6 Sam Langford
Light Heavyweight
1902-1926
178-29-38 (126)
W15 Gans, D15 Walcott, W6 Ketchel
Started as Lighweight, the Boston Bonecrusher reign terror until Heavyweight with his punching power. In a span of three years, he would beat Gans at Lightweight, Drew with Joe Walcott at Welterweight and would give up 20 pounds in a hard fought lost to Jack Johnson.
He faced racial barriers that prevented him from competing. Even Jack Johnson did not want to give him a rematch. Jack Dempsey admitted the prowess of Langford's skill and power

7 Manny Pacquiao
Welterweight
1995-present
62-7-2 (39)
KO11 Barrera, KO2 Hatton, KO8 Dela Hoya The only fighter to win 8 divisions with lineal titles in 3 original divisions. Considered by many to be the best asian and southpaw boxer of all-time. The only fighter to hold titles in four different decades
Could have won five lineal titles had he targeted the Bantamweight and Lightweight titles. Still have time to recapture the lineal Welterweight title that could cement his place as the best fighter of his generation

8 Roberto Duran
Lightweight
1968-2001
103-16-0 (70)
W15 Leonard, KO13 Buchanan, KO11 De Jesus
Considered as the best fighter of 1970s and the true boxing superstar. Known for his trash taking, aggressive brawling and devasting punching power in both hands, the Hands of Stone is considered as the greatest lightweight ever
The real reason of his No Mas fight with Sugar Ray Leonard is still a mystery but it is well documented that he did not prepared well in the Leonard rematch

 

9 Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Welterweight
1996-2017
50-0-0 (27)
W12 Pacquiao, W12 Dela Hoya, W12 Alvarez
Self appointed The Best Ever, Pretty Boy Floyd is such a boxing masterclass with such pure talent and a boxing IQ that may never be matched. He is perhaps the greatest Superfeatherweight and went on to have an underrated career at welterweight and junior middleweight.
The only blemish in his record is not fighting Manny Pacquiao 3 to 5 years earlier. Many observers think that his resume in 147 resume is too shallow to be considered top 10 welterweight of all time.

10 Archie Moore
Light Heavyweight
1935-1963
186-23-10 (132)
KO10 Durelle, KO9 Bivins, KO14 Johnson
Old Mongoose hold the record for most number of knockouts. Won the light heavyweight at age 36 and held it for 10 years. The greatest fight over 40 years old
He has only of the deepest resume but his losses to Ezzard Charles and Charles Burley prevents him to being ranked higher. Incidentally, those two possesses impeccable technique and speed.

11 Sugar Ray Leonard
Welterweight
1977-1997
36-3-1 (25)
KO14 Hearns, KO15 Benitez, KO8 Duran
Took the mantle from Muhammad Ali as the face of Boxing in the 80s. His main strength is his combinations coupled with sound defence. Went on to have Top 3 resume is welterweight of all time. Some would argue that his welterweight run is better than Sugar Ray Robinson and Kid Gavilan
Having a short career due to injury and controversial win against Marvin Hagler did not catapulte him as the undisputed greatest fighter in the Fab 4 era

12 Joe Louis
Heavyweight
1934-1951
68-3-0 (54)
KO1 Schmeling, KO 11 Walcott, KO4 Baer
The Brown Bomber holds the distinction as the greatest reign by any boxer. 12 years as champion with 25 successful defenses. Well loved in his Era as well as one of the most influencial personalities as he became the first African American to achieve mainstream appeal across the United States
Despite having one of the high KO ratio, he is considered as a small heavyweight and would give up more than 20 pounds to other elite Heavyweight champions that succeeded him

 

13 Willie Pep
Featherweight
1940-1966
229-11-1 (65)
W15 Saddler, W15 Wright, W10 Ortiz
Will o' the Wisp is one of the pure boxers in history and considered as the greatest featherweight in history. His ring artistry often shadows how durable fighter he is. The numbers speaks for itself
He could have reached greater heights had not been for a plane crash. Lack of footage prior crash keeps us wondering how great of a boxer he really is

14 Bob Fitzsimmons
Middleweight
1885-1914
61-8-4 (57)
KO14 Corbett, KO13 Dempsey, W6 O'Brien
Boxing’s first triple-crown champion gaining the world’s middleweight, light-heavyweight and heavyweight. Although residing in New Zealand, Ruby Bob is considered by many as the greatest European boxer of all-time. Crafty, patient and accurate puncher that knocks-out heavyweights while being a middleweight
An amateur referee lapse in judgement disqualified him against Jack Sharkey. Exact boxing record maybe hard to find as prior 1900s, it is hard to keep track of fighter's record. He may have more than 300 fights.

15 Benny Leonard
Lightweight
1911-1932
90-6-1 (70)
W15 Tendler, KO9 Welsh, KO3 Kilbane
Before there is Pep, Sweet Pea and Money, there is the Ghetto Wizard. Up there with Roberto Duran in ligghtweight tier.
Controversial disqualification against Welterweight champion Jack Britton prevented him from being the first lightweight to win the welterweight crown

16 Gene Tunney
Light Heavyweight
1915-1928
65-1-1 (48)
W10 Dempsey, W15 Greb, KO12 Gibbons
If your only loss is against Harry Greb, that means something. He would later avenge this thrice. The Fighting Marine is a textbook fighter that delivers efficient results. One of the boxers to retire as champion
Confusion on the new rule on Knockdown lead to the famous long count that enabled Tunney to have time to survive the KO and later defeat Dempsey

 

17 Marvin Hagler
Middleweight
1973-1987
62-3-2 (52)
KO3 Hearns, KO11 Mugabi, W15 Duran
War medal for the Marvelous one. Easily one of the fan favorite because of his warrior attitude coupled with devastating punching powerin both hands. Also possessed one of the best chin in the sport that allows him to brawl.
His decision to walk away from the sport at age 32 following the controversial lost to Sugar Ray Leonard left a bad taste on most of the boxing fans. There are reports that he even rejected a bigger payday for a rematch with Leonard one or two years later.

18 Barney Ross
Welterweight
1929-1938
72-4-3 (22)
W15 McLarnin, W10 Canzoneri, W10 Battalino
Perhaps the best of the triumvirate with Canzoneri and McLarnin. Known for his great stamina and chin. His display against Henry Armstrong is one of the courageous display of heart and will. Never stopped in his entire career
Never really a solid puncher as only one stoppage in world title fights. Henry Armstrong may have found a blueprint on how to neutralize his footwork.

19 Roy Jones Jr.
Light Heavyweight
1989-2018
66-9-0 (47)
W12 Toney, W12 Hopkins, W12 Ruiz
He is deemed the ideal offensive fighter having the jab, combination, speed and footwork. His headhunting is just as expressive as his body shots. Most of the light heavyweight greats went on to Heavyweight but Jones is a Light Heavyweight great from Middleweight division.
Despite criticism of always taking the easy way, he has an outstadning resume from 160, 168 and 175. The only glaring miss in his resume is Dariusz Michalczewski but the German would not want to travel abroad.

20 Carlos Monzon
Middleweight
1963-1977
87-3-9 (59)
KO12 Benvenuti, KO14 Griffith, KO7 Napoles
His win over Jose Napoles establishes the line between a true Middleweight versus a Welterweight ATG. He is a tall and strong fighter and belongs to a top tier middleweight along with Hopkins and Hagler.
It is still intriguing how will he fare against true middleweight with speed. Griffith is a good test and he was able to overcome it. Would be nice to see him battle GGG. Will he rose up to the challenge or will he be exposed?

 

21 Pernell Whitaker
Lightweight
1984-2001
40-4-1 (17)
D12 Chavez, W12 Nelson, W12 Ramirez
Can be argued that he is the best fighter of the 90s. Sweet Pea is a boxing phenomenon who seldomly losses a round. Footwork and handspeed only compliments his defensive wizardry.
Would have preferred to have the Chavez bout at 140 but some question if we could really hurt an elite Welterweight. His lightweight fantasy showdown with Duran all points to Whitaker be favored because of his speed.

22 Bernard Hopkins
Middleweight
1988-2016
55-8-2 (32)
KO12 Trinidad, KO9 Dela Hoya, W12 Tarver
One of the longest ever to reign the middleweight, his win over Felix Trinidad because another reminder how hard it is for a Welterweight to aim to be Middleweight king.The Executioner knows everything about his craft and that is the reason why he is still elite at an advanced age.
A late bloomer but cemented his case as one of the best fighters of his era. He is the true king, the only question is is he on par with Roy Jones skill level. Too bad we never see them prime vs prime

23 Mickey Walker
Middleweight
1919-1935
94-19-4 (60)
D15 Sharkey, W15 Britton, W10 Flowers
He is a brawler hence the nickname bulldog. He is a welterweight that went on to defeat elite Heavyweights. He drew with Jack Sharkey while giving away 30 pounds. The second welterweight after Tommy Ryan to win the Middleweight crown.
Had his fight with Maxie Rosenbloom been a title fight for Light Heavyweight, he could have been the only man to win titles at WW, MW and LHW.

24 Joe Gans
Lightweight
1893-1909
145-10-16 (100)
W42 Nelson, D20 Walcott, KO1 Erne
The Old Master is a trailblazer being the first African American to win a Boxing Championship. He is a defensive master with strong punch as chronicled in several newspaper reports
Does not look good on film but the footage we have are limited. People are wondering if his defensive stance will be effective in modern day boxing

 

25 Tony Canzoneri
Lightweight
1925-1939
137-24-10 (44)
KO3 Berg, W15 Chocolate, W10 McLarnin
Initially a featherweight known for his classic fights with bigger guys. He was not stopped until his final fight at Welterweight. One of the two fighters to stop Kid Chocolate
His KO ratio is low and was troubled by some bigger fighters who can box and move. His lost to Ambers hurt his legacy as his resume is highly depended on Ross and McLarnin

26 Evander Holyfield
Heavyweight
1984-2011
44-10-2 (29)
KO11 Tyson, W15 Qawi, W12 Bowe
Easily the greatest Cruiserweight and went to on be only of the best Heavyweights of the modern era. His biggest asset is his conditioning and able to withstand grueling fights.
Many are wondering how will Prime Holyfield match up with Lennox Lewis. He was able to steal some rounds and if he is much younger his workrate might give him more rounds and ultimately a victory against Lewis

27 Sandy Saddler
Featherweight
1944-1956
145-16-2 (104)
KO4 Pep, KO3 Brown, KO13 Elorde
Always known as one of the best Featherweight with awesome knockout power. His fight series with Willie Pep is a classic and elevated him to superstardom.
Recognized as one of the dirty fighters of the sport. The 1951 bout with Pep resulted in the suspension of licence of both fighters. Can be outboxed as demonstrated by Flash Elorde and Willie Pep

28 Jimmy Wilde
Flyweight
1911-1923
131-3-1 (98)
W15 Lynch, W20 Moore, KO11 Kid
Nicknamed the Ghost as it is impossible to catch him, Jimmy Wilde is wildly considered the greatest flyweight of all-time. Also called the Mighty Atom, he is explosive in both hands lead him to be the first flyweight champion. Gene Tunney considers him the greatest fighter he ever saw.
He a a flyweight but usually fights around 100 pounds. Until this day, fans could not explain how this small fighter can beat fighters 10 pounds bigger than him

 

29 Eder Jofre
Bantamweight
1957-1976
72-2-4 (50)
KO4 Saldivar, W15 Legra, KO10 Caldwell
Considered as the best bantamweight fighter of all-time and also enjoys a successful career in Featherweight. He blames his weight issue in his losses to Harada. As a testament to his durability, defeated featherweights at age 40
Known more for his style and overall ability rather than his resume. Lacks defining fight as both he and Saldivar were past their prime when they fought.

30 Jimmy McLarnin
Welterweight
1923-1936
62-11-3 (20)
W15 Ross, KO6 Leonard, W10 Canzoneri
Went on to beat 12 hall of famers from Bantamweight to Welterweight, Belfast Spider is wildly considered one of the early weight jumpers in the Golden Age of Boxing. Had classic fights with Barney Ross and Toni Canzoneri. Prove to be too tough for Benny Leonard to overcome
Although he beat a lot of elite fights, he had his share of losses as well. Lightweight could have been his best weight but absorb unnecessary lost to Sammy Mandell

31 Michael Spinks
Light Heavyweight
1977-1988
31-1-0 (21)
W12 Holmes, W15 Muhammad, W15 Qawi
Never lost at Light Heavyweight and went to to win the Heavyweight title. Gave up 20 pounds to aging but still good Larry Holmes. Every short career but proved to be the best Light Heavyweight boxer and puncher of his era
Only 32 fights and had troubled with Mustafa Muhammad. Career lacks longetivity as he retired right after being knocked out by Mike Tyson in Round 1.

32 Tommy Hearns
Welterweight
1977-2006
61-5-1 (48)
KO2 Duran, W15 Benitez, KO2 Cuevas
Freak of an athlete with dynamite hands. The Hitman is a head to head beast at welterweight. He continues his career to pick up titles all the way up to Light Heavyweight with the same enthusiasm and vigor
His boxing style of choosing to engage rather than to box have caused him the two biggest fights of his career. Had he learn to effectively use his size, will we see his losses easily become wins?

33 Rocky Marciano
Heavyweight
1947-1955
49-0-0 (43)
KO13 Walcott, KO8 Louis, KO8 Charles
Reign as undefeated Heavyweight Champion and retired as such. Power in both hands and a decent chin enabled him to fend off challenge from opposition. Clearly none from his contemporaries can outmatch him in terms of power.
Like Dempsey, he is considered a Cruiserweight in today's sport. He did have problem against aging Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore. Wonder how he will fare against the Golden Era of Heavyweights or is it too much to ask for?

34 Tommy Loughran
Light Heavyweight
1919-1937
90-25-20 (14)
W10 Greb, W10 Walker, W15 Braddock
The Phantom effectively ended Mickey Walker's unbelievable rise in weight jumping, he victories against other hall of famers. His asset his that he is tough and gets better as the fight progresses.
Footage of his sparring with Dempsey really showcases his in ring ability. Wonder would good he really is when he is competitive with Tunney despite just being 22 and giving away 10 pounds

35 Alexis Arguello
Featherweight
1968-1995
77-8-0 (62)
KO13 Olivares, KO14 Mancini, KO5 Kobayashi
The Nicaraguan best fighter is one of the best featherweight who manages to find success in higher divisions. Prior to Mayweather, he is recognized as the best 130 pounder of all-time. The tall and hard jabbing fighter knows how to use his assets in disposing Olivares. His fights with Aaron Pryor were classics
He does not have the speed which abandoned him in his Light Welterweight campaign. He can easily be hit and not a brawler to survive bigger pressure type of fighters.

36 Julio Cesar Chavez
Lightweight
1980-2005
107-6-2 (85)
KO12 Taylor, KO11 Rosario, W12 Camacho
JC Superstar spent his prime at 140 division and showcased superior boxing skills and technical body punching. Many became exited to the revolutionary power presented in the junior welterweight division and help the division break into the shadows to a more dominant Welterweight and Lightweight
Had his fight with Medrick Taylor not stopped, what would have it done to his career. Surely there will be an immediate rematch. Should have fought Pernell Whitaker at his best weight of 140

37 Stanley Ketchel
Middleweight
1903-1910
49-5-3 (46)
KO11 Papke, W10 O'Brien, KO32 Thomas
In an era where the prime of a fight is in the late 20s, the Michigan Assasin is already an accompished fighter at age 24. All but three of his wins ended inside the distance. His power is something to marvel competing the likes of Sam Langford and even dropping Jack Johnson
He is a good strong swarmer and perhaps the reason why he is effective against fighters. Slow on his feet and limited adaptability could have caused problems. The world would only wonder how good he could have been if he did not die young

 

38 Emile Griffith
Welterweight
1958-1977
85-24-2 (23)
KO12 Paret, W15 Rodriguez, W10 Tiger
He is a legit welterweight and heavyweight all-time great. He is good at everything. He can box and brawl. He can beat swammers from distance and also had body punching prowess to keep stylist in check.
He was outclassed by Jose Napoles and we are guessing if the Paret tragedy has something to do with it.

39 Jose Napoles
Welterweight
1958-1975
81-7-0 (54)
KO13 Cokes, W15 Griffith, KO8 Backus
Mantequilla is a powerful, sharp yet smooth puncher and boxer to marvel at Lightweight and Welterweight. Has the benefit of fighter at lower weights to improve his footwork and accuracy before landing at Welterweight
Often compared to Pernell Whitaker, Jose Napoles did not have a signature win at Lightweight. But is Welterweight resume is often underrated as he was able to do more despite being a small welterweight

40 Kid Gavilan
Welterweight
1943-1958
108-30-5 (28)
W15 Graham, W10 Williams, W15 Basilio
The biggest name in Sugar Ray Robinson's welterweight resume, the Cuban Hawk is best known for his bolo punch. He is a technically sound boxer equipped with the needed skillset to run circles on flat footed fighters. He did clean-up the division when Robinson moved up in weight
His resume might often be overrated as his resume is shallow. Carmen Basilio pushed him to limits and get a gift from the Billy Graham fight. Ike Williams is a smaller fighter

41 Charley Burley
Middleweight
1936-1950
83-12-2 (50)
W10 Zivic, W10 Williams, W10 Moore
In the Golden Era of Boxing, it is clear that the fighter that deserved to get a title shot is Burley. He is the only fighter that is a glaring omission in Sugar Ray Robinson's resume. His win over Archie Moore is one of the underrated victories in the sport
He fought in an Era some of the best welter and middleweights. Yet was never given an opportunity for a world title. Some say that his star power is not big enough for attract champions. Could have rated higher but always had trouble disposing Holman Williams

42 Jack Dempsey
Heavyweight
1914-1927
54-6-8 (44)
KO2 Firmo, KO3 Willard, W15 Gibbons
He is first boxing superstar and a true fighter. He a aggressive from the opening bell and always aim for the big ending. Help launched the sport into the Golden Age.
Looking at the film footage, he is flat footed and obviously will struggle with movers and distance fighters. Reports show that even Harry Greb got the measure of him during sparring. A fight with Sam Langford could have set the record straight

43 Barbados Joe Walcott
Welterweight
1892-1911
87-24-24 (57)
KO7 Choynski, W25 Smith, D15 Langford
Barbados Demon is the welterweight champion and had been the idol of Arnold Raymond Cream who would later be know as Jersey Joe Walcott. Most of his losses cam after he severely injured his right hand in a gun accident.
It is well documented that Jim Jeffries does not want to fight him. Perhaps because of the risk that Barbados presented. We would never know but it is intruiging to see a 5'1 guy beat up guys 8 inches taller and 30 pounds heavier.

44 Holman Williams
Middleweight
1932-1948
146-31-11 (36)
W15 Burley, W10 Marshall, W10 Moore
Part of the Murderer's Row and another fighter that Sugar Ray Robinson never fought. His classic fights with Charles Burley was the classic Barrera-Morales rivalry. They fought seven items result to a even 3-3-1 split
Although he is often linked wuth Charles Burley, many think that he is not on the same level. If only we had more footage for younger generation to truly showcase how great a fighter he really was

45 Oscar De La Hoya
Welterweight
1992-2008
39-6-0 (30)
KO4 Chavez, W12 Whitaker, W12 Quartey
The Golden Boy dominated the 1990s and looks like becoming one of the greatest boxers heading to the 2000 decade. Had difficulty handling quicker and elusive boxers and Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and past prime Pernell Whitaker.

Lost to Felix Trinidad and not negotiating aggressively for a rematch hurt his welterweight resume. Also the lost ina catchweight fight with Bernard Hopkins put a dent on his legacy

 

46 Ike Williams
Lightweight
1940-1955
126-24-2 (61)
KO6 Montgomery, W10 Angott, W10 Gavilan
Often overlooked lightweight as compared to Roberto Duran, Benny Leonard, Joe Gans, Pernell Whitaker and Tony Canzoneri, Ike is more known for his punching power and ruthlessness. But he is equally a good boxer.
While it can be argued that he is a better pound for pound fighter that Kid Gavilan, he is too inconsistent having suffered losses that he would later avenged. Also the presence of mob may have an effect on his performance.

47 Billy Conn
Light Heavyweight
1934-1948
64-11-1 (15)
W10 Zivic, W12 Yarosz, W15 Lesnevich
He has his only share of solid wins but his defining performance is with Joe Louis. He was leading in the scorecard when Louise rallied and stopped him in the 13th
Billy Conn admitted that he got carried away in the moment and engaged Joe Louis in a cagefest that ultimately sealed his fate. Not sure if this can be addressed in a war but would could have been if he shocked the world and beat Louis in his prime.

48 Terry McGovern
Featherweight
1897-1908
60-4-3 (45)
KO1 Palmer, KO8 Dixon, KO3 Erne
A fearsome force from Bantamweight to Lightweight. His KO power endeared him to the public and widely considered as one of the best punchers of old school boxing. His reign of terror is short but devastating
He lacks creativity and solely rely on his punching power. Reports show that he can be outboxed and disoriented. His reign can be liked to Mike Tyson

49 Bob Foster
Light Heavyweight
1961-1978
56-8-1 (46)
KO4 Tiger, KO2 Rondon, KO4 Quarry
He has a punch that can turn the tide and possesses the sense of terror. His victory against Dck Tiger is one of the top highlights of the Light Heavyweight division. His Kos against Rondon and Quarry are brutal.
His chin is always suspect that hindered him as Heavyweight. Would have been a great match-up had Carlos Monzon moved up and challenged him

50 Salvador Sanchez
Featherweight
1975-1982
41-1-1 (32)
KO8 Gomez, KO13 Lopez, KO15 Nelson
As good as Wilfredo Gomez is, he is no match for Salvador Sanchez. He also stopped Azumah Nelson and avoided the onslaught of Danny Lopez. He is tall and technically sound and knows how to finish off his opponents
Just how great he really is. Some say techically he is the best Mexican fighter of all time. Too bad we would not have seen his more of his counterpunching skills as he was taken away at age 23