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In this post, we will check out the top 10 greatest boxers of all time.

Boxing, the “sweet science,” has captivated audiences for centuries with its raw intensity, skillful footwork, and thrilling displays of power.

Throughout history, the sport has produced a plethora of exceptional athletes who have left an indelible mark on the world of boxing. Determining the top ten greatest boxers of all time is a daunting task, as it requires assessing not only their records and accomplishments but also their impact on the sport and their enduring legacies.

From legendary heavyweight champions who reigned supreme in the ring to nimble and elusive fighters who dazzled with their speed and agility, these pugilists embody the epitome of boxing excellence.

Join us on this journey as we explore the careers and remarkable achievements of the ten most revered and iconic boxers in the annals of this glorious sport. Prepare to be inspired, astonished, and moved by their enduring greatness, as we pay homage to the elite warriors who have solidified their places in the pantheon of boxing immortality.

Top 10 Greatest Boxers Of All Time

10 Jack Dempsey

Jack Dempsey was an American professional boxer who fought from 1914 to 1927 and ruled as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926.

He is an inspirational icon of the 1920s, Dempsey is known for his energetic fighting style and outstanding punching power. He made his name as one of the most popular boxers in the history of the sport.

It would not be wrong to say that Jack Dempsey was America’s first superstar in the sport of boxing. His move gain a lot of attention and he is one of the most effective boxers of his era. 

Dempsey is listed tenth on The Ring magazine’s list of all-time heavyweights and seventh among its Top 100 Greatest Punchers. In 1950 the Associated Press voted him as the greatest fighter of the past 50 years.

His professional record might not impress the fans however there is no denying the fact that he is one of the greatest when it comes to boxing. He is a part of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He is number 10 in our list of top 10 greatest boxers of all time.

9 Rocky Marciano

Rocky Marciano was an American professional boxer who fought from 1947 to 1955 and held the world heavyweight title from 1952 to 1956.

He is the only heavyweight champion in history to have ended his career undefeated. His six title defenses were against some of the greats which include Jersey Joe Walcott (from whom he had taken the title), Roland La Starza, Ezzard Charles (twice), Don Cockell, and Archie Moore.

Rocky Marciano was one of the pioneer heavyweights to have made his impression in the world of boxing. He was the underrated boxer in every fight but still became victorious in all of them.

Marciano ended his career undefeated and he is the only known heavyweight to never yield a loss during his career. He is known for his constant fighting spirit, imposing punching power, and stamina.

Marciano is rated one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. His career knockout-to-win percentage of 87.8% endures one of the highest in heavyweight boxing history. He is number 9 in our list of top 10 All-time boxing greats.

8 Roy Jones Jr

Roy Jones Jr is an American former professional boxer who competed in boxing from 1989 to 2018, and kept multiple world championships in four weight classes, including titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight.

He is the only boxer in history to start his professional career at light-middleweight and still successfully go on to win a heavyweight title.

He is popularly considered the greatest boxer by many of the greats of the game. Roy Jones Jr. was unquestionably the most skilled and wild boxer of his generation. 

During his prime, Jones was remembered for holding extraordinary hand speed, athleticism, movement, and reflexes. He is without a doubt the biggest entertained in the history of the sport.

He is listed by BoxRec as the 17th greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. The Ring magazine entitled Jones the Fighter of the Year in 1994, and the World Boxing Hall of Fame elected him the Fighter of the Year for 2003.

7 Sugar Ray Leonard

Sugar Ray Leonard is an American former professional boxer, often considered as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he fought between 1977 and 1997, winning world titles in five weight divisions; the lineal championship in three weight divisions(3) as well as the undisputed welterweight title.

He was a remarkably versatile boxer. Boxing has seen some of the greats, however, he made his name himself during the era of prime Mike Tyson.

The man had one of the quickest hands in boxing. He also won the World Welterweight, Super Welterweight, and Middleweight titles.

Leonard was also the first boxer to make more than $100 million in purses and was titled “Boxer of the Decade” in the 1980s. The Ring magazine designated him Fighter of the Year in 1979 and 1981, while the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) entitled him Fighter of the Year in 1976, 1979, and 1981. In 2002.

6 Joe Louis

Joe Louis was an American professional boxer who fought from 1934 to 1951. He was Nicknamed the Brown Bomber. Louis is broadly viewed as one of the greatest and most prominent boxers of all time.

Joe Louis, undeniably one of the greatest boxers of all time, cemented his legendary status through his exceptional skills, unparalleled dominance, and the impact he had on the sport.

His lightning-fast jabs and precise footwork allowed him to control the ring with remarkable finesse, making him a formidable opponent in every bout he entered.

Beyond his extraordinary boxing achievements, Joe Louis transcended the sport and became a cultural icon. At a time when racial segregation and discrimination were rampant in America, Louis’s success and charisma broke down barriers and inspired millions.

He ruled as the world heavyweight champion from 1937 until his short retirement in 1949. He was triumphant in 25 consecutive title defenses, a record for all weight classes. 

It’s just impossible to make a list of the greatest boxer without mentioning Joe Louis. Joe Louis ruled as the World Heavyweight Champion making 25 title defenses in the progress.

Joe Louis is still a revelation for many of the boxers in the modern era. He is number 6 in our list of top 10 greatest boxers of all time.

5 Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao is Nicknamed “PacMan“, he is considered one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. Manny’s legacy will always remain intact because of his performance in the boxing world. 

He was the first boxer to win the lineal championship in five different weight classes, the first boxer to win major world titles in four of the eight “glamour divisions” flyweight, featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight, and is the only boxer to hold world championships across four decades (the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s).

He persisted in the golden era of lightweight-welterweight and still headed to be a World Champion in all the divisions. That’s something to be proud of.

His wins over the legends like Shane Mosley, and Eric Morales show the class and the skills of one of the best boxers of all time.

Though he lost one of the iconic fights with Floyd Mayweather Jr still many of the greats regarded him as one of the best in the business. According to Forbes, he was the second-highest-paid athlete in the world in 2015.

4 Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson is an American former professional boxer who fought from 1985 to 2005. He was nicknamed “Iron Mike. He was known as the “The Baddest Man on the Planet“.

Tyson is contemplated to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He ruled as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990.

Tyson’s dominance in the ring is shown by his performance. He won his first 19 professional fights by knockout, 12 of them in the first round.

He won his first belt at 20 years, four months, and 22 days old, and holds the record as the youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title.

One can’t be so dangerous in the ring until his name is Mike Tyson. In his prime, he was unbeatable in the ring. Tyson has remembered for his fierce and intimidating boxing style as well as his provocative behavior inside and outside the ring.

He has a knockout-to-win percentage of 88%, he was listed 16th on The Ring magazine’s list of 100 greatest punchers of all time, and first on ESPN’s list of “The Hardest Hitters in Heavyweight History”.

3 Floyd Mayweather Jr

Floyd Mayweather Jr is an American professional boxing promoter and former professional boxer. He fought between 1996 and 2015 and made a one-fight comeback in 2017.

Floyd is probably one of the most offensive fighters on the list. He is the first person to become a billionaire through his career in professional boxing. 

Mayweather was titled “Fighter of the Decade” in the 2010s by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), a two-time winner of The Ring magazine’s Fighter of the Year award (1998 and 2007).

He is also a three-time winner of the BWAA Fighter of the Year award (2007, 2013, and 2015), and a six-time winner of the Best Fighter ESPY Award (2007–2010, 2012–2014).

In 2016, Mayweather was listed by ESPN as the greatest boxer, pound for pound, of the last 25 years. As of May 2021, BoxRec rates him the greatest boxer of all time, pound for pound.

Mayweather is undefeated throughout his career, He faced 50 fighters in his career and defeated all of them with ease. Mayweather was drafted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the class of 2021. 

He topped the Forbes and Sports Illustrated lists of the 50 highest-paid athletes of 2012 and 2013. He stepped out with the highest payout ever in boxing history when he fight against MMA superstar Conor McGregor. 

2 Sugar Ray Robinson

Sugar Ray Robinson was an American professional boxer who fought from 1940 to 1965. He was drafted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He is often considered the greatest boxer of all time.

Just look at the record of this man and you understand how legendary the boxer he was. Many Regarded Muhammad Ali as one of the greatest of all time however Sugar Ray Robinson was complete magic in the ring. 

He debuted as a professional in 1940 at the age of 19 and by 1951 had a professional record of 128–1–2 with 84 knockouts. From 1943 to 1951 Robinson went on a 91-fight unbeaten streak, the third-longest in professional boxing history

He will go down as arguably the greatest pound-for-pound boxer. He had been into more than 200 fights while being knocked out only once. 

Robinson was entitled “Fighter of the Year” twice: first for his enforcement in 1942, then the second came nine years later for his amazing endeavors in 1951.

He was notable for his classy and extravagant lifestyle outside the ring. He is number 2 in our list of the top 10 greatest boxers of all time.

1 Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer Nicknamed The Greatest, he is universally regarded as one of the most notable and well-known sports and cultural figures of the 20th century.

Ali was known for his speed, agility, and his ability to take a punch. He was also a master of trash talk, and he often used his wit and humor to distract his opponents.

In addition to his boxing skills, Ali was also a vocal advocate for civil rights and social justice. He refused to be drafted into the Vietnam War, and he was stripped of his heavyweight title as a result. However, Ali’s decision to stand up for his beliefs only made him more popular, and he eventually regained his title.

He is regularly ranked as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. His boxing has its own style and charisma which had never been seen before and never will be. 

Many rate him as one of the greatest defensive fighters of all time. He was included in several historic boxing matches and fights, most reputably his fights with Sonny Liston, and Joe Frazier, including the Fight of the Century, the Thrilla in Manila, and his fight with George Foreman in The Rumble in the Jungle. 

He has been rated the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, the greatest sportsman of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated, and the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC.

Muhammad Ali’s impact as a boxer in the sport can’t be replaced soon. The things Ali did throughout his career are enough to make him the greatest boxer ever to grace the sport.  Ali tops the list of the top 10 greatest boxers of all time.