Muhammad Ali Is Number One, Who Are The Other Greatest Boxers Of All-Time?

Boxing is not a subjective sport by any means. If you’re a winner, the statistics will back that up without a doubt. Some fighters will talk a big game, but their talent or stat sheet won’t even be close to backing it up. Then you have your stars who are highly skilled and generations of future fighters, fans, and analysts respect for decades. Who are the best boxers of all-time? A consensus number one is none other than Muhammad Ali, but who else is the mix? Perhaps Andre Ward and Manny Pacquiao? Find out what we think and decide for yourself. Marvin Hagler – 62 Wins, 3 Losses We’ll kick things off with one of the best middleweights of all-time. Marvin Hagler was the world middleweight champion for six and a half years. That’s the second-longest reign in that division’s history. During that reign, he made title defenses against other fighters you’ll see later on this list. What was so special about Hagler is that he had one of the best chins in the sport’s history. After his heart-breaking loss to Sugar Ray Leonard that was a disputed majority decision, Hagler retired and never came back. Julio Cesar Chavez – 107 Wins, 6 Losses Julio Cesar Chavez was an impressive boxer. He went on a streak of 87 consecutive wins to start his career- a remarkable feat. The record was blemished after a controversial draw with Pernell Whitaker in 1993. Four months after that draw, the legend from Mexico lost a split decision to Frankie Randall, and it seemed like Chavez was human after all. As you see by the record, he still was a bad man in the ring and became a Hall of Famer in 2011. Bernard Hopkins – 55 Wins, 8 Losses Bernard Hopkins didn’t learn to box traditionally. He was taught at Graterford Prison while serving an 18-year sentence. Upon his release in 1988, Hopkins debuted and soon became one of history’s best pound-for-pound boxers. Hopkins earned the nickname “The Alien” as he used great fundamentals to topple some of the best fighters in the world like Oscar De La Hoya and Winky Wright. Hopkins also had another remarkable accomplishment of defending his middleweight belt for a record 20 consecutive times. George Foreman – 76 Wins, 5 Losses George Foreman had one of the most distinguished careers in boxing. In 1973, Foreman destroyed Joe Frazier in two rounds to gain lineal heavyweight titles. But after later losing to Muhammad Ali and then getting outscored by Jimmy Young, Foreman quit and practically vanished. Around a decade later, Foreman returned with added weight and won 24 straight fights. He put the cherry on top of his return after defeating Michael Moore in 10 rounds to regain the heavyweight title. Ezzard Charles – 95 Wins, 25 Losses Ezzard Charles was the true definition of a lionhearted boxer. The dynamic competitor took out a bevy of Hall of Famers during his career. One of his most notable victories came when he unanimously outscored Joe Louis to keep his heavyweight belt. Due to financial reasons, Charles’ record was a little off thanks to taking on fights well past his prime. That happens to be the case for many prizefighters, unfortunately. Nevertheless, he is still an all-time great. This next boxer was so good, he had to have his ear bitten to contend with… Evander Holyfield – 44 Wins, 10 Losses Evander Holyfield has a list of accomplishments that go on and on. For starters, he’s the only person to be the undisputed cruiserweight and heavyweight champion. When he was just an amateur, Holyfield won a bronze medal for the U.S. Holyfield had a relentless toughness and durability. You didn’t want to be caught by his counter left hook, or that would spell trouble for you. He was forced to retire due to medical advice but would return two years later and defeat Mike Tyson to reclaim the title in an upset. Joe Frazier – 32 Wins, 4 Losses You know he’s a great boxer when only Muhammad Ali and George Foreman are the ones to hand you defeat. Joe Frazier had two losses from Foreman and Ali but would terrorize his other opponents, handing out 27 knockouts. Frazier was also a gold medalist at the 1964 Olympics. Pugilists were very cautious of Frazier’s left hook because it could have very well left you unconscious. He earned the nickname “Smokin’ Joe” and landed in the World Boxing Hall of Fame and the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Larry Holmes – 69 Wins, 6 Losses Larry Holmes started his career on a hot streak by winning 48 fights, one win away from Rocky Marciano’s record. Holmes is said to have the greatest left jab in heavyweight history. How else do you think he was the champion for seven and a half years? Holmes was notorious for rallying back after getting stunned, so fighters were never safe in a bout with him. Holmes worked his skills well and was one of the only boxers ever to defeat Muhammad Ali, even though Ali wasn’t fully prepared for the fight. Lennox Lewis – 41 Wins, 2 Losses Lennox Lewis has a dual British and Canadian citizenship and is an Olympic gold medalist representing Canada. Lewis is also a three-time world heavyweight champion. The 6’5″ boxer tormented his opponents with his severe right cross and dwarfed his opponents. The two defeats he sustained came at the hands of Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman. The sad part about those losses is that they were both knockouts and with the title on the line. He did a rematch with both and reclaimed his titles. This next fighter supposedly won a round without throwing a single punch… Willie Pep – 229 Wins, 11 Losses When you bring up defensive fighters in the modern era, the name Floyd Mayweather comes to mind. In the past, Willie Pep owned that title and didn’t let up. He was such a defensive mastermind, he once won a round without throwing a single punch. Pep was practically unhittable and had blinding quick hand speed. He got the nickname “Will o’ the Wisp” and might as well be remembered as the marquee featherweight of boxing. He finally became a Hall of Famer in 1990. Archie Moore – 186 Wins, 23 Losses Here’s another fighter from back in the day who had an absolutely amazing win-to-loss ratio. Many consider Archie Moore the most celebrated light heavyweight of all-time. Moore was a defensive mastermind who had a chin made of steel. His nickname was “The Old Mongoose,” and he recorded the most knockouts in boxing history, 131. After 219 professional fights, Moore decided to hang it up in 1963. He was placed in the Hall of Fame in 1990. Pernell Whitaker – 40 Wins, 4 Losses Pernell Whitaker had quite the career. He was a four-weight world champion and won the Olympic gold medal in 1984. Whitaker was a southpaw and an elusive one at that. The defensive man had cat-like reflexes and a stinging right jab. His most significant match against Julio Cesar Chavez for the super lightweight championship should have been a win, but instead ended in a controversial draw. Many felt it was a clear-cut victory, but then he lost his title in another close fight to Oscar De La Hoya. This next boxer often won fights before the match even began… Mike Tyson – 50 Wins, 6 Losses A big part of Mike Tyson’s game is that he’s very intimidating. Probably one of the most of all-time. Tyson had knockout power in both fists, which allowed him to become the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title when he was just 20-years-old. Nicknamed “Iron Mike,” he won his first nineteen pro fights by knockout. Twelve of those fights happened to end in the first round. He completed his career with a whopping 44 knockouts. Tyson’s career might have ended on a wrong note, but it doesn’t discredit how much of a beast he was and still is. Fighting Harada – 55 Wins, 7 Losses Hands down the best Japanese boxer ever, Masahiko Harada had an aggressive style that helped him win the flyweight and bantamweight world titles. Harada is also the only man to beat the legendary Eder Jofre in one of their two meetings. Harada is still the only boxer to have both the lineal flyweight and bantamweight titles at the same time. Clearly, he’s in a league of his own to have such an accomplishment. Jack Dempsey – 54 Wins, 6 Losses Back during the Roaring Twenties, Jack Dempsey was nothing short of a cultural icon. The hard-hitting puncher would set attendance and financial records practically everytime he stepped into the ring. That’s what you call a big ticket. Nicknamed “The Manassa Mauler,” he retired after judges unanimously chose Gene Tunney to be the winner in their 1927 fight. Dempsey was praised for his uncanny skills of bobbing and weaving. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1954.