Top 10 Greatest Boxers of All Time

If Ali were in the same weight class as Manny, he would destroy him. Ali would dissect Manny's brains and make him believe he was invincible. Physically, Ali had faster hands, better footwork, the best jab of all time, a diamond chin that was unbreakable, and a heart that wouldn't give in. Mentally, he is just too smart for Manny. He would psych Manny out and toy with him before and during the fight. He is a genius, and that can't be beaten.

Muhammad Ali, this man is my role model. He was a boxer like no other and always gave others belief when they thought there was none. He will never be forgotten in this world and will always be loved. He stood his ground and fought to keep black and brown people safe. He wasn't just a boxer, either. He was a hilarious comedian and a fantastic man for quotes. Such a shame he had to pass away. It wasn't just a shock for his family, it was a shock for the whole world. A part of me is gone. A part that will never be there again. There will never be another Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali, a super role model. Rest in peace.

Largely considered the greatest heavyweight of all time, rivaling Joe Louis, in his prime he had one of the greatest chins, hand speed, heart, and leg speed for any heavyweight in history. His boxing technique incorporated one of the greatest jabs in history. He could use his weight well in close quarters, and his jab-right hand combination dominated the sport for decades. He beat six Hall of Famers, including three great heavyweight champions at the peak of their careers: Foreman, Liston, and Frazier. Even in decline, he beat contenders and world champions with heart, a strong chin, and intelligence. He was the first three-time heavyweight champion following an Olympic Light Heavyweight Gold Medal. He dominated the greatest era in heavyweight history.

Manny Pacquiao is a great boxer, no doubt. However, Pac fans tend to be a little irrational and don't seem to know much about boxing beyond Manny Pacquiao. Ali is clearly the Greatest of All Time. Pac fans don't know about boxing, nor do they know about Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong, or Benny Leonard, who did what Pacquiao did but better. Ali defeated Hall of Fame legends like Sonny Liston, Big George Foreman, Ken Norton, and Joe Frazier. Ali had all-time classic, iconic battles and is in a class by himself. Don't insult him by ranking Pacquiao over him - ever. That's just ridiculous. Pacquiao is great, but realistically, he's lucky if he makes the top 20.

I'm an elite boxer, and this list is somewhat accurate. Most modern boxers don't have the skill and heart that old-school boxers do. It's mainly about willpower and your ability to believe in yourself. There's a reason legends like Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali are at the top of their game. It's because of their confidence and belief that they can win.

Mike Tyson over Sugar Ray Robinson is a joke, and the comments on Tyson's slot, trying to counter claims that he was overrated only serve to demonstrate their own ignorance and affinity for hype. (Attempting to claim Larry Holmes - also a better champion than Mike Tyson, for the record - is only known for beating a shot Muhammad Ali is all I should have to point out to demonstrate.)

As for Robinson, there's a reason anyone who's not currently a more popular name (and several that are) are ranked below him. The term "pound for pound" best was single-handedly started for Robinson. He was one of the fastest of all time, he somehow had durability and knockout power to go with it, he could fight with virtually any style, he was equally good with both hands, and he was champion in 2 different weight classes. He only lost once to his biggest rival, another all time great, against beating him 5 times. And who else beat Robinson? For his first 131 fights, nobody, and up until his first ...more

Easily the most skillful boxer of all time, he had an amazing defense and devastating attack. He could one-punch KO you with either hand and could KO an opponent while retreating. Along with prime Ali, he probably had the best footwork. He had amazing hand speed and was one of the few boxers that had mastered every punch in the book. He was also an amazing strategist in the ring.

His record is unbelievable: 200 fights, 173 wins (108 by KO), 19 losses (1 TKO when he failed to come into the ring from his corner due to heat exhaustion, and 18 of his losses came in the later stages of his career when he was way past his prime). Sugar Ray was never knocked out by any of his opponents, even when he was past his prime. His record when he was in his prime was W-128, L-1, D-2, NC-1. That's incredible!

Not to mention, he fought some of the great middleweight boxers like Jake Lamotta, Rocky Graziano, and Carmen Basilio. Pound for pound, he is the greatest boxer ever.

He ran his record up to 123 wins, with 1 loss and 1 draw. The one loss came to a man who, by today's standards, would be three weight classes above him. He was the only fighter that had absolutely every tool and every punch from every possible angle or scenario. Ali didn't have the dynamite power Robinson had. Pacquiao has virtually no defensive skills. Mayweather doesn't have the power, aggressiveness, or the jab to make Robinson respect him. Defense and counter-punching will only get you so far in a 15-round fight with a prime welterweight Ray Robinson throwing combos from every angle.

When it comes to the two best of all time, there's no doubt it's Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson. When it comes to Ali vs. Tyson, I pick Tyson every time. Tyson won against tomato cans, as you say, but he also had a lot of good wins. If Tyson and Holyfield had fought in 1991, I bet the fight would have had a different outcome.

You say Tyson never won against anybody too good and lost to the best competition. That's not completely true. Tyson is the youngest man on Earth to have ever captured all three heavyweight belts, and he is a two-time world champion. Tyson was in an era of newer and improved fighters, while Ali was in a class of people that were not in his league.

Ali is good, no doubt, but could Ali deal with what Tyson dealt with? Ali beat Sonny Liston, who was just a regular brawler. Floyd Patterson was really no different than Liston. He didn't move very well and was very slow. Ever see how George Foreman fights? As Ali said, he fights like a mummy, and you can ...more

Ironic that Tyson is considered both the most over-rated and the most under-rated boxer of all time, depending on your point of view. Detractors list a lack of "Quality" opponents while proponents argue he "killed" everybody when he was in his prime. It is a shame the fighters he opposed in his pre-jail era are not on anybody's "top fighters of all time" list. However, just because he didn't get to fight Joe Frazier doesn't mean he wouldn't have beaten him if he did. The mere fact that he is so polarizing obviously points to the opinion that he was at least "somebody" to be reckoned with. He didn't just beat his opponents; he demolished them. Some were beaten before they even got in the ring, which, ironically, illustrates both points of view on Tyson's ability. I honestly do not know what the prime Tyson would have done with the prime Ali. I realize he is considered by most to be the GOAT or at least top 3. I also know Ali lost to Joe Frazier, got his jaw broke and lost to Ken ...more

Mike Tyson is a different type of fighter. He's crazy in the ring. His goal was basically to kill the person, and his power was insane. Though Muhammad Ali is the greatest boxer, Mike Tyson would have mauled him. While Ali was the best boxer, Tyson was the best fighter.

A young, prime Mike Tyson would have overwhelmed any fighter put in front of him, period. It's a shame Joe Frazier isn't even on this list, especially considering he beat a prime Muhammad Ali and isn't even mentioned. This proves my point exactly. Tyson would have beaten Frazier, the guy who beat a prime Ali, hands down. Rocky had the hardest punch ever? Tyson would have beaten him by knockout. We seem to forget how well Tyson moved his head, bobbing and weaving right before he unleashed hell. You couldn't hit him and hurt him, and by then, you were getting your head knocked off.

Mayweather? Laughable! We are talking about fighters here: Hearns, Hagler, Leonard, Duran, Chavez, and we have Mayweather on this list? What a joke. At least give respect to Pac-Man for being on here. I pick Tyson because he was the most powerful boxer of all time and the youngest to have unified all the belts. As far as that goes, who in the world can tell me anyone who even comes close to ...more

The only once in a lifetime 8 division world champ ever in history, proved to be the best in 8 divisions; it would have been more if he did not skip a couple of weight classes. He has won 12 major world titles. The only boxer to hold world championships across four decades. In July 2019, Pacquiao became the oldest welterweight world champion in history at the age of 40, and the first boxer in history to become a recognized four-time welterweight champion. And that is just from his introduction in wikipedia..

He had nothing but disadvantages his whole young life; he only got out of extreme poverty through hard work and skill.

Imagine if he had proper training since he was young and had lots of protein and vitamins growing up and imagine if had a great trainer since day one. Who knows how much more potential he could've unleashed.

Fun fact he even taught his trainer to train him to box before meeting coach Roach.

He was also almost always smaller than his ...more

Pound for pound, he is the only 8 Division World Champion in history. He has a humble and kind demeanor. He has proven himself to the world and brought back excitement to the people in the boxing world.

Manny transcended the sport of boxing in a time when boxing is on a decline. He fought with a brave heart and fierce spirit. He keeps you at the edge of your seat whenever he fights. He carries with him the hope of his nation and the joy of his fans inside the ring. He conducts himself in a very respectable and friendly manner outside the ring. He never trash talked any of his opponents. He never fought dirty despite his opponents fighting dirty. His passion for boxing never diminished despite the corruption and unfair decisions of the judges and referees. He is the glimmer of light in the darkness that surrounds the world of boxing.

His fights are always exciting. He always comes out ready to brawl with whoever he fights. He never runs away and makes it a boring fight. There is tons of action, and that's what boxing is all about: not watching someone dance around and run from the other fighter. If I fought any of those types of fighters, I would walk over to the ropes, put my elbow on the ropes, and wave at the other fighter to come on over and let's fight. I think that would make him look bad, and he wouldn't have any choice but to fight. Pacquiao all the way. I love a lot of the other fighters, but Pac MAN is my pick.

In my opinion, Rocky was the greatest puncher of all time, although I'm not sure about him being the greatest boxer given that his style was so unorthodox. The Rock would fight low to the ground, trying to dismantle his opposition's body. Rocky was the best to me. He retired at 49-0. He fought the best at that time and beat the best.

He and Ali were separated by a few decades, but it would have been interesting to see skill vs. will, speed vs. power, and at the time, folks would have made it a black vs. white issue. They're both 1A and 1B. To a lesser perspective, Sugar Ray Robinson was super, so he might be 1C as well. But those three were and still are head and shoulders above everyone else.

Muhammad Ali was a great boxer, but he was too slow and would be held up in the ropes until his opponent would get tired, and then Ali would deliver a haymaker to end the fight. Rocky never let himself be touched. His hands seemed as if they were made of steel, and he was fast with his punches and light on his feet. He went 49-0, with 45 wins by way of knockout. He was a true champion, and up to this day, he will still be the greatest champ ever!

I voted for Tyson but had much difficulty doing so. In my opinion, he is worthy of any top 3 list with Ali and Iron Mike. I mean, who can argue with an incredible 49 wins with no losses? Many say he lacked style and finesse compared to fighters such as Ali, but do you really need style to be the best? No, you do not.

Sure, he didn't put on much of a show, but as Rocky said himself, why waltz with a guy for 10 rounds when you can knock him out in 1? Not only that, the greatest fictional boxer of all time, Rocky Balboa, was based on Marciano.

Rocky was unreal. He never appeared hurt. His opponents would say he hits too hard. You can't take the punishment he dished out. Another fight that should be mentioned is Carlos Monzon. A terrible person, I know, but he won 81 fights in a row, finished 87-3, and had 59 KOs. All three losses came at the beginning of his career. He defended the middleweight crown 14 times. He killed his wife and went to prison, and then he was killed in a car accident in 1995.

The greatest boxer, both in and out of the ring. 25 title defenses, pre-retirement he was only defeated once and avenged that defeat in a first-round KO. He beat the likes of power punching Max Baer, slick Max Schmelling, Joe Walcott, the quick Billy Conn, the 6ft 7 Ambling Alp, Primo Canera, Jack Sharkey, and others. His jab was otherworldly, he was a snappy, quick, and very powerful combination puncher, and had fair defensive head movements. He signed up for the military during the second great war and donated his purses for exhibitions to the US military, an act that sadly the Taxman did not notice and Joe was screwed over by the US government for years to come, forcing him out of retirement twice.

Joe Louis is, or was, my number one. No one did it better. He held the title for almost 12 years. The problem was he had no one to fight. The three fighters that beat him all became heavyweight champions. He was the prettiest hard puncher ever. Ali, no doubt, was the prettiest boxer. Two out of three times, I'd take Louis. You couldn't give rounds away to the Brown Bomber. You couldn't play around, like Norton and Frazier did. Ali didn't play with them, and he certainly couldn't have done it with Louis. The night Ali beat Cleveland Williams, he would have beaten anyone. But with records stretched out over time, there will never be a way to compare. Jack Dempsey, where are you now? The heavyweight division needs you.

This man is simply the greatest. Watching him fight in his prime, no one ever stood a chance. His only legitimate loss was against Max Schmeling, and Joe knocked him out in round 1 of their rematch. The precision he had allowed him to land one right on the chin every time, as opposed to throwing random hard punches until his opponent was done. I find watching this man far more spectacular than any other boxer, as every knockout of his was a perfect direct hit that looked like he had planned from the very beginning. Ali prepares moments like this, but Joe just waited and prepared for the moment to land his perfect one-hit KO punch.

What makes an athlete great is not only how much they excel at a sport, but also how they standardize the sport and inspire people - black and white, rich and poor alike. Unfortunately, we live in a time where athletes are nothing more than athletes. No one stands up for anything anymore or inspires us to be great at whatever we do, like Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, or Rocky Marciano. Joe Louis has my vote for the #1 place. He has an outstanding record, title defenses, as well as longevity. Joe Louis #1.

Mayweather should be higher than #7 and definitely higher than Manny Pacquiao. He beat many champions in their weight class. He didn't have to weight drain them in order to beat them. Not only did he beat everyone he faced, but he also outclassed them. The fighters he went up against never recovered from the defeats he handed them.

It's one thing to lose by a knockout, but it's another to have all your boxing skills showcased by a master like Mayweather. Anyone who says Mayweather doesn't deserve a top 10 position clearly doesn't know boxing or is a one-eyed Pacquiao fan - or in most cases, both. Love him or hate him, the man is a master boxer, and his record shows that.

He asked for De La Hoya and Mosley way back in the early 2000s. He told Pacman to take the blood test in 2009 so that they'd be on equal playing fields. He defeated an undefeated Ricky Hatton and, in 2001, Diego Corrales. He beat Shane Mosley after quite possibly Shane's most impressive win of his career. He defeated De La Hoya when Oscar was the A-side fighter.

He has the best hit-to-not-hit ratio in the history of boxing. He has defeated more world champions than anyone in the history of the sport. He's undefeated. He has never been knocked down once in his entire career. He makes the best boxers in the world look like amateurs with his brilliant defense.

He took out every single fighter that people wanted him to face, and when they said they'd give him credit if he won, they proceeded to make excuses for the loser, and ultimately try to diminish what is another day in the office for Floyd. Anyone who had a close fight with him, he rematched instantly and completely ...more

This guy has been hated on nearly his whole career. Everyone they put in front of him, who they said he would lose to, he beat. Let's not forget, early in his career he was the one being ducked by the top fighters before his hands broke down on him. Even with that, he became one of the best defensive fighters of all time. He had over 20 title fights and has never been knocked down. Over half of his fights have been against champions and former champions. He has the highest percentage of punches landed. He is also considered the best of his era in any weight class. Pacquiao delayed the fight against Mayweather because he said he didn't like needles while he was training and before the fight. Mayweather personally called him and offered to wire him 50 million of his own money to take the fight. Of course, Mayweather got the blame for it not happening sooner, but ultimately he beat Pacquiao and other excuses came about. Hands down, Mayweather Jr. should be easily in the top 3.

No matter what you say or do, Mayweather is the smartest boxer ever. He reads every single one of his opponents like a book, and that's why he is so good. His defense may be incredible, but his ability to determine a boxer's strength, dissect it, and turn that strength into a weakness is unparalleled. Many people don't like Mayweather due to his so-called "boring style." While he can become boring to watch, he truly is the smartest and therefore the best boxer of all time. I believe it will be a long time until we see a talent that can compare to Mayweather.

He doesn't get enough respect. He beat Duran in their first fight and, had he been on his toes, it would have been like the second fight. Duran got away with so many low blows and elbows. He was the biggest dirtbag in boxing history. Not even in his book did he give any credit to Leonard, coming up with the lame excuse that he didn't train and ate like a pig. He never gave credit to any of the fighters that beat him, not even Hearns, who knocked this dirtbag flat on his face. Benitez kicked Duran's butt too, but stupid ESPN lists Duran in the top ten. What a joke.

Sugar Ray is one of the greatest boxers of all time. Leonard was one of the most versatile boxers the game has ever seen, from his speed, ring generalship, and toughness. You fools have him ranked at 20, which goes to show that you guys don't know anything about boxing. Let's end on a real note: Aaron Pryor, where is he ranked on your list? The greatest junior welterweight of all time. Upgrade your boxing knowledge.

To me, he's the pound-for-pound greatest fighter. He possessed super speed, good power, and the chin to take a punch. If not for a severe eye injury earlier in his career, he would have fought more fights. His epic battles with Hagler, Hearns, and Duran will always be in my memory.

I think Sugar Ray Leonard was the best I've ever seen. He beat legends, not just great fighters, and came out of a 3-year retirement to beat Marvin Hagler. He faced as tough a set of fighters as you could get, including great boxer Benitez and quintessential sluggers Hearns and Duran.

He held the 125, 135, and 147 titles at the same time and just missed winning the 160 crown by points! Most fighters today sleep in their dressing rooms until it's time to fight. Hammering Hank would shadow box 15 three-minute rounds to warm up, then go fight 15 three-minute rounds in the match.

Other than the larger heavyweight fighters of today, the lower weights would get their rear ends handed to them by the old-timers, including Jones, Mayweather, and Pacquiao.

No one in the history of boxing has accomplished what Hammering Henry was able to. Enough said.

This was difficult, to pick anyone over Rocky Marciano, the greatest heavyweight of all time at 49-0. Pep was the most dominant fighter I ever saw. He was the most athletic and the best fighter ever.

With 242 fights and only 10 or 11 losses, eat that! He would have smoked all of the boxers of today in the featherweight division. Also, he, not Roy Jones Jr., was the first fighter to win a round not only by not getting hit but also by not throwing a single punch! He made opponents look like clowns in the ring.

The best fighter ever. Anyone who knows real boxing and boxing history knows this.

Greatest featherweight. From the city of champions: Hartford, featuring Kid Kaplan, Bat Battalino, Teddy Red Top Davis, and Marlon Starling.

Duran, if handled by superior American management and a media-savvy marketing team, would and should have ranked among the top 5 boxers in any weight class in history. With his killer instinct and his genius for cutting off the ring, he was unbeatable. Ray Leonard won the second match through his own genius, frustrating Duran beyond his emotional limit. Now, the question is how Ray did that compared to how Duran forced his fight. In my opinion, Ray did it through clownsmanship, while Duran used physical skill and sheer determination. So you be the judge of which of those is more admirable for a boxer. As for "fighters," Duran was better than Leonard, and that's what the world really wants to see - a real fight.

He held the lightweight title for a long time and chased Ray Leonard, who had moved up to welterweight. In the first fight, he showed it was man against boy. He was forced to take a rematch in one of the shortest time spans. This was allegedly after Leonard's scouts reported he had ballooned to over 200 lbs and had about 45 days of training. He demanded that the money for the second fight be deposited before the fight. The No Mas fight was the result of horrible conditioning. Don King cut him loose after his loss to the unknown Kirkland Lang. He later went on to win more titles. I consider that a victory over one of the most corrupt promoters in boxing history. His win-loss record is amazing. He was a brutal inside fighter and counter-puncher.

Just the greatest. He was far better than Ray Leonard, who admitted he was the hardest puncher he ever faced and that he was also the hardest boxer to hit cleanly. In fact, Leonard said you couldn't hit him with a handful of rice. I don't think Roberto gets the credit he deserves, possibly being second only to Sugar Ray Robinson in the all-time greats list. And I mean no disrespect to any other boxer. They are all heroes for stepping into the ring. No matter where we place them in lists, all are great in their own unique way. Thank you for allowing me to comment. Harry.

Pound for pound, arguably the greatest fighter to ever set foot in the ring. Duran was a fighter and a truly explosive puncher who never once avoided an opponent, fighting all-comers at several different weights. Without a doubt, he is one of the all-time greatest fighters, and I do seriously question if many of those above him here who fought in his divisions could have beaten him in his prime.

Foreman was the most feared fighter of his day and retired for ten years during his absolute prime. He returned to the ring in poor shape, motivated only by the money, during Tyson's reign. Don King knew that the matchup of styles would not be in Tyson's best interest, and so he avoided making the dream fight happen.

When an interviewer asked Foreman if he thought he could beat Tyson - whom Tyson had dismissed the prospective match as a "piece of cake" - the interviewer said, "You must admit, he's a pretty tough cookie." Foreman replied, "Yeah, but that tough cookie is afraid of this piece of cake!"

Foreman's power, longevity, jab, chin, and second-career success rank him among the top five fighters ever. The other four, in no particular order, are Jack Johnson, Roberto Duran, Teofilo Stevenson, and Sugar Ray Robinson.

George Foreman is known as one of, if not the, boxers with the hardest punching power of all time. During an era of giants in boxing history, he defeated everyone and anyone who came in his path - usually with a second or third-round KO. It didn't matter who he fought. Even Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, the only ones at that time who had ever beaten the GOAT of boxing, Muhammad Ali, fell before him.

Foreman had one weakness: he was a bad tactician. However, he later improved and became a clever boxer when he made his comeback at the age of 38 and regained the championship at the age of 45.

Fearsome, powerful, possessed ninjalike reflexes, and skilled in long guard techniques, parrying, blocking, and feinting, all solid techniques all but forgotten even by his time. Even during his comeback when his speed and reflexes had diminished, he remained powerful and changed his style to suit his aging physical limitations to rewin the title, and remains the oldest HW champion ever. Oh, and he makes a mean grill too!

Tyson would have started the fight whipping Foreman's butt, laughing to himself at how easily he was beating the old man. After a few rounds of watching Foreman stumble around the ring, Tyson would start to tire and wonder why this old man was still standing. Finally, he would find himself lying on the floor, wondering how a tree trunk was able to come swinging through the ring and pummel his poor, fragile body into mush, and why the referee was holding Foreman's hand up to the cheers of the crowd.

With a cat-like spring, he could close the gap on an opponent in an instant, delivering a stunning blow with either hand. Yet he never lost his balance while switching stances or even when airborne. Truly the greatest middleweight ever.

One of the only truly complete fighters. Guys like Ali, Frazier, and Tyson are good, but not complete. Guys like Hagler and McCallum are complete boxers.

Hard as nails, with a big punch and great defense, he was fearless and was the best of the bunch among Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, and Roberto Duran.

I understand this discussion is purely subjective, but I had to laugh at some of the fighters ranked ahead of him.

He was the first African American Heavyweight Champion of the World at a time when the race line was in full force. To achieve what he did during an era of tremendous racism, he attained and retained the crown for 8 years. He never had the chance to become a "2-Time Heavyweight Champion" either.

He's totally underrated and deserves to be ranked higher. Long before Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, or Ali, there was Jack, and he is my #1 boxer of all time. With 32 years and a record of 77-13, yeah, that says it all.

He should be ranked much higher, probably in the top 5 of all time. If you watched the many bouts he fought way back in the day, most heavyweights today would have struggled to beat him. They were out there fighting 20 rounds in hot elements, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees in many of his fights. That's unreal when you think about it. He was a true beast of a fighter who was shockingly good on defense and smart.

No one at any weight could take Johnson in his prime. His defense was an art form that no one else could master. Who could last 20 to 40 rounds? He carried fights to sell film footage for financial gain but had the power to end a fight in round one.

Watch Ken Burns' documentary "Unforgivable Blackness" to see footage of this superhuman from the early 20th century.

Jack Johnson not only could beat them in the ring battles, but he also could beat the horrible prejudice and societal battles of his times by never giving up. He was a champion in and out of the ring.

I think Joe at his best would be a good bet to beat Ali. He was too ferocious for Ali in that first fight. Ali waited three years to fight Joe again, and then another year and three-quarters to fight again. Joe retired shortly after that.

Joe crushed Ellis twice, Quarry twice, and Chuvalo, who was never knocked down in his 93-fight career. George Chuvalo fought Patterson, Quarry, Ali twice, and Foreman. Joe also beat Oscar Bonavena twice, along with his victory over Ali.

In my opinion, the best heavyweight is between Marciano, who was 49-0, and Louis, who was 66-3. Louis lost to Schmeling and avenged it with a first-round knockout. His other two losses came when he was old and about to retire. The best fighter ever is Sugar Ray Robinson. At one point in his career, Ray was 129-1, with his only loss to LaMotta, whom he beat five times. I also think Roberto Duran, who won 103 fights, deserves a place. He was 72-1 at one point.

What makes a real champion? Real champions do not duck anybody. Joe fought the best. He beat the best, and yes, he lost too. He can rest in peace because he was a fighter in the truest sense - a fearless sportsman through and through. Boxers must challenge themselves, or else they lose before the bell rings. Joe was a winner because he fought the top contenders. He was fearless.

Joe never ducked anybody. Fighters often avoid contenders who might be equal or even better, but Joe Frazier fought everybody. He beat everyone who was a contender for the vacant belt. Although he was the champ, he had to fight Ali to prove it to the world. The Fight of the Century was the first time in history that two undefeated champions fought, and Joe Frazier won. Boxing was never this great again. Rest in peace, Champ.

Joe Frazier beat up Ali in their first fight, taunting Ali and laughing at him. After the 5th round, Ali was just hanging on and trying not to get knocked out. My favorite moment of the fight was the 8th round. Joe grabbed Ali's hands, pulled him away from the ropes, and then drove him back. That was Joe showing Ali who was boss on that day!

He got the record and longevity as champion that nobody in history is going to match ever, especially nowadays where champions last only a couple of years and choose and pick who they want to fight so they can be sure they're going to win. Just look at Mayweather. He refuses to fight Manny so he won't tarnish his record. But what is an undefeated record when you've fought no top contenders? That's why Julio Cesar Chavez is the best. Because he fought the best there was.

Chavez has the longest undefeated streak in boxing history, the most title defenses in boxing history, and the most ticket sales in boxing history. With the highest knockout percentage in boxing history, Chavez ducked no one in his career. Truly, Chavez is the best boxer in history. No one will ever do what he has done.

He was the best Mexican fighter and will be, and is also compared with American fighters. He has won 88 straight fights without losing or asking the judges to give him the wins. He earned his victories through serious hard work.

I consider Julio Cesar Chavez exceptional, not just for the times he fought world champions, but also for the fact that he went 89-0 before he lost. His record includes many knockouts and battles against the greatest boxers.

Best fighter ever.

He knows how to punch.

A hard-hitting, fleet footed, constantly moving pressure fighter, often unfairly considered an unsophisticated brawler, though he innovated many techniques behind punch throwing, head movement, footwork, weight transfer (Bruce Lee got his punch technique from Dempsey), and the effective bob and weave style all of which greatly affected the development of boxing technique. His left hook is arguably the greatest in Boxing History. He was known as a giant slayer as he beat such large strong men as the KO artist Fred Fulton, powerful Carl Morris, the Wild Bill Luis Firpo, and of course big Jess Willard among others. He outboxed top contender Gunboat Smith twice, the slick Tommy Gibbons, KO'd future champ Jack Sharkey knocked out Bill Brennan twice and avenged a loss against Fireman Flynn with a first-round KO. In fact, of Dempseys many knockouts, over half were in the first round, making approx 47% of his victories first round KO's. Fighters like Patterson, Frazier, and Tyson modeled ...more

The name to be remembered: the hard-hitting boxer and savage of the ring. I like his style, the way he moved and punished his opponents.

He should be in the top ten. I heard his name all the time when I was a little boy, even though he had not played in 45 years!

Dempsey brought a level of ferocity that has never been matched.

If his current spot makes it look like he was just an above average boxer with a small fan following, read up. Harry Greb is considered possibly the greatest middleweight of all time, maybe even over Sugar Ray Robinson. He once won 45 fights in a row, enough for an entire career, in one year alone. (That's almost 1 fight per week.) He was also the light heavyweight champ, took out enough top contenders to be one of the best heavyweights in the world, and was the ONLY fighter to beat Gene Tunney, who would go on to beat the one and only Jack Dempsey twice.

So yes, Greb's placement here is 100% a popularity thing, not helped by the fact that no footage of his fights is known to exist. (The fact that he beat, sometimes crushed, fighters who showed legendary skill on tape has boxing fans watering at the mouth to see even one recording.) To hardcore boxing aficionados, he is one of four boxers standing in a league apart from everyone, pound for pound, the other three being Sugar Ray ...more

Pound for pound, the "Pittsburgh Windmill" should be under the top 10. Who the hell made up this list?

Greb has to be in the top 10. He won 261 fight, 45 against HOF! And he fought half his career blind in one eye

I didn't vote for this one, but he should definitely be in the top 5. My trainer is always showing me fighting clips of this British icon because, unlike Ali, whose only defense was speed, or Marciano, who lacked footwork, this legend had a great balance of all the crucial points of boxing. He was smart too. He quit on top and stopped boxing at the right time rather than prolonging his career excessively, unlike two fighters I will not mention. He is criminally underrated!

He had the body, technique, art, and discipline. He's undeniably the greatest in his own era, tested against all fighters that count. He is one of the very few boxers who has defeated everyone he has faced. He was a world champion three times. Well, what else can you say? He should be in every top 5 list.

Lewis as number 24? What a crock!

He's the no lower than the top 4 greatest heavyweight boxers of all time after Ali, Frazier and perhaps Marciano. He also retired early and avenged his couple of defeats both of which were controversial.

Ruddock, Bruno, Morrison, Mercer, Akinwande, Briggs, Tua, old Tyson but still Tyson, Vitali and either lost or drew with McCall, Holyfield but avenged all. I think placing Rocky higher than Lewis is an insult. His best opponent was an aging Joe Louis.

He's top for sure, if he's not number 1. The only 4-time heavyweight champ. He should have won the gold in the Olympics but was disqualified for knocking the guy out, at which point the guy who "won" the gold raised Holyfield's hand. He destroyed Tyson the first time, and to this day, Tyson admits Holyfield was the better boxer in both fights.

He's simply not as famous as Ali or Tyson because he wasn't a big or fast-talking hype fighter. He was simple, and yet a great fighter. Watch the tapes.

Holyfield is the best ever. He won the title in cruiserweight and then heavyweight. He fought everybody in his prime and had health problems when he did it. Where was Lewis in '94 when Holyfield was regaining the title? Getting TKOed by Razor Ruddock, Tyson's old sparring partner.

Lewis and Tyson didn't even fight a 40-year-old Foreman or Riddick Bowe, but Holyfield did. Holyfield should have retired after beating Tyson, who was still 3 or 4 years younger than him even after prison. Holyfield took everything from big guys like Foreman, Bowe, Douglas, Mercer, and anyone in front of him. Standing at 6 feet 2 inches and weighing around 210 lbs, he's the best pure pound-for-pound heavyweight.

He is a man who never quits, never backs down, and is without a doubt the most underrated boxer. Sadly, most people only recognize him as the guy who lost part of his ear to Mike Tyson. This man knew how to box. Period.

Absolutely no question that Evander Holyfield is the greatest boxer ever. And his humility and love for God are what make him such a lovely human being. See you in Heaven one day, Evander.

Simply the best.

Most feared heavyweight since Jack Dempsey. Despite his age, ruthlessly dominated his era, and was a master of the jab and uppercut. He completely obliterated the division and was ducked by reigning champ Patterson for several years. When he finally fought him, it was lights out in round 1.

Sonny Charles Liston's reputation was tarnished by the sports journalists of the day. Everyone talks about Muhammad Ali beating him, but Liston was an old man when he lost. Let's be fair. Every great fighter loses in the end, Muhammad Ali included. The quality of the opponents that Liston defeated was far higher than other heavyweight fighters in the top 10.

The most feared boxer of his time, he was undefeated for 7 years. He destroyed the legendary Floyd Patterson twice, both times in under one round, along with many others of his time. Only the legendary Muhammad Ali defeated him in his prime, and that was under very shady circumstances. In my opinion, he should be at least in the top 10.

Undefeated for 7 years, Muhammad Ali said he was the most feared boxer of his time. People said they saw others' legs shake when they got in the ring with him. George Foreman was scared to talk to Liston.

Perhaps the best boxer to never get a title shot, Sam Langford was the best of his time. The great Jack Johnson who he had fought, beat and lost to multiple times, ducked him after winning his title against tiny Tommy Burns. Langford despite being a natural super middleweight was regularly knocking out heavy-weights, and even as an aging old fighter managed to beat Harry Wills (who would beat him later on). The legendary Jack Dempsey would exclaim he was the only boxer he would have feared.

The greatest uncrowned boxer of all time. In 1915, Sam Langford went against the greatest boxer at that time, Jack Johnson. Johnson won, but Langford put a cut the size of a hotdog on Johnson's left cheek.