Is there any sport more invigorating than professional boxing? The sport pits man against man with nothing between them but a pair of gloves and the power of their fists. Today we decided to look back over the careers of the greatest boxing champions of all time. Does your favorite make the list?
Stanley Ketchel
We’ll kick off our list by going old school and talking about the Polish boxer Stanley Ketchel. Ketchel scored the nickname ‘Michigan Assassin’ after he scored the Middleweight World Championship title at only 21 years old. Ketchel would defend his title 11 different times over a three-year span. Ketchel was as bankable as prime home loans before the real estate bubble. Ketchel was shot and killed when he was just 24 years old, so who knows how good he could have been.
Stanley Ketchel
Ray Boom Boom Mancini
From 1982 to 1984, Ray Boom Boom Mancini held the WBA lightweight title. Of his 34 fights, he has won 29 with 23 by KO. At age 24, he officially retired in 1985. Since retiring, he has worked as an actor.
Ray Boom Boom Mancini
Arturo Gatti
Introducing the Italian Canadian boxer, Arturo Gatti. “Thunder” is known for his punching power but even more so for his presence in the ring, as he fought with heart and bravery. He’s a two-weight world champion who was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012.
Arturo Gatti
Wilfred Benítez
Meet the youngest world champion in boxing history, Wilfred Benítez. This skilled and aggressive fighter earned his first of three career world titles in separate weight divisions, mind you, at just 17!
Wilfred Benítez
Félix Trinidad
Puerto Rican boxer Félix Trinidad is a three-weight world champion. Oh, he’s also thought to be one of the best boxers in Puerto Rico’s history. In 2014, Trinidad was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame, making the 10th Puerto Rican to do so.
Félix Trinidad
Aaron Pryor
Two-time light-welterweight world champion, Aaron Pryor, makes the cut. He held the WBA title from 1980 to 1983 and also from 1984 to 1985, the IBF title. In 1996, Pryor was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Additionally, 1999 is when he the Associated Press voted him as the world’s best light welterweight of the 20th century.
Aaron Pryor
Max Baer
Even if Max Baer was a one-time Heavyweight Champion of the World, his record is impressive. 68 wins, 59 by KO, and 13 losses. Baer was inducted to the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1968. Then in 1984, he was inducted to the World Boxing Hall of Fame. Moreover, he was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995 and the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
Max Baer
Max Schmeling
Between 1930 and 1932, German-born Max Schmeling was the heavyweight champion of the world. Of his 70 fights, he has won 56 (40 by KO). The Ring magazine ranks Schmeling at 55 on their list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.
Max Schmeling
Naseem Hamed
“Prince” Naseem is the British powerhouse who competed from 1992 to 2002. As a featherweight, he has held many titles, including WBO, IBF, and WBC. BoxRec ranks Hamed as the best British featherweight boxer of all time.
Naseem Hamed
Jersey Joe Walcott
Arnold Raymond Cream is his birth name but no matter what you call him, you can’t deny his power. From 1930 to 1953, Jersey Joe Walcott dominated the ring. At age 37, he also broke the record for the oldest man to win the world heavyweight title. In 1994, that record was broken by 45-year-old George Foreman
Jersey Joe Walcott
Vitali Klitschko
Currently, Vitali Klitschko may be the Mayor of Kiev but he’s a heck of boxer. He’s a three-time world heavyweight champion and also holds the second longest reign as WBC heavyweight champion of all time. What else? He even has the fifth-longest combined world championship reign at 2,735 days! Let’s not forget that he has the third longest individual WBC heavyweight title streak EVER at 9 consecutive defenses and also has the 4th longest combined title streak in post-war heavyweight history at 15 title bouts. Told you he was impressive.
Vitali Klitschko
Salvador Sánchez
From 1980 to 1982, the Mexican Salvador Sánchez was the WBC and lineal featherweight champion. Many people believe that if he hadn’t died young, he would have gone on to become THE greatest Featherweight boxer of all time.
Salvador Sánchez
Ezzard Charles
With a record of 95 wins, 25 losses, and 1 draw, Ezzard Charles wasn’t a boxer you wanted to be up against in the ring. The former World Heavyweight Champion defeated Hall of Fame fighters in three(!) different weight classes.
Ezzard Charles
Carlos Monzón
Argentinian boxer Carlos Monzón easily makes the list. For seven years, he held the Undisputed World Middleweight Championship. Yeah, that’s how impressive he was. 14 times, that’s how many times he defended his title. Moreover, he’s thought as not just one of the best middleweights in history but also as one of the greatest boxers of all time.
Alexis Argüello
Next up is the three-weight world champion Alexis Argüello who competed from 1968 to 1995. Argüello has been called one of the greatest boxers of his era as he’s never lost any of his world titles in the ring. Rather he relinquished every time he pursued a title in a higher weight class. Oh, The Ring magazine ranks him at 20 on their “100 greatest punchers of all time”.
Alexis Argüello
Gene Tunney
The Fighting Marine held the world heavyweight title from 1926 to 1928. Tunney’s most successful title defense against the great Jack Dempsey remains to be one of the most famous bouts in the sport’s history – it’s known as The Long Count Fight.
Gene Tunney
Gennady Golovkin
“GGG” is the Kazakhstani boxer who currently holds onto the unified WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, and IBO middleweight titles. Dang. This pressure fighter ranks first and second, depending on the site, as the world’s best active boxer.
Gennady Golovkin
Sonny Liston
His toughness, formidable punching power, super long reach, and intimidating appearance are what Sonny Liston is remembered for. The world heavyweight champion was thought to be unbeatable, until 1964 when he lost the title to Cassius Clay (AKA Muhammad Ali).
Sonny Liston
Archie Moore
You’re looking at THE longest reigning World Light Heavyweight Champion of all time. “The Mongoose” fought from 1935 to 1963, which means he holds one of the longest professional careers in boxing history. BoxRec considers him to be the 3rd greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all time.
Archie Moore
Tony Bellew
British boxer Tony Bellew held the WBC cruiserweight title from 2016 to 2017. And let’s not forget his win over fellow boxer David Haye in 2016. Between 2010 to 2014, Bellew held the British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight titles. Of his 32 fights, he has won 29 with 19 by knockout. And he did just beat David Haye for the second time – that ought to quiet the doubt!
Tony Bellew
Manny Pacquiao
Currently, Manny Pacquiao is the Senator of the Philippines. What? You didn’t think he was just a boxer, now did you? He will remain Senator until 2022. Right now, Pacquiao comes in the #4 slot in BoxRec’s ranking of the greatest pound for pound boxers in history. Moreover, Pacquiao is the first boxer in boxing history to have won major world titles in four of the original eight weight classes of boxing – flyweight, featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight.
Manny Pacquiao
Julio César Chávez
From 1980 to 2005, the Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez dominated the ring. After all, he is considered by acclamation to be the greatest Mexican boxer of all time, and on top of it all, one of the greatest boxers of all time. The now 55-year-old is a multiple-time world champion in three weight divisions. Moreover, Chávez was once considered the world’s best active boxer, pound for pound for numerous years.
Julio César Chávez
Roy Jones Jr.
Let’s be real, Jones is considered by most as one of the best boxers of all time, pound for pound. He left his mark in boxing history when he won the WBA heavyweight title in 2003, thus becoming the first former middleweight champion to have won a heavyweight title in 106 years. From 1989 to 2018, Roy competed for titles and is a six-time world champion in four weight classes.
Roy Jones Jr.
Marvelous Marvin Hagler
Fun fact, at six years and seven months, Marvelous Marvin Hagler reigned as the undisputed middleweight champion, making this the second longest reign of the last century, just behind Tony Zale. Currently, he also holds the highest knockout percentage of all undisputed middleweight champions, at a whopping 78%.
Marvelous Marvin Hagler
Jack Johnson
The Galveston Giant became the first ever African American world heavyweight boxing champion (1908–1915). This boxing legend is remembered best for his 1910 fight against James J. Jeffries, that fight would become known as the “fight of the century. Johnson passed away in 1946.
Jack Johnson
Bernard Hopkins
You’re looking at one of the most successful boxers of the past three decades, Bernard Hopkins. The now 53-year-old once held multiple world championships in two weight classes, which includes the undisputed middleweight title from 2004 to 2005, and also the lineal light heavyweight title from 2011 to 2012. From 1988 to 2016, he was a force to be reckoned with in the ring.
Bernard Hopkins
David Haye
The Hayemaker, along with Evander Holyfield, are just two boxers in history to have unified the cruiserweight world titles and gone on to become a world heavyweight champion. The British boxer David Haye is also known for holding world championships in two weight classes. In 2015, he made his heavyweight comeback. While he did lose to Tony Bellew due to a tear in the right Achilles tendon, everyone said that Haye’s comeback is what legends are made of. Fret not, the Haye vs. Bellew II fight is scheduled for May 5, 2018.
David Haye
Wladimir Klitschko
Thanks to his skill as a strategic and intelligent boxer, Wladimir Klitschko is regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time. From 1996 to 2017, the Ukranian is a two-time world heavyweight champion, as he’s held the WBA (Super), IBF and WBO titles. Moreover, he’s held the IBO, Ring magazine, and lineal titles. Currently, BoxRec ranks Klitschko as the 12th best boxer of all time, pound for pound. In 2017, he officially retired.
Wladimir Klitschko
Pernell Whitaker
Currently, Pernell Whitaker holds the longest unified lightweight championship reign in the history of boxing at 6 title defenses. From 1984 to 2001, he dominated the ring and is a four-weight world champion.
Pernell Whitaker
Deontay Wilder
Fans are eagerly waiting for the Deontay Wilder V Anthony Joshua fight as it is the fight who determines just which of the two is the world’s greatest boxer right now. As of 2015, Wilder has held the WBC heavyweight title, becoming the first American world heavyweight champion in nine years to do so – in fact, this is the longest period of time in boxing history that had no American heavyweight champion. Oh, his knockout-to-win ratio 98% and that’s something to boast about.
Deontay Wilder
Oscar De La Hoya
“The Golden Boy” competed from 1992 to 2008 and has won numerous world titles in six different weight classes. BoxRec ranks him as the 16th best boxer of all time, pound for pound. 2009 is when he announced his retirement, although there is speculation that he could step into the ring against Conor McGregor.
Oscar De La Hoya
Alexander Povetkin
Meet the Russian professional boxer who, from 2011 to 2013, held the WBA (Regular) heavyweight title. Of his 35 fights, Alexander Povetkin has won 24 of them by knockout and 10 by decision, with just one defeat.
Alexander Povetkin
Harry Greb
“The Pittsburgh Windmill” was the light heavyweight champion from 1922 to 1923 and also the world middleweight champion from 1923 to 1926. Harry Greb impressively fought 298 times in his 13-year career, which he began at about 140 pounds. Lastly, Greb is widely considered as one of the best fighters of all time.
Harry Greb
Larry Holmes
The “Easton Assassin” has a left jab which is rated among ~the~ best in boxing history. Larry Holmes has held 19 successful title defenses, ranking him third all time, just behind Joe Louis at 25 and Wladimir Klitschko at 22. Moreover Holmes is just one of five boxers to have defeated Muhammad Ali; in fact, he is the only one who stopped Ali. Considered one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, Holmes was inducted to both the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.
Larry Holmes
Ken Norton
Best known for his trilogy with Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton makes the list. And continuing with Ali, Norton won the first fight by split decision, and would controversially lose the latter two fights by split and unanimous decision, respectively. From 1967 to 1981, Norton was a brilliant challenger in the ring and he also held the WBC heavyweight title in 1978.
Ken Norton
Shane Mosley
“Sugar” Shane Mosley competed from 1993 to 2016 and is a four-time world champion in three weight classes (IBF lightweight title; the WBA (Super) and WBC welterweight titles). Moreover, he also held titles for WBA (Super), WBC, and Ring magazine light middleweight titles.
Shane Mosley
Jake LaMotta
“The Raging Bull” wasn’t a very big puncher, however in the ring, he would subject his opponents to brutal beatings. Many say that Jake LaMotta has one of the greatest chins in boxing history. Out of 106 fights, LaMotta won 83. Sadly he passed away in 1922.
Jake LaMotta
Jimmy Wilde
Welsh fighter Jimmy Wilde is thought to be the greatest British fighter of all time. Most impressively, Wilde was the very first official world flyweight champion. As a result, many referred to him as “the Greatest Flyweight Boxer Ever”. “The Mighty Atom,” “Ghost with the Hammer in His Hand” and “The Tylorstown Terror” are just a few nicknames for the boxer with immense punching power.
Jimmy Wilde
Juan Manuel Márquez
Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Márquez competed in the ring from 1993 to 2014. After Érik Morales and Jorge Arce, Márquez is actually the third Mexican boxer to become a world champion in four weight classes. In his 20 year career, he was known as a fast and highly technical boxer.
Juan Manuel Márquez
Amir Khan
British boxer Amir Khan is a former unified light-welterweight world champion, who held the WBA (later Super) title from 2009 to 2012. Khan also held the IBF title in 2011. In April 2016, BoxRec ranked him as the 13th best, pound for pound. In 2017, he announced his return to the welterweight.
Amir Khan
Canelo Álvarez
With various world championships in two weight classes, the Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez easily makes the list. As of February 2018, according to BoxRec, Álvarez actually ranks as the world’s best active boxer.
Canelo Álvarez
Miguel Cotto
The Puerto Rican fighter competed from 2001 to 2017 and is also a multiple-time world champion. Impressively Miguel Cotto is also the first Puerto Rican boxer to have won world titles in four weight classes.
Miguel Cotto
Timothy Bradley
From 2004 to 2016, Timothy Bradley racked up quite a few wins. Bradley is a five world championships in two weight classes: twice he held the WBC light welterweight title between 2008 and 2011; the WBO light welterweight from 2009 to 2012; and also between 2012 2016, the WBO welterweight title. Lastly, Bradley is also best known for his trilogy of fights against the great Manny Pacquiao.
Timothy Bradley
Érik Morales
You’re looking at the first Mexican-born boxer ever in history to have won world titles in four different weight classes. Érik Morales has defeated 15 world champions during his career and is also famous for his trilogies with fellow Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera and Manny Pacquiao.
Érik Morales
Ricky Hatton
During Ricky Hatton’s boxing career, from 1997 to 2009, he had held multiple world championships at the light-welterweight and one at welterweight. Hatton is considered the most loved and popular British boxer of all time, impressive. Impressively, BoxRec ranks Hatton as the best British light-welterweight of all time.
Ricky Hatton
Freddie Roach
Most of us know Freddie Roach as a boxing trainer, and he’s a darn good one at that. I mean, he has coached the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Julio César Chávez, Jr., James Toney, and so on. In his own boxing career, Roach had a total of 53 fights with 40 wins, 15 of which were knockouts.
Freddie Roach
Sandy Saddler
Two-time featherweight world champion Sandy Saddler also held the super featherweight title. Back in 2003, Saddler was actually ranked number five on The Ring magazine’s list of “100 Greatest Punchers of All Time”. During his 12 year career, Saddler racked up 103 knockouts and was just stopped once himself, during his second professional fight, by Jock Leslie.
Sandy Saddler
James Toney
The world champion in three weight classes James Toney competed from 1988 to 2017. Toney is known for his toughness as he’s never lost any of his 92 professional fights via stoppage.
James Toney
Marco Antonio Barrera
Former Mexican boxer Marco Antonio Barrera competed from 1989 to 2011 and is also a multiple time world champion in three weight classes. Barrera is best known for his trilogy with fellow Mexican star Érik Morales, his duology with the amazing Manny Pacquiao, and his rivalry with Juan Manuel Márquez.
Marco Antonio Barrera
Floyd Patterson
Twice Floyd Patterson reigned as the world heavyweight champion, from 1956 to 1962. At just 21, he became the youngest boxer ever in history to win the title, and also was the first heavyweight to regain the title after he lost it. He was inducted to the International Boxing Hall of Fame back in 1991. Sadly in 2006, he passed away.
Floyd Patterson
Ingemar Johansson
From 1952 to 1963, this Swedish boxer held the world heavyweight title from 1959 to 1960. Moreover, Ingemar Johansson was also the fifth heavyweight champion born outside America.
Ingemar Johansson
Mike Tyson
Now we are on to the incomparable Mike Tyson. Tyson is a tough boxer to rate and you’ll find many critics mirror that opinion. For a moment in time, Tyson was one of the most dominant boxers in the world. His mix of power and fury was unmatched. However, much like bad credit car loans, his sloppy style quickly caught up to him and he was gone as quick as he arrived.
Mike Tyson
Lennox Lewis
Lewis was dominant during his run as a highly revered heavyweight. Nicknamed ‘The Lion’, Lewis went 41 – 2 – 1 during his career — knocking out 32 opponents. Lewis was loved for his complex style of fighting and he lived up to the hype in the ring. Lennox is the last undisputed heavyweight champ in the history of the sport. He famously beat Tyson, Holyfield, Rahman, and Klitschko.
Lennox Lewis
Joe Frazier
When you beat Muhammad Ali in a bout then you get some much-needed respect. Frazier was known for his terrifying left hook and his constant, energetic barrage of fists. Frazier lost some big bouts and he may be overhyped but we still like him.
Joe Frazier
George Foreman
Foreman may be more known for his kitchen appliances but there was a point in time where Foreman was a terrifying presence in the ring. Foreman is most well known for becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in the history of professional boxing. Foreman came back after 10 years to grab the title.
George Foreman
Mickey Walker
Walker was so much more than a great boxer as he was an artist and a great golfer. Walker was the lightest challenger for the Light Heavyweight title in the sport. He’s most well known for holding the Middleweight Championship from ’26 to ’31.
Mickey Walker
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Mayweather Jr. is the best defensive boxer in history. Mayweather has scored victories over Cotto, Maidana, Pacquaio, and De La Hoya in his career. Mayweather is 50 – 0 in his career with 26 career knockouts. As you surely know, in 2017 he beat the MMA star turned boxer Conor McGregor to snag his 50th win before hanging up his gloves for good.
Floyd Mayweather Jr
Conor McGregor
Speaking of Conor McGregor, he’s earned a spot on this list. And say what you want, naysayers, he definitely deserves to be on this ranking and here’s why. After dominating the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight and featherweight categories, the Irishman set his sights on something bigger. He stepped into the ring of a professional boxing career and his first challenger. The legendary Floyd Mayweather Jr. While the fight went in Floyd’s favor, McGregor certainly proved himself, especially as their fight brought in 4.3 million PPV buys in North America, making it the second most in history.
Conor McGregor
Rocky Marciano
Marciano dominated the heavyweight boxing division from 1947 to 1955. During that time span, Marciano would beat up on Archie Moore, Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott and more. Marciano was undefeated in his career as a heavyweight champion. He went 49 – 0 with 43 knockouts.
Rocky Marciano
Joe Gans
Jump into the wayback machine to read about Joe Gans. Gans is widely regarded as one of the greatest lightweights of all time. Known as the ‘Old Master’, Gans competed from 1891 to 1909 and he was the first African American World Champion in the 20th century. Gans held his title from 1902 to 1903 and 1906 to 1908.
Joe Gans
Evander Holyfield
During his career, Holyfield was the ‘Real Deal’. Holyfield was considered small for the heavyweight class but he sure punched above his size. Holyfield would go on to score huge wins over Mike Tyson and George Foreman. Holyfield may be a tad overrated by the general populous thanks to his name recognition but we dig him all the same.
Evander Holyfield
Sam Langford
Talk about underrated! Most average boxing fans don’t even know who Sam Langford is – even ESPN refer to him as the “Greatest Fighter Nobody Knows”. Langford is one of the greatest fighters in the history of the game going 256 – 32 in his career. Langford was the World Colored Heavyweight Champion.
Sam Langford
Jack Dempsey
Dempsey was the face of the sport back in the ’20s thanks to his good looks and natural charisma. Dempsey was a hard hitter who was known for his fast striking skills. Through his career, Dempsey would go 65 – 6 – 11. Dempsey held the World Heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926.
Jack Dempsey
Benny Leonard
You’re pretty good when you are known for holding the lightweight championship for longer than anyone who has ever fought in the sport. Leonard came from the Manhattan slums where he fought on the streets until he could make it to the pros. Leonard landed the lightweight title in 1917 and he held it until he retired in 1925. Leonard would return in 1929 and win another 18 bouts.
Benny Leonard
Willie Pep
Pep boxed for an incredible 26 years, racking up 229 – 11 – 1 record throughout that period of time. Pep even survived a horrible plane crash halfway through his career and he still managed to make a comeback. Pep was extraordinarily fast and remembered for his world-class defense. Legend has it that Pep won a match without throwing a punch.
Willie Pep
Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson is the reason that the pound for pound class system was put into place. Robinson is probably the best pound for pound fighter to ever compete. Robinson landed the welterweight title in 1946 until 1951 when he decided to jump up to the middleweight division. Robinson went 122 – 1 through his first 123 fights.
Sugar Ray Robinson
Henry Armstrong
Armstrong pushed the limits of the boxing world during his career. Armstrong landed a world champion in three weight divisions and he held all three titles at the same time. Armstrong landed the featherweight title in 1937, the welterweight in 1938 and the lightweight that same year. Armstrong went 15 – 2 against world champions.
Henry Armstrong
Roberto Duran
Duran is known as one of the greatest fighters over the past 100 years — and for good reason. Duran had a career that spanned five decades after starting in 1968 and retiring in 2001. Duran was known as the ‘Hands of Stone’ and he was one of the most vicious fighters to compete. Duran held just about every title he competed for: lightweight, light middleweight, welterweight, and middleweight.
Roberto Duran
Joe Calzaghe
Calzaghe is retired now but during his prolific run (46 – 0) he was one of the most underrated fighters in the world. Calzaghe has the pleasure of owning the longest run as a Super Middleweight Champion in the history of the title — having held the title for an entire decade. Calzaghe is enjoying his retirement now and we doubt he’ll have trouble scoring car loans online with all of those victories.
Joe Calzaghe
Anthony Joshua
What hasn’t this British professional boxer achieved in his 28 years? Oh, folks, his list of achievements is endless. Currently, Joshua is a unified world heavyweight champion, a title he’s held the IBF since 2016, the WBA (Super) and IBO titles since 2017, and also the WBO title since March 2018. Of his 21 fights to date, all but one were finished by knockout. The Ring, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and BoxRec all rank Anthony Josuha as the world’s best active heavyweight.
Anthony Joshua
Joe Louis
Louis is as much a boxing hero as he has a national hero. Louis came from a poor family to turn into a world renown star. Louis’s first win came against Max Baer, a boxer so strong that he had killed a man. Louis landed the heavyweight title in 1937 and he was part of the ‘Fight of the Decade’ against German’s Max Schmeling. Louis held his world heavyweight title for 11 years, defending it 25 times.
Joe Louis
Muhammad Ali
Ali is the greatest fighter of all time and his legacy will always be solidified on these lists. Ali reigned during the Golden Era of boxing — beating opponents like Floyd Patterson, Ken Norton, Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman. Ali is the only three-time Heavyweight World Champion in the history of the sport.
Muhammad Ali
Wilfredo Gomez
Once he began his professional career, Wilfredo Gomez had a streak of 32 KOs in a row. He is one of the two world champions with the longest knockout streaks in the history of boxing. He only lost 3 fights out the 48 fights he was in throughout his career, and 42 of those wins were KOs.
Wilfredo Gomez
Ted “Kid” Lewis
Out of his 300 fights, Ted ‘Kid’ Lewis has won 193 of them, with 80 KOs. His career spanned from 1909 until 1929. Although he began his career as an evasive boxer with a long left, throughout his boxing years in the States he became a swarming, combination boxer.
Ted Kid Lewis
Eder Jofre
Another world champion, Eder Jofre had 78 fights in total, winning 72 of them with 50 KOs and only losing 2 fights. Since his retirement from boxing, he has become a boxing trainer in Brazil.
Eder Jofre
Thomas Hearns
Thomas Hearns began his professional career with a bang. He knocked out his first 17 opponents and won his first 28 fights. Out of his 67 fights, he won 61, 48 of them by KO. In his entire career, he only lost 5 fights. His career spanned from 1977 all the way until 2006.
Thomas Hearns
Billy Conn
Beginning his career as a professional boxer in 1934, Billy Conn had his last fight in 1948. Throughout his career, he had 77 fights and won 64 of them, 15 of which by KOs. Even outside of the ring he found himself in fights with people every now and again, but he used his strength and training to his advantage.
Billy Conn
Emile Griffith
Having fought in 112 fights, Emile Griffith won 85 of them, 23 of which were by KOs. He began his professional boxing career in 1958, with his last fight being in 1976. After his retirement from boxing, he became a trainer.
Emile Griffith
Terry McGovern
This American boxer started his career in 1897 and continued fighting until around 1906. McGovern died at a tragically young age from illness. After he retired he struggled with mental illness as well as working. He took odd jobs for the most part up until his death.
Terry McGovern
Jose Napoles
Having fought in 88 fights, Jose Napoles won 81 of them, 54 of them by KOs. He was debuted as a professional boxer in 1958, and he retired 1975. This legendary boxer only lost 7 of the fights he was in.
Jose Napoles
Marcel Cerdan
Another legend that died too young, Marcel Cerdan was a French boxer who fought in 117 matches and won 113 of them, 66 by KO. He only had 4 losses to his name. His boxing career began in 1934 and continued up until his untimely death in 1949 when he was 33 years old. He died in a tragic plane crash.
Marcel Cerdan
Jimmy McLarnin
Jummiy McLarnin fought in 68 matches and won 54 of them, 21 of which were by KOs. He began boxing at the age of 10 and went on to become a world-famous athlete. After his retirement from the ring, he worked in film as an actor and lived till the ripe age of 96.
Jimmy McLarnin
Barney Ross
Barney earned himself his spot on this list as he was the world boxing champion in three weight divisions. Throughout his career, he fought in 81 matches and won 72 of them, 22 of which by KOs. He himself was never knocked out during his entire career. He was determined to always leave the ring on his feet. After his retirement from boxing, he served in the US military in WWII and earned a Silver Star.
Barney Ross
Sugar Ray Leonard
Having fought in 40 matches, Sugar Ray Leonard won 36 of them, with 25 KOs. His professional boxing career spanned from 1977 to 1984. He announced his retirement several times while making multiple comebacks to the ring. Since his final retirement, he has made some appearances in the media.
Sugar Ray Leonard
Dick Tiger
A Nigerian boxer, Dick Tiger held the world championship for two weight classes. He was named fighter of the year by The Ring magazine in 1962 and 1965. He fought in 82 matches and won 60 of them, 27 of which by KOs.
Dick Tiger
James J. Jeffries
Powerfully built and athletic, James Jeffries was a world heavyweight boxing champion. He fought in 23 fights and won 19 of them, with 14 of them being KOs. He retired in 1905 but made a comeback in 1910. After he retired from boxing for good, he trained boxers and worked as a fight promoter.
James J. Jeffries
Bob Fitzsimmons
Bob Fitzsimmons was the first three-division world champion in boxing. He fought in 99 matches and won 68 of them, 59 of which by KOs. Having begun his professional boxing career in 1883, he retired in 1914.
Bob Fitzsimmons
Abe Attell
Abe Attell participated in 172 fights, having won 125 of them, 51 of which were by KOs. He began boxing in 1900 at the age of 17. 17 years later he retired and opened a shoe store. The shoe store didn’t last long, however, and he went into a vaudeville.
Abe Attell
Ike Williams
Ike Williams fought in 154 matches and won 125 fights, 60 of them by KOs. He turned professional in 1940 and his career was full of ups and downs throughout his years as a boxer.
Ike Williams
James J. Corbett
A world heavyweight champion, James Corbett fought in 20 fights and won 11 of them, 5 of which by KOs. While his boxing career was relatively brief, after his retirement he returned to acting.
James J. Corbett
Kid Chocolate
A Cuban boxer, Kid Chocolate fought in 152 matches and won 136 of them, 51 of which by KOs. He claimed the world junior lightweight championship but then lost it to Frankie Klick in 1933. Shortly after he lost his title he retired but returned to the ring in 1934.
Kid Chocolate
Willie Ritchie
The world lightweight champion from 1912 to 1914, Willie Ritchie began his boxing career in 1907. Out of the 80 matches he participated in, he won 48 of them, 8 of which by KOs. He retired in 1927 and became the chief inspector for the California State Athletic Commission.
Willie Ritchie