In any sport, it is difficult to determine which athletes are the best the sport has ever known. Partly this is because there is no way to truly compare the fighters from different eras and partly because people have strong opinions about athletes they love or hate. To select the greatest boxers of all time, one must use variables that include overall records and the quality of their competition as well as more subjective areas, such as showmanship.
When you mention boxing, most people probably still think about Muhammad Ali before all other fighters, and he is one of the best known athletes on earth. His impressive career included a 100-5 amateur record, an Olympic gold medal and a 56-5 pro record. His competition was no less impressive as he faced some of the world’s best boxers, including Joe Frazier, whom he faced on three separate occasions including a rare career loss. Ali also defeated the likes of Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston and George Foreman.
Joe Louis was similar to Ali as not only was he an extraordinary boxer, he was a beloved American hero. He lost only three bouts, including a famous 1936 fight against German boxer Max Schmeling. Despite the fact that the bout lasted 12 rounds, this loss was touted by the Nazi’s as proof of the superiority of the Aryan race. In 1938, Louis faced Schmeling again, this time knocking out his German opponent in just two minutes. This is considered one of the greatest fights in history. In all, Louis won 69 professional boxing matches, knocking out the vast majority of his opponents. He also held the heavyweight title from 1937 to 1949, far longer than any fighter before or after.
Another contender for the greatest boxer in history would have to be Sugar Ray Robinson. Many other boxers, including Joe Louis and Jake La Motta consider him the greatest boxer. Muhammad Ali, who nicknamed himself “The Greatest,” even said that Robinson was “The King,” and his idol. With 200 total fights, he lost only 19 and won 108 fights by knockout.
While he is usually not at the top of the list, Rocky Marciano certainly deserves a spot in the Top Ten fighters of all time. Not only was he undefeated in all of his 49 pro fights, 43 of them were wins by knockout. Although Marciano did not face the same caliber of opponents as greats such as Joe Louis or Muhammad Ali, he is the only heavyweight champion to remain undefeated during his entire career.
One of the first truly great and notable fighters of the modern era was Jack Johnson. While his record is not quite as strong as some of the aforementioned fighters, he did win 80 of his 114 pro fights. Johnson is also notable as he was the first African American world heavyweight champion and was the victor in the “Fight of the Century,” a battle between Johnson and former champ James Jeffries. This fight was not only seen as a huge victory for Johnson but also for the progression of African Americans in sports in general.
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