The Greatest Boxers Of All Time — Ranked
Mexican boxer Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán, better known as “Canelo” Álvarez, is a four-division world champion. As of February 2020, Alvarez is ranked as the world’s best active boxer, pound for pound, by BoxRec. By 2012, Alvarez (below, left) was already a world titleholder (junior middleweight), but he still faced a test in the shape of veteran Shane Mosley (below, right). Their bout, in which Alvarez defeated Mosley by unanimous decision, became the last time the Mexican would fight on anyone’s undercard.
Ghanaian Azumah Nelson is considered the greatest African boxer of all time. He first made a name for himself on the world boxing stage when he challenged WBC featherweight champion Salvador Sánchez in July 1982 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Sanchez knocked Nelson out in the 15th round, but the African champ’s career kept getting bigger. He won all four of his fights in 1983 and started 1984 by beating Hector Cortez by decision in Las Vegas.
He’s pictured in center, below, in white.
Érik Isaac Morales Elvira (“El Terrible”) is the first Mexico-born boxer in history to win world titles in four different weight classes: super bantamweight, featherweight, super featherweight and super lightweight. Morales retired in 2012 and in 2015 was named Jessie Vargas’ new trainer. Of his decision, Vargas told USA Today, “I watched practically of all Erik’s big fights — the wars with Marco Antonio Barrera, the fights against Manny Pacquiao. Erik always fought hard and with all his heart. That’s who I want in my corner.”
Morales is pictured on the left, below, during a weigh-in with Pacquiao.
Puerto Rican boxer Carlos Ortiz is considered to be one of the great lightweight boxers of the 20th century. He won three world titles during his long career: two at lightweight and one at light welterweight.
Ortiz described boxing as a “blessing” to him. He told the World Boxing Association, “Boxing is dangerous, but it’s not dangerous if you do it the right way. I’ve always done it the right way. I always was sure I was in top shape. I was always sure that I would do exactly what I was supposed to do in the ring, and not do what I was not supposed to do outside the ring. I love boxing. It means everything to me. Today is because of boxing. God put me in this game, to practice it, to be a man and learn how to live.”
Ortiz is pictured below, left, visiting friend Roberto Clemente in 1966.
Thomas Hearns, aka the “Motor City Cobra” and “The Hitman,” became the first boxer in history to win world titles in five weight divisions: welterweight, light middleweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and super middleweight. After he knocked out Roberto Duran in 1984, he was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America (he previously took the title in 1980). Straight after his win, Hearns set his sight on another formidable opponent. “I challenge Marvin Hagler,” he said, according to The Fight City. “I can see him in my mind now, shaking like a leaf on a tree.”
Thomas Joseph Gibbons (below, left) started boxing professionally in 1911, at age 20. The biggest fight of his career was against heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey during the 1923 World Championships Fight in Shelby, Montana. Gibbons became the first boxer to go the entire 15 rounds with Dempsey, although he lost the decision. Gibbons defeated greats like Willie Meehan, Chuck Wiggins, Jack Bloomfield and Kid Norfolk. He was stopped only once during his boxing career, by Gene Tunney, and his retirement soon followed.
American James “Lights Out” Toney held multiple world championships during his professional career (1988-2017) and wowed audiences with thrilling performances at middleweight, super-middleweight, cruiserweight and even heavyweight levels. He also knew how to make an impressive comeback, emerging from the late 1990s scrapheap to become Fighter Of The Year in 2003.
“[Toney was] the also best defensive fighter of the late 20th century and slipped punches better than any of his contemporaries,” wrote Donald McRae in The Guardian.
James Joseph “Gene” Tunney, known as “The Fighting Marine,” held the world heavyweight title from 1926 to 1928, and the American light heavyweight title twice between 1922 and 1923. Tunney was “a clever strategist with excellent footwork, superb defense and tremendous courage,” said The Fight City.
He was inducted into the Ring Boxing Hall of Fame in 1955 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.
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