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Mike
Tyson, in full Michael Gerald Tyson, byname Iron Mike, (born June 30,
1966, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.), American boxer who, at age 20, became
the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
A member of various
street gangs at an early age, Tyson was sent to reform school in
upstate New York in 1978. At the reform school, social worker and boxing
aficionado Bobby Stewart recognized his boxing potential and directed
him to renowned trainer Cus D’Amato, who became his legal guardian.
Tyson compiled a 24–3 record as an amateur and turned professional in
1985.
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D’Amato
taught Tyson a peekaboo boxing style, with hands held close to his
cheeks and a continuous bobbing motion in the boxing ring that made his
defense almost impenetrable. At 5 feet 11 inches (1.8 metres) tall and
weighing about 218 pounds (99 kg), Tyson was short and squat and lacked
the classic heavyweight boxer’s appearance, but his surprising quickness
and aggressiveness in the ring overwhelmed most of his opponents. On
November 22, 1986, he became the youngest heavyweight champion in
history, with a second-round knockout of Trevor Berbick, to claim the
crown of the World Boxing Council (WBC). On March 7, 1987, he acquired
the World Boxing Association (WBA) belt when he defeated James Smith.
After he defeated Tony Tucker on August 1, 1987, Tyson was unanimously
recognized as champion by all three sanctioning organizations (WBC, WBA,
and International Boxing Federation [IBF]).
After the deaths of
D’Amato and manager Jimmy Jacobs, Tyson aligned with controversial
promoter Don King. He made 10 successful defenses of his world
heavyweight title, including victories over former champions Larry
Holmes and Michael Spinks. In 1988 Tyson married actress Robin Givens,
but the couple divorced in 1989 amid allegations that Tyson had
physically abused her. A myriad of assault and harassment charges were
subsequently filed against Tyson.
On February 11, 1990, in one of
the biggest upsets in boxing history, Tyson lost the championship to
lightly regarded James (“Buster”) Douglas, who scored a technical
knockout in the 10th round. Tyson rebounded from the loss with four
straight victories. In 1991, however, he was accused of having raped a
beauty pageant contestant, and he was convicted of the charge in 1992.
Following
his release from prison in 1995, Tyson resumed boxing and in 1996
regained two of his championship belts with easy victories over Frank
Bruno and Bruce Seldon. On November 9, 1996, in a long-anticipated bout
with two-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, Tyson lost for the
second time in his professional career, by a technical knockout in the
11th round. In a rematch against Holyfield on June 28, 1997, he was
disqualified after he twice bit his opponent’s ears, and, as a result of
the infraction, he lost his boxing license.
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Tyson
eventually was relicensed, and he returned to the ring on January 16,
1999, when he knocked out Franz Botha in the fifth round. On February 6,
however, Tyson was sentenced to one year in jail, two years of
probation, and 200 hours of community service and was fined $2,500 after
he pleaded no contest to charges that he had assaulted two elderly men
following a 1998 automobile accident. Tyson was released after serving
just a few months of the one-year sentence.
Nevertheless, Tyson’s
self-control problems continued. After the referee stopped a fight in
June 2000 with American Lou Savarese, Tyson continued punching and
inadvertently injured the referee. In comments made to the press after
this fight, Tyson outraged boxing fans with bizarre and vicious remarks
about British heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. In his October 2000
bout with Andrew Golota, Tyson won in the third round, but the fight was
later declared a no contest because Tyson tested positive for
marijuana. Tyson had only one more fight between October 2000 and his
June 2002 fight with Lewis.
It had been difficult to schedule
this fight. Both men were contractually bound to different promoters and
cable television companies. Tyson had attacked and bitten Lewis during a
press conference, which also had a dampening effect. Tyson’s legal
problems caused him to be denied a boxing license by the sanctioning
bodies of the U.S. states that usually hold major boxing matches (such
as Nevada). It had been so long since Tyson had fought a boxer of his
own calibre that no one knew the level of his skills. The question was
settled when Lewis twice knocked Tyson to the canvas during the course
of the fight before knocking him out in the eighth round.
Tyson
had his final professional win in 2003, a 49-second first-round
knockout. Later that year he filed for bankruptcy, claiming to be $34
million in debt after earning an estimated $400 million over the course
of his career. Tyson lost bouts in 2004 and 2005, and he retired in the
aftermath of the latter fight. In 2007 he served 24 hours in prison
after pleading guilty to drug possession and driving under the
influence, charges that stemmed from a 2006 arrest.
Tyson’s
personal and professional exploits were recounted in the documentary
Tyson, which premiered at the Cannes film festival in 2008, and in a
one-man stage show, Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth, which he first
performed in Las Vegas in 2012. (The show was subsequently mounted on
Broadway in a production directed by filmmaker Spike Lee.) He also
appeared as himself in a number of television shows and films, including
the blockbuster comedy The Hangover (2009) and its sequel (2011), as
well as the animated television show Mike Tyson Mysteries (2014–20), a
spoof on the various Scooby Doo cartoon series. His memoirs Undisputed
Truth (2013) and Iron Ambition: My Life with Cus D’Amato (2017) were
written with Larry Sloman. Tyson was inducted into the International
Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.
What is Boxing?
Boxing is
a combat sport that involves fighting with fists. Traditionally, boxing
has also been referred to as “pugilism,” which literally means, “fist
fight.” Fights take place in an area called a “ring,” and consist of
timed rounds. Winners are decided by points or by knocking out an
opponent. A referee runs the fight inside the ring while judges outside
the ring ultimately decide who wins the match.
Boxing History
1600 BC Greek painting depicts two children wearing a belt and boxing gloves.
1600 BC Greek painting depicts two children wearing a belt and boxing gloves
Historical
evidence suggests humans have been engaging in fisticuffs in one form
or another throughout history. Sumerian relief carvings depicting boxing
have been found dating as far back as the third millennium BC, and
fighting as a form of sport has been traced back to c.1500 BC.
Boxing
was popular in ancient Rome, especially as a spectator sport between
gladiators. Over time, the leather wrapping used to protect fighters’
hands was replaced by studded metal gloves. Unfortunately, this usually
resulted in death for one of the fighters.
After the fall of the
Roman Empire, competitive boxing mostly disappeared for several
centuries. The sport resurfaced in 17th century England in the form of
bare knuckle fighting.
As boxing’s popularity grew, so did the
amounts of money that wealthy aristocrats gambled on their favorite
fighters. Because of this, rules were instituted and the sport started
to become more organized.
While the idea of weight classes was
introduced somewhere in the early 1820’s, it wasn’t until around the
turn of the 20th century that weight classes were finally standardized
in an effort to even the odds between boxers in a fight.
In 1867,
the Queensbury Rules were instituted, paving the way for modern boxing
by standardizing ring size, length of rounds, and behavior. The
Queensbury rules also required fighters to wear gloves, forever changing
the sport. Fighters could now hit harder, increasing the degree of
injury that could be inflicted during a fight.
Boxing in the US
Boxing
arrived in the US in the 1830s when British boxers came looking for new
competitors to fight. In the latter half of the 19th century, Theodore
Roosevelt developed an enthusiasm for the sport and advocated its
practice.
In the early 20th century, prize fighting (fighting for
money) was popular but because boxing was often associated with
gambling and corruption, it was illegal in many places. To get around
this, “boxing clubs” popped up where paying members could come and watch
fights.
As boxing matches began being broadcast on radio and
then television, boxing clubs faded away while boxing’s popularity
continued to increase. The sport’s popularity peaked in the mid-1960s
with fighters like Muhammad Ali, and in the 1970s after the release of
“Rocky,” arguably the most famous boxing movie of all time. Boxing
continued to enjoy the spotlight in the ’80s with the likes of Sugar Ray
Leonard, Mike Tyson, and Julio César Chávez.
While boxing was
still relatively popular in the ’90s, the sport’s popularity in the
mainstream has since declined. Boxing is now seen in the US as more of a
niche sport, with many athletes gravitating to mixed martial arts (MMA)
and other combat sports instead.
Modern Boxing
Two amateur boxers competing. What is boxing?
Today,
boxing falls into two main categories: amateur and professional. In
amateur boxing, scoring is based on points rather than the physical
damage inflicted on an opponent. Also, protective headgear is worn.
Matches are shorter, consisting of three rounds that are each three
minutes long, with a one-minute rest interval in between rounds.
On
the other hand, professional boxing matches typically consist of 10 to
12 rounds. Headgear is not permitted, and fighters take much more
damage. It is not uncommon for boxers to begin their career as an
amateur fighter before turning pro.
Olympic Boxing
Boxing’s
Olympic history began in 688 BC with the sport’s inclusion in the 23rd
Olympiad of the ancient games. There were no rounds or weight classes.
Competitors simply fought until someone either acknowledged defeat or
was unable to continue fighting.
Boxing made its debut in the
modern day Olympic games in 1904 in St. Louis. Women’s boxing was not
included in the Olympics until over a century later at the 2012 games in
London.
Famous Olympic boxers include: Muhammad Ali, Joe
Frazier, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones
Jr, Oscar de la Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Gennady Golovkin and Anthony
Joshua.
Nicola Adams v Cancan Ren, London 2012 Olympics
Nicola Adams v Cancan Ren, London 2012 Olympics
Boxing Moves
Boxing moves break down into three categories:
Stances. There are many variations, but the most common stance used by
right-handed fighters is Orthodox, leading with the left foot and left
fist. Left-handed boxers, or Southpaw fighters, mirror this position,
leading with the right foot and right fist. The body can be turned a bit
to the side for a defensive position or can be square to an opponent in
a more aggressive position. These stances can be done either standing
upright or in a semi-crouch.
Punches. There are four main punches
in boxing: the jab, cross, hook, and uppercut. The jab is a quick,
straight punch thrown with the lead hand. The cross is a straight punch
thrown with the rear hand. The hook is a semi-circular punch thrown with
the lead hand targeting the side of the head. The uppercut is a
vertical punch thrown upward with the rear hand targeting the torso or
chin.
Defense. Basic defense moves involve footwork to evade a
hit, blocking, bobbing and weaving, rotating the body, covering up, and
clinching.
Boxing Styles
Each boxer develops their own personal style. However, there are three main styles of boxing that are widely recognized:
In-fighter (a.k.a. swarmer). In-fighters prefer to stay close to their
opponent and apply pressure with a constant stream of attacks.
In-fighters are usually fast on their feet, and use mostly uppercuts and
hooks. This style is often favored by shorter fighters with a shorter
reach. Famous in-fighters include Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson, Manny
Pacquiao and Gennady Golovkin.
Out-fighter (a.k.a. out-boxer).
Out-fighters are also quick on their feet, but like to maintain some
distance from an opponent. Out-fighters rely on longer-range punches
such as jabs and crosses. Some famous out-fighters are Muhammad Ali,
Sugar Ray Leonard and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Out-fighters usually tend to
wear down their opponents.
Slugger (a.k.a. brawler or puncher).
What sluggers lack in finesse they make up for in raw power. Sluggers
tend to be slow and fairly predictable, but are often able to knock out
opponents with a single punch. George Foreman and Vitali Klitschko are
notable sluggers.
The effectiveness of these styles against each
other is often compared to the rock, paper, scissors game because each
has advantages over one style but disadvantages over another. For
instance, the strength of a slugger can overcome an in-fighter, while
the in-fighter’s speed and close-in fighting style tends to be
successful against out-fighters. However, out-fighters are faster than
sluggers, and an out-fighter can often wear down a slugger, as long as
they can avoid the slugger’s knockout punch.
Because of this,
fighters who can combine multiple styles tend to be more versatile and
are more successful than those who stick to one style.
Types of Boxing
Kickboxing. As the name implies, kickboxing incorporates strikes with
the legs and feet in addition to punching with the arms and fists.
However, where modern boxing is Western in origin, kickboxing is
actually Eastern in origin and incorporates aspects of martial arts such
as karate.
Muay Thai. Muay Thai is Thai boxing, and incorporates strikes with the fists, elbows, knees, and shins.
Shadow boxing. In shadow boxing, punches are thrown in the air, without
a target. Shadow boxing is used to practice technique and as a warm-up
activity.
Fitness boxing. In fitness boxing, there is no contact
between participants. Boxing moves are used strictly for fitness, and
participants either shadow box or use punching bags.
The Sweet Science
Modern
boxing is often referred to as, “the sweet science.” The phrase was
originally coined in the early 1800s by British sports writer and
journalist, Pierce Egan. Egan is best known for his boxing articles, in
which he referred to boxing as, “the Sweet Science of Bruising” to
illustrate how boxers are both tough and methodical.
The phrase
fell out of use for a while but was brought back in the 1950s by AJ
Libeling. Like Egan, Libeling wrote articles about boxing. He named his
collection of articles The Sweet Science as a homage to Egan. Since
then, the phrase has been used to call attention to the fact that boxing
is so much more than simple brutality. There is a strong mental
component to the sport, where boxers think ahead like chess players,
planning out strategy and anticipating their opponent’s moves.
Not
only that, but boxing requires skill and heart. Jonn E. JaGozza, author
of The Boxing Dictionary, describes the formula for boxing as: thought +
skill + preparation + heart = performance, and explains that this is
what makes boxing, “the sweet science.”
Equipment
Boxer throwing a right jab punch
Boxing requires certain basic equipment for training:
12-16 oz. boxing gloves. People use different weights for different
things but if you are looking for an all-in-one glove for both hitting
bags and sparring you can’t go wrong with a 16oz. If you have smaller
hands or are primarily hitting speed bags then consider something
lighter.
Hand Wraps. To prevent injury you wrap these cloth and
elastic strips around your hands and wrists for training and
competition. They compress your hands and provide wrist and knuckle
support. Get them, learn how to wrap your hands and you will save
yourself from lots of pain.
Boxing shoes. Boxing shoes are
tight-fitting, lightweight, high-top shoes with thin rubber soles
designed for fast footwork, traction, ankle support and breathability.
You don’t necessarily need them when first starting out but once you
pick up a pair you’ll wonder how you ever boxed in running shoes. Also,
many gyms won’t let you train in street shoes.
Protective gear. A
mouth guard is essential when sparring or in competition to protect
your teeth and reduce concussion risk. Don’t be a fool and get a tooth
knocked out. Other protective equipment for sparring includes a cup and
headgear to protect your groin, face and ears.
Jump rope. Jumping
rope is a fundamental part of conditioning and training. There are
plenty of fancy boxing jump ropes but pretty much anything will do when
you are starting out.
Boxing and Kids
boxing coach training a young kid
As
with any activity a parent is considering for their child, safety is a
top concern. When boxing is practiced with a qualified coach and using
appropriate safety gear, the sport can absolutely be beneficial for
children. Most of the training takes place outside the ring, and mainly
consists of conditioning, shadow boxing, or training with punching bags.
There is actually very little contact between children. Contact does
take place during sparring, but the emphasis is on technique and not on
hurting one another.
Boxing is great exercise for kids. It helps
them channel their energy and aggression, allowing them to decompress.
Boxing also builds confidence and character traits such as determination
and self-discipline.
The most important thing is to find a
friendly gym and give it a try. Boxing is a fantastic workout and way to
blow off some steam for kids and adults.
To learn more about boxing or to find a gym near you, visit USA Boxing.
To
learn more about the history and practice of martial arts check out the
other articles in the Puncher “What is” series on Judo, Boxing, Karate,
Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Sambo, MMA and more.
Subscribe to our
YouTube channel for our pro tips and inspirational martial arts stories
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About the author: Holly Layman is a writer based in Southern California. She holds a first degree black belt in taekwondo.
The Top 50 Pound-for-Pound Boxers of All Time
KEVIN MCRAE
DECEMBER 9, 2012
Any
ranking of the best fighters in boxing history is subjective. It is
prone to overrating, underrating and disagreements of all sorts.
This will be no different.
Picking the best athletes in any sport is a daunting task. It's even more so in an individual sport like boxing.
Do you favor wins and losses? World championships? Quality of opposition?
Or maybe it's longevity, or mainstream appeal?
It's a measure of a fighter at his peak and how he compared to and fared against the other great fighters of his era.
No matter how you slice it, no two people will ever have the same list.
But that's the beauty of boxing.
With that, we present one man's view of the best 50 fighters in the history of boxing.
50. Salvador Sanchez
1 OF 50
Record: 44-1-1, 32 KO
Years Active: 1975-1982
Championships: WBC Featherweight
If
not for his tragic death in an automobile accident in 1982, many boxing
observers feel that Salvador Sanchez may well have become the greatest
featherweight fighter of all time.
In his short but impressive
career, Sanchez compiled wins over high-level opposition, including
Danny "Little Red" Lopez twice, Ruben Castillo, Juan Laporte, Wilfredo
Gomez and Azumah Nelson.
It's unfortunate that we never got a chance to see how great he could have truly been.
49. Wilfredo Gomez
2 OF 50
Record: 44-3-1, 42 KO
Years Active: 1974-1989
Championships: Three world titles in three weight classes (WBC Super Bantamweight, WBC Featherweight, WBA Junior Lightweight)
"Bazooka"
Gomez is the best fighter to come out of Puerto Rico. He is known for
his devastating punching power, at one point winning 32 straight fights
by knockout, and his wars with Mexican legends Carlos Zarate, Salvador
Sanchez and Lupe Pintor.
The fight with Zarate still holds the
record for highest combined knockout percentage of any two fighters to
step foot inside a ring. Zarate entered at 55-0 with 54 KOs, while Gomez
was 32-0-1 with 32 KOs.
It was Gomez who would win by, you guessed it, knockout in the fifth round.
48. Ted "Kid" Lewis
3 OF 50
Official Record: 192-32-14, 79 KO
Newspaper Decisions: 40-13-12*
Years Active: 1909-1929
Championships: World Welterweight Championship
If
anyone knows a thing or two about boxing, it's the late boxing
historian Bert Sugar. And he ranks Ted "Kid" Lewis far higher, 33rd best
of all time, than many others.
Lewis won the World Welterweight
Championship on several occasions and is perhaps best known for his
20-fight series with the man he continually traded the belt with, Jack
Britton.
In their epic series, which dwarfs the four-fight series we saw culminate this past week, Lewis went 3-4-1 with 12 no-decisions.
*Newspaper
decisions were common in the old days of boxing. If neither fighter was
knocked out, the bout would be declared a no-decision, but often
sportswriters at ringside would come to a consensus on the winner and
print it in their papers. These often didn't affect the fighters' actual
win-loss records.
47. Oscar De La Hoya
4 OF 50
Record: 39-6, 30 KO
Years Active: 1992-2008
Championships:
Won 10 world championships in six weight divisions (WBO Super
Featherweight, WBO/IBF Lightweight, WBC Junior Welterweight, WBC
Welterweight (2X), WBA/WBC (2X) Junior Middleweight, WBO Middleweight)
If
this list were based on star power alone, you'd have a hard time
finding anyone bigger than "The Golden Boy." He generated more money
than any boxer in history and was one of the few modern fighters to
become a transcendent star—bridging the gap between boxing and the rest
of the sports world.
He was also quite accomplished in the ring, holding victories over 17 world champions and capturing 10 world titles of his own.
His
resume is a virtual who's who of every big-name fighter of his era, and
he could easily lay claims to victories over Shane Mosley (in their
rematch) and Felix Trinidad, two fights that many felt he won.
46. Mike Tyson
5 OF 50
Record: 50-6, 2 NC, 44 KO
Years Active: 1985-2005
Championships: Undisputed Heavyweight Championship, IBF Heavyweight, WBC/WBA Heavyweight (2X each)
"The
Baddest Man on the Planet" was a force in the heavyweight division
during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His punching power and persona
were enough to intimidate most anyone, and many fighters were defeated
before they ever stepped in the ring.
Tyson is the youngest man
in history, at just 20 years and a shade over 4 months old, to win the
Undisputed Heavyweight Championship. In doing so, he became the first
man to ever unify and hold the WBC, IBF and WBA heavyweight titles at
the same time.
45. Alexis Arguello
6 OF 50
Record: 77-8, 62 KO
Years Active: 1968-1995
Championships: Three in three weight divisions (WBA Featherweight, WBC Super Featherweight, WBC Lightweight)
Alexis
Arguello is consistently rated as one of the greatest punchers of all
time and was voted by the Associated Press as the greatest junior
lightweight in history. He also has the distinction of having never lost
one of his world championships in the ring, instead relinquishing them
to pursue titles in other weights.
Arguello is best known for his
unsuccessful and controversial challenges of Aaron Pryor for the Junior
Welterweight Championship.
44. Pernell Whitaker
7 OF 50
Record: 40-4-1, 1 NC, 17 KO
Years Active: 1984-2001
Championships: Six in three weight divisions (IBF/WBC/WBA Lightweight, IBF/WBC Welterweight, WBA Junior Middleweight)
You'd
be hard pressed to find a better pure boxer than Pernell "Sweet Pea"
Whitaker. He tends to get underrated a bit because of his style and lack
of devastating punching power.
But Whitaker won six world
titles, including unifying the lightweight division, and holds wins over
Greg Haugen, Jose Luis Ramirez, Azumah Nelson and Buddy McGirt.
Whitaker
was robbed more than once in his career, in his first world title
challenge against Ramirez and again in the draw against Julio Cesar
Chavez.
Whitaker clearly won both fights, and you could also argue that he deserved a win over Oscar De La Hoya as well.
43. Carlos Monzon
8 OF 50
Record: 87-3-9, 1 NC, 59 KO
Years Active: 1963-1977
Championships: WBA/WBC Middleweight Champion
Carlos
Monzon was a great fighter and a deeply troubled person. On the one
hand, he is known for becoming the unified WBC/WBA middleweight champion
and defending it a then-record 14 times.
On the other, he is known for his violent out-of-ring lifestyle, culminating with his conviction in 1989 for murder.
In
the ring, Monzon was a monster. He holds career defining victories over
two other entrants on this list—Emile Griffith and Jose Napoles.
42. Larry Holmes
9 OF 50
Record: 69-6, 44 KO
Years Active: 1973-2002
Championships: WBC/IBF Heavyweight Champion
Larry
Holmes won his first 48 fights, held the WBC Heavyweight Championship
for five years and the IBF title for two years. During his reign, he
made 20 successful defenses. This is second in heavyweight history to
only the great Joe Louis.
Holmes' left jab is still considered one of the most lethal weapons in the history of the sport.
41. Eder Jofre
10 OF 50
Record: 72-2-4, 50 KO
Years Active: 1957-1976
Championships: World Bantamweight Championship, WBC/WBA Bantamweight Championship
Eder
Jofre is a well-kept secret amongst boxing fans largely due to his rare
appearances outside his native Brazil. He was undefeated in his first
50 fights, a record later broken by Julio Cesar Chavez, before losing in
Japan to "Fighting" Harada.
Harada would be the only man to
ever defeat him, and Jofre would go on to win the World bantamweight and
newly created WBA and WBC bantamweight titles.
40. Tommy Hearns
11 OF 50
Record: 61-5-1, 48 KO
Years Active: 1977-2006
Championships:
Six titles in five weight divisions (WBA Welterweight, WBC Junior
Middleweight, WBC Middleweight, WBO Super Middleweight, WBC/WBA Light
Heavyweight)
Tommy "Hitman" Hearns holds, among his many
distinctions, the distinction of being the first man to win four world
titles in four weight divisions and then five in five divisions.
He
is best known for his tremendous fights with Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin
Hagler and Roberto Duran. It was a loaded time for the sport of boxing,
and while Hearns was only able to defeat Duran amongst this group, there
is no shame in that fact.
39. Roy Jones Jr.
12 OF 50
Record: 55-8, 40 KO
Years Active: 1989-Present
Championships:
Eight world titles in four weight divisions (IBF Middleweight, IBF
Super Middleweight, WBC/WBA Light Heavyweight (2X each), IBF Light
Heavyweight, WBA Heavyweight)
Roy Jones Jr. held so many world
titles at one point, he needed an entire entourage just to carry the
belts to the ring. He is one of the most dominant light heavyweight's in
history, and in his prime, rarely found a legitimate challenge.
Jones
often receives criticism for having dominated an era without many
serious foes. But he does hold wins over Bernard Hopkins, James Toney,
Mike McCallum and Virgil Hill.
He is also the only man in history
to begin his career below middleweight, Jones started at 154 pounds,
and still win a share of the heavyweight title.
38. Marvin Hagler
13 OF 50
Record: 62-3-2, 52 KO
Years Active: 1973-1987
Championships: Undisputed Middleweight Champion, WBC/WBA/IBF Middleweight Champion
Marvelous
Marvin Hagler, that's his legal name, was one of the most dominant
middleweights in modern history. His reign as undisputed champion lasted
for seven years, from 1980-1987, before he was narrowly, and
controversially, defeated by Sugar Ray Leonard in a split decision.
Hagler
is known for his granite chin, and he measured up well against other
contemporary legends. Even with the loss to Leonard, he holds a decision
victory over Roberto Duran and a knockout win over Tommy Hearns in The
Ring's 1985 Fight of the Year.
37. Billy Conn
14 OF 50
Record: 64-12-1, 15 KO
Years Active: 1934-1942, 1946-1948
Championships: NBA (later WBA) Light Heavyweight Champion, Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion
Billy
Conn, better known as "The Pittsburgh Kid," was a former undisputed
light heavyweight champion. But his most notable fights, without a
doubt, came when he challenged Joe Louis for the heavyweight title.
Both
Conn and Louis lost a good deal of their primes when they were called
up and served in World War II. Their first fight took place in 1941,
before they entered the military, with Conn relinquishing his light
heavyweight crown to face Louis.
Incredibly, Conn did not attempt
to put on weight and fought the bigger Louis from the light heavyweight
limit. After 13 rounds, Conn had a lead on two of three scorecards when
Louis came from behind and stopped him with two beautiful right hands.
The two would meet again after the war, with Louis winning more decisively.
36. Emile Griffith
15 OF 50
Record: 85-24-2, 1 NC, 23 KO
Years Active: 1958-1977
Championships: World Welterweight (2X), WBC/WBA Welterweight (2X), WBC/WBA Middleweight (2X)
Emile
Griffith was a world champion at welterweight and middleweight multiple
times. Some even consider him a three-division champion, though a
junior middleweight title was not yet recognized.
Griffith is
best known for his three-fight series with welterweight champion Benny
Paret in which Griffith won two of the three. Their third fight was
highly controversial, as Paret died due to injuries sustained in the
bout.
Griffith also had notable trilogies with Luis Rodriguez
and Nino Benvenuti. He also prominently fought, but lost to, Carlos
Monzon and Jose Napoles, both fighters on this list.
35. Terry McGovern
16 OF 50
Official Record: 59-5-4, 44 KO
Newspaper Decisions: 6-1-4
Years Active: 1897-1908
Championships: World Bantamweight Champion, World Featherweight Champion
"Terrible"
Terry McGovern was born in Pennsylvania but made his name fighting out
of Brooklyn, New York. He won the world championship at both
bantamweight and featherweight.
He holds a notable victory over Joe Gans, though Gans later said he threw the fight.
He
is listed by The Ring as one of the greatest punchers of all time and
is rated by many as one of the top featherweights in history.
34. Manny Pacquiao
17 OF 50
Record: 54-5-2, 38 KO
Years Active: 1995-Present
Championships:
Recognized as having won 10 world championships in eight weight
divisions (Flyweight, Super Bantamweight, Featherweight, Super
Featherweight, Lightweight, Junior Welterweight, Welterweight, Junior
Middleweight)
Manny Pacquiao is the first man in boxing history
to win world championships in eight different weight divisions. It is a
marvel that a man who began his career at 108 pounds has been able to
compete at an elite level in the upper weight classes against other
top-level fighters.
Even with his defeat Saturday night at the
hands of longtime rival Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao's standing in
boxing is secure. It was an absolutely stunning knockout defeat that
might signal the end of a great career.
But there's no reason to hang your head.
There
is no shame in losing to a fellow great fighter as long as you stand up
to the challenge. And Pacquiao deserves credit for understanding the
critics and his place in the sport and choosing to face Marquez four
times when most elite-level fighters refused to face him once.
33. Jose Napoles
18 OF 50
Record: 80-7, 54 KO
Years Active: 1958-1975
Championships: WBC/WBA Welterweight Champion (3X)
Jose
"Mantequilla" Napoles was a Cuban-born, but Mexico-adopted, fighter who
ranks amongst the greatest welterweight fighters in history.
Despite
his nickname, which in English means "butter," Napoles was a vicious
power puncher. He won his first title from Curtis Cokes in brutal
fashion, a feat he would repeat in a rematch, and also defeated Emile
Griffith and Ernie "Indian Red" Lopez.
After unsuccessfully
stepping up to challenge middleweight champion Carlos Monzon, Napoles
returned to welterweight where he had another successful reign as
champion before retiring after losing the title to John Stracey.
32. Sandy Saddler
19 OF 50
Record: 144-16-2, 103 KO
Years Active: 1944-1956
Championships: World Featherweight Championship (2X), World Super Featherweight Championships
Sandy
Saddler was one of the most feared punchers of his time and is one of
the most highly rated featherweight champions of all time. He is best
known for winning three of his four fights with the famed Willie Pep.
Saddler
is also one of the only fighters in history to score over 100 knockouts
in his career and will go down in history as one of the strongest, most
devastating punchers the sport has ever produced.
31. Marcel Cerdan
20 OF 50
Record:111-4, 65 KO
Years Active: 1938-1949
Championships: Various European Titles, NBA (later WBA) Middleweight Championship
Marcel
Cerdan is considered to be the greatest French boxer of all time.
Cerdan made his biggest name by fighting in France's colonial
possessions, such as Algeria, where he was born, and Morocco.
While
he only fought a handful of times in the United States, he did score a
notable win over middleweight champion Tony Zale to secure the NBA
Middleweight Championship. The fight was declared the 1948 Fight of the
Year.
Cerdan would lose the belt to Jake LaMotta three fights later.
30. Ruben Olivares
21 OF 50
Record: 89-13-3, 79 KO
Years Active: 1965-1988
Championships: WBA/WBC Bantamweight (2X each), WBA Featherweight, WBC Featherweight
There
was a long stretch where Ruben Olivares was considered far and away
Mexico's greatest fighter. In the eyes of this man, though, he is still
the greatest bantamweight in history.
Olivares holds notable wins
over Bobby Chacon and Jose Luis Ramirez, and like the man who
supplanted him at the top in Mexico, he is a national celebrity.
His best known defeat came in a fight that he was leading against Alexis Arguello.
29. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
22 OF 50
Record: 43-0, 26 KO
Years Active: 1996-Present
Championships:
Eight in five weight divisions (WBC Super Featherweight, WBC
Lightweight, WBC Junior Welterweight, IBF Welterweight, WBC Welterweight
(2X), WBC Junior Middleweight, WBA Junior Middleweight)
There
might never again be a fighter with the pure talent level of Floyd
Mayweather Jr. He's a defensive specialist with a boxing IQ that may
never be matched.
He has won multiple world titles in three
weight divisions and has beaten an impressive list of opponents. But
this also provides a level of criticism against him as well. There are
many who argue that Mayweather has never truly measured himself against a
top-level contemporary fighter while both were in their primes.
Those
people must have missed his 2001 demolition of Diego Corrales. Whether
you love him or hate him, there is no questioning his place amongst the
all-timers.
28. Ezzard Charles
23 OF 50
Record: 93-25-1, 52 KO
Years Active: 1940-1959
Championships: NBA (later WBA) Heavyweight Champion, World Heavyweight Champion
"The
Cincinnati Cobra" Ezzard Charles has the distinction of being rated as
one of the top fighters of all time in both the light heavyweight and
heavyweight divisions. There are many who even argue that he is the
greatest light heavyweight to ever compete.
Charles holds
victories over a good number of fellow Hall of Fame fighters, including
Archie Moore, Jimmy Bivins, Jersey Joe Walcott, Joey Maxim and—the
cherry on top—Joe Louis.
27. Bernard Hopkins
24 OF 50
Record: 52-6-2, 2 NC, 32 KO
Years Active: 1988-Present
Championships: Five world titles in two weight divisions (IBF/WBC/WBA/WBO Middleweight, WBC Light Heavyweight)
Bernard
Hopkins is a physical marvel, a true freak of nature with a skill set
and boxing intelligence that would allow him to compete in any era of
the sport.
His list of accomplishments is legendary. Hopkins is a
former undisputed middleweight champion who made a record 20 successful
defenses of his title, shattering the record previously held by Carlos
Monzon.
Hopkins also is the first fighter to defend, and retain,
the world championships of all four major sanctioning bodies and The
Ring in one fight. In 2011, he became the oldest man to ever win a world
title when at age 46 he outpointed Jean Pascal for the WBC light
heavyweight title.
And it's a feat he hopes to replicate sometime
next year when he seeks to raise the bar further and win a world
championship at age 48.
26. Jake LaMotta
25 OF 50
Record: 83-19-4, 30 KO
Years Active: 1941-1954
Championships: NBA (later WBA) Middleweight, World Middleweight Championship
"The
Raging Bull" was a brilliant tactical boxer, which he combined with
fierce aggression to earn his nickname and become one of the most
dominant middleweights in history.
LaMotta was able to take
virtually anyone's shots and is known for his epic six-fight series with
Sugar Ray Robinson. In the series, LaMotta handed the legendary
champion the first defeat of his career, but lost the other five bouts.
25. Joe Frazier
26 OF 50
Record: 32-4-1, 27 KO
Years Active: 1965-1981
Championships: WBC/WBA Heavyweight
Smokin'
Joe Frazier is best known for defeating Muhammad Ali in 1971's "Fight
of the Century." But he also strung together many other impressive wins
over Jerry Quarry, Oscar Bonavena and Jimmy Ellis.
Frazier would
hold the heavyweight championship until facing a young, power-punching
superstar named George Foreman, who knocked him out in the 1973 The Ring
Fight of the Year.
He would never regain the title, but would
engage in two more notable fights—both losses—against Ali, including the
famed "Thrilla in Manila."
24. Tony Canzoneri
27 OF 50
Official Record: 137-24-10, 44 KO
Newspaper Decisions: 4-0
Years Active: 1925-1939
Championships: NBA (later WBA) Featherweight, World Lightweight (2X), World Junior Welterweight (2X)
In
an era sporting so many great fighters, Canzoneri was one of the best.
His contemporaries included Jimmy McLarnin, Barney Ross and Henry
Armstrong. Not bad company.
Like Armstrong and Ross, he held
world titles in three weight divisions at the same time. Measured
against his contemporaries, he holds victories over McLarnin and Kid
Chocolate, but dropped two fights to Barney Ross.
23. Jimmy McLarnin
28 OF 50
Record: 54-11-3, 21 KO
Years Active: 1923-1936
Championships: World Lightweight, World Welterweight (2X)
Jimmy
McLarnin didn't let his nickname fool you. Despite being called the
"Baby-Faced Assassin," McLarnin had great power in both hands, even
though you wouldn't know it by his record.
McLarnin engaged in a
three-fight series with fellow legendary welterweight Barney Ross, and
despite losing two of three, accounted for himself very well.
He closed out his career by defeating fellow legend Tony Canzoneri and Lou Ambers.
McLarnin is widely considered a top-five all-time welterweight.
22. Barney Ross
29 OF 50
Official Record: 72-4-3, 22 KO
Newspaper Decisions: 2-0
Years Active: 1929-1938
Championships: World Lightweight, World Junior Welterweight, World Welterweight (2X)
Barney
Ross is notable for a few reasons. For one, he was never knocked out in
81 professional bouts, including several against legendary fighters.
Ross holds victories over fellow legends Tony Canzoneri and Jimmy McLarnin.
In 1938, Ross defended his World Welterweight Championship against Henry Armstrong.
Despite
taking a hellacious beating, Ross refused to allow the fight to be
stopped and ended it on his feet. He would lose that night, but this has
consistently been hailed as one of the most courageous performances in
boxing history.
21. Stanley Ketchel
30 OF 50
Official Record: 51-4-4, 48 KO
Newspaper Decisions: 2-1-1
Years Active: 1903-1910
Championships: World Middleweight (2X)
Ketchel
was a middleweight who often liked to fight men much bigger than
himself. Most notable was his war with heavyweight legend and world
champion Jack Johnson.
In the bout, Johnson outweighed Ketchel by
35 pounds, but despite this disadvantage, Ketchel performed well. He
even floored Johnson in the 12th round.
Johnson rose to his feet and then promptly knocked Ketchel out.
Even with the loss, Stanley Ketchel goes down as one of the bravest fighters in boxing history.
20. George Foreman
31 OF 50
Record: 76-5, 68 KO
Years Active: 1969-1997
Championships: World Heavyweight, IBF/WBA Heavyweight
Even
amongst the legends of the heavyweight division, "Big" George Foreman
stands out. He was an Olympic gold medalist, and won his first world
title by upsetting Smokin' Joe Frazier in 1973.
In his youth, and even later in his career, Foreman was known as an absolutely devastating puncher.
He
was also a heavy favorite against Muhammad Ali in the "Rumble in the
Jungle" heavyweight title bout contested in the Congo before being upset
in stunning fashion.
Soon after, Foreman retired from the sport
only to come back a decade later in 1994, and at 45 years old became
the oldest man in history to win a heavyweight title.
19. Julio Cesar Chavez
32 OF 50
Record: 108-6-2, 87 KO
Years Active: 1980-2005
Championships: Six world championships in three weight divisions
When it comes to Mexican fighters, there is none better than Julio Cesar Chavez.
Chavez
began his career with an impressive 87 fights without a loss. He was a
warrior in the ring with a fierce and swarming style that few fighters
have ever been able to replicate.
He was the consummate stalker-style fighter with a granite chin.
In
a career of countless legendary moments, Chavez is possibly best known
for coming from way behind on the scorecards to stop Meldrick Taylor
with literally seconds remaining on the clock in the final round.
Among his other notable victories are dominant wins over Greg Haugen, the late Hector "Macho" Camacho and Edwin Rosario.
18. Mickey Walker
33 OF 50
Official Record: 94-19-4
Newspaper Decisions: 37-7-1
Years Active: 1919-1935
Championships: World Welterweight, World Middleweight
Mickey
Walker didn't believe in taking a light schedule, often fighting more
than a dozen times in a year. This was not all that uncommon during this
era of the sport.
Walker won the World welterweight and World
middleweight titles during his career and holds wins over notable
fighters such as Jack Britton, whom he won the welterweight title from,
and Tiger Flowers.
He also has notable defeats at middleweight to Harry Greb and at heavyweight to Max Schmeling.
17. Jimmy Wilde
34 OF 50
Official Record: 132-4-1, 98 KO
Newspaper Decisions: 7-1
Years Active: 1919-1935
Championships: Various European Titles, World Flyweight Champion
Jimmy
WIlde is considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, fighters
to ever come out of Europe. It was there that he spent much of his
career winning various titles.
Wilde is also credited with being the first officially recognized world champion in the flyweight division.
16. Archie Moore
35 OF 50
Record: 185-23-10, 131 KO
Years Active: 1935-1963
Championships: World Light Heavyweight
"The
Old Mongoose" had one of the longest spanning careers in the history of
boxing and is considered by most to be the greatest light heavyweight
in history.
During his long career, he defeated several greats,
including Joey Maxim, who beat Sugar Ray Robinson, Jimmy Bivins and
Lloyd Marshall.
While he was dominant at light heavyweight, he
was less successful at heavyweight, challenging and losing to such
notables as Ezzard Charles and Rocky Marciano.
15. Rocky Marciano
36 OF 50
Record: 49-0, 43 KO
Years Active: 1948-1955
Championships: World Heavyweight
Rocky
Marciano is one of the few fighters to retire from the sport without a
loss. He is in fact the only heavyweight champion in history to
accomplish this feat.
Marciano won the title from Jersey Joe
Walcott in The Ring's 1952 Fight of the Year. He would defend it six
times, including wins over Walcott, Ezzard Charles (twice) and Archie
Moore.
14. Gene Tunney
37 OF 50
Official Record: 65-1-1, 48 KO
Newspaper Decisions: 15-0-3
Years Active: 1915-1928
Championships: World Heavyweight
Gene
Tunney broke the mold of heavyweight fighters in his era by being more
of a tactical boxer than an all-out slugger. He would use his left jab
to box and break down his opponents rather than fighting the traditional
highly aggressive heavyweight style.
He was the world
heavyweight champion and is known for twice defeating the great Jack
Dempsey. The only loss of his professional career came against
middleweight legend Harry Greb.
Tunney was never defeated as a heavyweight.
13. Sam Langford
38 OF 50
Official Record: 179-30-40, 120 KO
Newspaper Decisions: 32-14-15
Years Active: 1902-1926
Championships: World Colored Middleweight, World Colored Heavyweight (5X)
Sam
Langford had absolutely devastating power, but is often overlooked due
to the fact that he was denied many opportunities as a result of the
pervasive racism in the sport at the time.
Even Jack Johnson, a
fellow black fighter and heavyweight champion, refused to fight him once
he became champion. Langford did, however, compete for, and win, the
World Colored Heavyweight Championship on five occasions.
Langford
holds victories over Stanley Ketchel at middleweight, and many feel he
deserved one when he fought Jack Johnson before he won the world
championship. It was a close fight, and Johnson got the nod, but many
felt this was the wrong decision.
12. Joe Gans
39 OF 50
Official Record: 145-10-16
Newspaper Decisions: 14-2-4
Years Active: 1893-1909
Championships: World Lightweight
Joe
Gans is often credited with being the greatest lightweight fighter of
all time. He is notable for being the first African-American world
champion in the sport.
Gans held the lightweight title for a
stretch of six years, between 1902 and 1908, and helped blaze the path
for African-American fighters.
11. Harry Greb
40 OF 50
Official Record: 104-8-3, 48 KO
Newspaper Decisions: 157-11-15
Years Active: 1913-1926
Championships: World Middleweight
Harry
Greb was a freak of nature, logging over 300 bouts in his career. These
were often bouts against the other highly regarded, and highly
dangerous, fighters of his era, and few of them were easy.
Greb would often fight out of his weight class against light heavyweights and heavyweights.
Greb
was known for being aggressive and having a swarming type of style that
most fighters couldn't handle. This is evidenced by his 100 knockouts
in 104 official victories. He put a lot of great fighters to sleep.
And he often did it dirty, never hesitating to use anything in the arsenal to his advantage.
Greb is the only man to defeat heavyweight legend Gene Tunney and holds a win over Mickey Walker.
10. Sugar Ray Leonard
41 OF 50
Record: 36-3-1, 25 KO
Years Active: 1977-1997
Championships:
Seven championships in five weight divisions (WBC Welterweight (2X),
WBA Welterweight, WBA Junior Middleweight, WBC Middleweight, WBC Super
Middleweight, WBC Light Heavyweight)
Sugar Ray Leonard fought the
best of his era and beat every single one of them. And he fought in an
era with several high-profile Hall of Fame fighters who are also amongst
the greatest of all time.
Leonard won world championships in
five divisions from welterweight to light heavyweight. He fought and
beat Wilfred Benitez, Tommy Hearns, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran,
giving him one of the most impressive resumes you'll ever find.
9. Benny Leonard
42 OF 50
Official Record: 90-6-1, 70 KO
Newspaper Decisions: 93-18-7
Years Active: 1911-1932
Championships: World Lightweight
Benny
Leonard was an extremely fast, slick boxer who is considered to be
amongst the top lightweight fighters of any era. He is also ranked
amongst the smartest in-ring boxers of all time.
Despite his
technical prowess and speed, Leonard also had tremendous punching power
and registered 70 knockouts in 90 official wins.
He secured the
World Lightweight Championship but failed in his attempt to step up to
welterweight when he was disqualified for hitting champion Jack Britton
while he was down.
8. Jack Dempsey
43 OF 50
Official Record: 61-6-9, 34 KO
Newspaper Decisions: 4-0-2
Years Active: 1914-1927
Championships: World Heavyweight, NBA (later WBA) Heavyweight
In
many ways, Jack Dempsey was heavyweight boxing in the late 1910s and
early 1920s. He could hit you and hurt you with both hands and had
crushing power.
"The Manassa Mauler" won the world title from Jess Willard in 1919 and held it until 1926 when he was defeated by Gene Tunney.
A knockout win over Jack Sharkey positioned him for a rematch with Tunney, which he also lost by decision.
Dempsey appears on everyone's lists as one of the best heavyweights of all time.
7. Jack Johnson
44 OF 50
Official Record: 53-11-9, 34 KO
Newspaper Decisions: 14-0-3
Years Active: 1897-1931
Championships: World Colored Heavyweight, World Heavyweight
Jack
Johnson is an iconic figure for many reasons—not the least of which was
his rising to prominence in the sport at a time when African-American
boxers were actively kept out.
Despite being one of the top
heavyweights in the world and having won the World Colored Heavyweight
Championship, Johnson was not allowed to compete against heavyweight
champion James J. Jeffries. The heavyweight title was off limits to
black fighters.
Finally, in 1908, six years after Joe Gans had
become the first African-American world champion at lightweight, Johnson
fought for and won the heavyweight title.
The white boxing
community couldn't stand the idea of a black champion and coined the
phrase "great white hope" to induce white challengers to step up to
Johnson.
He defeated several notable ones, including Stanley
Ketchel and Jeffries, who came out of retirement only to be dominated by
Johnson in the Fight of the Century.
6. Roberto Duran
45 OF 50
Record: 103-16, 70 KO
Years Active: 1968-2001
Championships:
Five titles in four weight divisions (WBA/WBC Lightweight, WBC
Welterweight, WBA Junior Middleweight, WBC Middleweight)
"Manos
de Piedra" was in his prime a trash-talking, aggressive brawler who
fought and beat many of the best of his (and possibly any) era. He is
considered by many to be the greatest lightweight fighter in history and
held world titles in four weight classes.
Duran's epic career
spanned five decades and over 100 professional victories, most notable
of which making him the first man to ever defeat Sugar Ray Leonard.
5. Joe Louis
46 OF 50
Record: 66-3, 52 KO
Years Active: 1934-1951
Championships: World Heavyweight
"The
Brown Bomber" Joe Louis' reign as heavyweight champion is legendary. He
held the title for 140 months and successfully defended it a record 25
times.
He was known for his punching power, often rating as high
as first on all-time rankings, and for becoming the first
African-American to achieve mainstream stardom in a United States still
brimming with racism.
Louis is well known for a 1936 loss to Max
Schmeling, in the Fight of the Year, and for wins over James J.
Braddock, Billy Conn, Jersey Joe Walcott and a later first-round
knockout of Schmeling to avenge his earlier defeat.
4. Muhammad Ali
47 OF 50
Record: 56-5, 37 KO
Years Active: 1960-1981
Championships: WBA Heavyweight (4X), WBC Heavyweight (2X)
"The
Greatest" is the best heavyweight of all time. Ali fought with a style
and a flamboyance that made you either love him or hate him. But
regardless of where you come down, nobody can deny his place in boxing
history or as a cultural icon.
Ali, then fighting under his birth name of Cassius Clay, won his first heavyweight title at 22 years old against Sonny Liston.
He
later converted to Islam and became a controversial figure for refusing
to serve in the Vietnam War, a conflict he opposed on religious and
moral grounds. Ali was stripped of his heavyweight title and did not
fight for four years as a result.
Ali is known for his trilogy
with Joe Frazier, losing the first but winning the next two, and for
utilizing his famed "rope-a-dope" style to upset George Foreman in the
Congo in 1974 to regain his titles.
The tactic caused Foreman to
expend tremendous energy firing punches in Ali's guard. Most of the
shots were deflected or blocked and led to Ali stopping an exhausted
Foreman in the eighth round.
In his illustrious career, Ali also
holds victories over Bob Foster, Ken Norton, Jimmy Ellis and Floyd
Patterson. He is the first man (and thus far, only man) to ever hold the
Lineal Heavyweight Championship three times.
3. Willie Pep
48 OF 50
Record: 229-11-1, 65 KO
Years Active: 1940-1966
Championships: World Featherweight
Willie
Pep is believed to be one of the quickest and most durable fighters in
boxing history. His number of fights is huge, even considering the era
in which he fought.
Pep won his first 62 professional bouts and
was the dominant featherweight fighter of his, and really any, era,
holding the title until losing just his second bout against Sandy
Saddler in 1948. Pep would avenge the defeat in a rematch and regain his
title.
Overall, Pep went 1-3 against Saddler, but dominated
virtually every other fighter in his division during this era, leading
many to conclude that he's amongst the top fighters in history.
2. Henry Armstrong
49 OF 50
Record: 150-21-10, 101 KO
Years Active: 1931-1945
Championships: World Featherweight, World Lightweight, World Welterweight
Henry Armstrong was so good that it's a legitimate coin flip between him and Sugar Ray Robinson for greatest of all time.
Armstrong
is one of the few fighters in history to simultaneously hold world
championships in three weight divisions. This is made even more
impressive given that there were only eight recognized divisions at the
time.
Armstrong took on and defeated many of the notable fighters
of this era. He won the World featherweight title from Petey Sarron in
1937, but quickly jumped up in weight.
He won the World
Welterweight Championship in 1938 from Barney Ross and defended it a
record 18 times before controversially dropping it to Fritzie Zivic in
1940.
During his welterweight reign, he also captured the World
Lightweight Championship, making him the featherweight, lightweight and
welterweight champion at the same time.
1. Sugar Ray Robinson
50 OF 50
Record: 173-19-6, 108 KO
Years Active: 1940-1965
Championships: World Welterweight, World Middleweight (5X)
Sugar
Ray Robinson is credited with being the reason for the creation of the
mythical pound-for-pound rankings that today occupy so much of the
debate and discussion that goes on in the boxing world.
Robinson's
run is truly remarkable. He was undefeated as an amateur fighter,
winning all 85 of his fights, and wasn't defeated until he faced Jake
LaMotta in his 41st pro fight. That's a stretch of 126 straight
victories and would be unheard of today.
Robinson won the
welterweight title in 1946 and held on to it until he jumped to
middleweight and took the title there from LaMotta, avenging the earlier
defeat.
Sugar Ray spent two-and-a-half years in retirement after
failing in his attempt to capture the light heavyweight title from Joey
Maxim in 1952. When he returned, he once again captured the
middleweight title, something he'd do five times in his illustrious
career.
Reading Sugar Ray Robinson's record, you'd think you
stumbled into a who's who of fighters during this era. And this era was
on par with, and probably superior to, any in boxing history.
He fought, and beat, literally everyone.
Jake LaMotta, Carmen Basilio, Gene Fullmer, Randy Turpin, Carl "Bobo" Olson, Henry Armstrong, Rocky Graziano, Kid Gavilan.
Robinson
beat them all, and he did it with speed, a tremendous jab and power in
both hands. There wasn't a punch in the arsenal he couldn't throw and
throw with bad intentions.
There will never be another like him. |
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