There have been many great athletes in the sport of boxing over the decades. Each boxer on this list made a solid name for himself in the ring. It is highly debated who was the greatest of all time, but one thing is for sure: the following list of boxers certainly includes the best of the best.
Hanes Men’s 5-Pack Tagless, Tartan Boxer. New and Improved fit. 15: Gervonta Davis — 23 wins (22 knockouts), unbeaten. Weight class: Lightweight. As professional boxing has four major sanctioning bodies (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) each with their own champions, the sport doesn't have a centralized ranking system.The rankings published by these organizations share the trait of not ranking the other organizations' champions, as each one of the sanctioning bodies expects their champion to frequently defend their title against their top.
Who Are The Most Famous Boxers
Famous Boxers
| Jack Johnson (1878 – 1946) Nationality:American Known For:First African American to be the world heavyweight boxing champion. Nicknamed the “Galveston Giant,” Jack Johnson was widely considered to be the most famous African American on the planet for more than a decade as he dominated the world of boxing. Notably, Johnson had his success during the time period when Jim Crow laws were still in effect. In fact, both of his parents had been slaves. Racism ran deep at that time and when Johnson became world heavyweight boxing champion, many whites were furious. | Jack Dempsey (1895 – 1983) Nationality:American Known For:Holding the world heavyweight boxing champion title 1919 through 1926 Jack Dempsey was known as “The Manasa Mauler” and was celebrated for his offensive style and powerful blows. Of his 65 recorded wins in the ring, 51 were by knockout. Dempsey was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. His fights drew in large crowds, often setting attendance records. Additionally, The Associated Press named Dempsey as being the best boxer to fight during the span of 1900 to 1950. | Joe Louis (1914 – 1981) Nationality:American Known For:Being the world heavyweight champion for almost 12 years (longest in history). Called the “Brown Bomber,” Joe Louis successfully defended his world heavyweight championship title 25 times. He was known as being a very generous and kind man – even donating his winnings twice to military rellief during World War II. In 1982 Louis was posthumously honored with the Congressional Gold Medal. He was later named a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. |
| Sugar Ray Robinson (1921 – 1989) Nationality:American Known For:Often argued to be the greatest boxer of all time. Originally named Walker Smith Jr., Sugar Ray Robinson got his name after using the Amateur Athletic Union card of a fellow boxer named Ray Robinson. After becoming pro in 1940, he won his first 40 bouts in a row. He had an astonishing record of 175 wins – 110 of which were knockouts – and only 19 losses. He even had a streak of 91 wins in a row that lasted for 8 years between 1943 and 1951. | Jake Lamotta (1921 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:His legendary fights with Sugar Ray Robinson. Jake Lamotta was the inspiration behind the movie “Raging Bull” that starred Robert De Niro. He was the first boxer to ever beat Sugar Ray Robinson. He was known for being able to take a beating and still continue fighting. He was only knocked out one time in his 100-plus fight career and only lost 9 times. | Rocky Marciano (1923 – 1969) Nationality:American Known For:Was undefeated for his entire professional career. Rocky Marciano went 49 and 0, including 43 wins by knockout during his time spent as a professional boxer. He was not known to have an accurate punch; however, when he landed a blow it was usually devastating. Tragically, he died in a plane crash the day before his 46th birthday. Marciano was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. |
| Sonny Liston (1932 – 1970) Nationality:American Known For:Learning how to box while in jail. Charles L. “Sonny” Liston was a gifted boxer who lived a very troubled life. Liston was known to struggle with alcohol addiction, but his physical skills still allowed him to shine in the ring. He became the world heavyweight champion in 1962 after knocking out Floyd Patterson in the very first round. Nicknamed “The Big Bear,” Liston had a professional record of 50 – 4, with 39 knockouts. | Rubin Carter (1937 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:Being wrongfully convicted of murder and put in prison for almost two decades. Ruben “The Hurricane” Carter was known for his incredibly fast punches, but even more well-known for his struggles to be freed from prison. He and a friend were wrongfully accused of a triple homocide in June of 1966. The ensuing investigation was not conducted professionally and many believe that Carter was framed. While in prison, Carter wrote a book about his innocence entitled “The 16th Round: From Number 1 Contender to Number 45472.” He was eventually freed in 1985. | Muhammad Ali (1942 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:His outspoken ways and historic fights. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., Muhammad Ali dubbed hiimself “The Greatest.” He won an Olympic gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics. He later would knock out Sonny Liston in 1964 and become the world heavyweight champion. His overall professional record was 56 – 5 with 37 knockout wins. He was a part of some of the most famous fights in boxing history, including: the “Fight of the Century” against Joe Frazier and the “Rumble in the Jungle” against George Foreman. |
| Joe Frazier (1944 – 2011) Nationality:American Known For:Holding the world heavyweight title from 1970 to 1973. Joe Frazier was a gifted boxer who started off his career as the Middle Atlantic Golden Gloves Champion for three years in a row. He won gold at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. Frazier famously fought agains Muhammad Ali in “The Thrilla in Manilla” – a match that lasted 14 rounds and was ended due to both of Frazier’s eyes swelling shut. He also was the world heavyweight champion | George Foreman (1949 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:Twice being the world heavyweight champion. Known as Big George, the Punching Preacher and the Heywood Giant, George Foreman won Olympic gold at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. To date he is noted for being the oldest heavyweight champion after beating Michael Moorer for the title at age 45. Of his 76 recorded professional boxing wins, 68 were by knockout. He only had five loses in his career, with the most memorable being a loss to Muhammad Ali at “The Rumble in the Jungle.” | Larry Holmes (1949 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:Winning his first 48 professional boxing matches in a row. Larry Holmes was the sparring partner for both Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. Perhaps due to this he became quite skilled in his defensive techniques. In 1978, Holmes won the World Boxing Council heavyweight title. He had an impressive record of 69 and 6 by the time he retired in 2002. Since then he has been made a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. |
| Roberto Duran (1951 – Present) Nationality:Panamanian Known For:Winning the world championship in four separate weight classes. Nicknamed “Manos de Piedra,” or “Hands of Stone,” Roberto Duran was known for his powerful punches. He become a professional boxer at the young age of 16. His long career left him with a final record of 103 wins and 16 losses which included 70 knockouts. His time as a professional boxer was ended after he was in a car accident that left him with a punctured lung and broken ribs. | Floyd Mayweather, Sr. (1952 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:Being a well-known trainer after his professional career. Floyd Mayweather Sr. was a world ranked welterweight fighter in the 1970’s and 80’s. He had strong defensive skills and a solid knowledge of boxing technique. His biggest fight was against Sugar Ray Leonard in 1978 in which he lost by knockout. Mayweather Sr. has trained many successful boxers since his retirement, including Oscar De La Hoya and Chad Dawson. He also trained his son Floyd Mayweather Jr. who is currently 45 – 0 as of October, 2013. | Marvin Hagler (1954 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:Holding the middleweight champion title for 7 years. Marvelous Marvin Hagler dominated the boxing world for much of the 1970’s and 1980’s. He successfully defended his title twelve times and his 67 career wins include 52 KO’s – giving him the highest knockout percentage of any middleweight champion. He is known for having a very “tough chin,” meaning that he could take many hard punches and not be phased or knocked out easily. |
| Sugar Ray Leonard (1956 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:Being a world title winner in five weight classes. Sugar Ray Leonard made history by being the first boxer to make over $100 million in winnings. He was labeled the “Boxer of the Decade” in the 1980’s and defeated four future International Boxing Hall of Fame members. Additionally, he won the 1976 Montreal Olympic gold medal in the light welterweight division. Leonard ended his career when he retired in 1998 with a professional boxing record of 36-3-1 and 25 knockouts. | Evander Holyfield (1962 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:He was a two time world heavyweight champion in the early 1990’s. Evander Holyfield goes by the nicknames the “Real Deal” and “The Warrior.” Perhaps most notably, Evander Holyfield is remembered for having part of his ear bitten off by Mike Tyson in 1997. He competed in the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics and placed third, receiving the bronze medal. | Julio Cesar Chavez (1962 – Present) Nationality:Mexican Known For:Being a world lightweight champion. Sometimes referred to as “The Caesar of Boxing,” “Mr. KO” or “The Great Mexican Champion,” Julio Cesar Chavez is widely considered to be the best fighter to come out of Mexico. His record upon retirement was 116 wins, 6 losses and 2 draws. 87 of his victories came in the form of a knockout. He retained his World Boxing Council Super Featherweight title for a total of nine fights. |
| Mike Tyson (1966 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:Being the youngest boxer to hold the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles. When Mike Tyson was just 20 years old he held all three major world boxing titles. He remains the sole heavyweight boxer to concurrently hold all three at titles. After twice biting Evander Holyfield’s ears in a match in 1997 he was temporarily suspended from boxing in the United States and fined $3 million. Since retiring in 2005, “Iron Mike” Tyson has made various commercial and movie appearances. | Roy Jones Jr. (1969 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:Having been honored as”Fighter of the Decade” for the 90’s. Roy Jones Jr. became the first former middlewight champion in 106 years to go on and take the heavyweight title. He has won 10 major world titles and 5 minor world titles. In 1988 he took the silver medal at the Seoul, Korea Olympic games – though it is generally agreed upon that he was robbed of the gold. Jones Jr. has appeared in a few movies and has also released his own albums. | Shane Mosley (1971 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:He has won the championship in three different weight classes. “Sugar” Shane Mosley won the 1989 U.S. Amateur Championship, the 1990 U.S. Amatuer Championship and the 1992 U.S. Amatuer Championship before becoming a professional boxer. Mosley retired in 2012 with a final professional record of 46 wins, 8 losses and 1 draw. 39 of his victories were by knockout. |
| Lennox Lewis (1965 – Present) Nationality:British Known For:Winning the Olympic gold medal in the super heavyweight class in Seoul in 1988. Lennox “The Lion” Lewis was the first British boxer since Bob Fitzsimmons in 1899 to become a world heavyweight champion. After winning Olympic gold, he went professional and won his first 21 bouts in the ring. Lewis retired in 2004 with a final record of 44 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw and 32 wins by knockout. | Oscar De La Hoya (1973 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:Winning a total of ten world titles in 6 weight classes. “The Golden Boy,” Oscar De La Hoya, won the gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in the lightweight division. De La Hoya toppled seventeen world champions during his career and earned an approximate $696 million from pay per view fighting alone. This makes him the highest grossing boxer of all time. When he retired in 2009, De La Hoya finished with a final record of 39 wins and 6 losses. | Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (1977 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:Being undefeated at 45 – 0 as of October, 2013. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. received much of his training from his father who was also a professional boxer. To date, Mayweather, Jr. has won 8 world titles as well as the lineal championship within 4 separate weight classes. He is currently ranked as the top pound for pound boxer on the planet by Sports Illulstrated, Fox Sports, Yahoo Sports and ESPN. |
| Manny Pacquiao (1978 – Present) Nationality:Filipino Known For:Winning several world boxing champion titles in 8 separate weight divisions. Manny Pacquiao holds ten world titles and was also the first boxer to be victorious in the lineal championship in 4 different weight divisions. The Boxing Writers Association of America honored Pacquiao with the title of “Fighter of the Decade” in the 2000’s. He currently has a record in professional boxing of 54 wins, 5 losses and 2 draws. 38 of his victories were knockouts. | Timothy Bradley (1983 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:Defeating Manny Pacquiao in a controversial fight in 2012. Since becoming a professional boxer, Timothy Bradley has remained undefeated and currently stands at 31 – 0 as of October, 2013. Bradley has held the World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Council titles. His victory over Manny Pacquiao is widely regarded as a mistake by the judges as Pacquiao clearly won seven of the twelve rounds and had landed more punches with more accuracy. | Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (1986 – Present) Nationality:Mexican Known For:Winning the WBC middleweight title in 2011. The son of famed Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr., he is often called “The Son of the Legend.” He began his professional boxing career at just 17 years old. Over the ten years that he has now been boxing, Chavez, Jr. has only lost one of his 50 fights and has racked up 32 KOs. |
| Victor Ortiz (1987 – Present) Nationality:American Known For:Winning the welterweight champion title in 2011. “Vicious” Victor Ortiz was abandoned by his mother and later his alcoholic father at a young age. He was mentored and trained by a few retired professional boxers and went pro himself at the age of 17. Notably, Ortiz is right handed, but opts to box using the southpaw stance. |
Famous Male Boxers Names
| Muhammad Ali (1942) Famous For:Being widely considered one of the greatest boxers of all time. The Greatest, “The People’s Champion,” these are nicknames given to one of the most famous athletes in the world, Muhammad Ali. He has born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. before he converted to Islam in 1964. Before turning professional, Ali won a gold medal at the Olympics in Rome in 1960 as a light heavyweight. As a professional heavyweight, we won fifty-six, 37 by knockout. Some of his fights have been given titles, most famous include, “Rumble in the Jungle,” in Kinshasa, Zaire against George Foreman and “The Thrilla in Manila,” in Manila, Philippines against Joe Frazier. Ali was a multiple heavyweight champion during his career as a boxer. | Manny Pacquiao (1978) Famous For:World champion in eight weight divisions Eight division world champion, the first to ever accomplish the feat, Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao was named “Fighter of the Decade” in 2009. A southpaw, Pacquiao’s record is an impressive 54-5 with 2 draws. This is one fighter who has received more than his share of nicknames that include: Pac Man, The Nation’s Fist, Destroyer, Mexicutioner and the list goes on. |
| Mike Tyson (1966) Famous For:Unified the heavyweight titles under the WBA, WBC, & IBF At twenty years old, Mike Tyson became the undisputed heavyweight champion, unifying the WBA (World Boxing Association), WBC (World Boxing Council), and the IBF (International Boxing Federation) heavyweight titles. “The Baddest Man on the Planet”, as Tyson was known, won 44 of his fifty fights by knockout. He is also known as Iron Mike and Kid Dynamite for his hard hitting punches. | Floyd Mayweather Jr. (1977) Famous For:Undefeated record Rated as the best pound for pound fighter today, Floyd Mayweather Jr. remains undefeated. He is a world champion in five divisions beginning with the Super Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Light Welterweight, and Light Middleweight, divisions. As an amateur, he had an 84-6 record, as a professional, he is 45-0. He has two nicknames to date, “Money” & “Pretty Boy.” |
| Jack Johnson (1878-1946) Famous For:Galveston Giant The “Galveston Giant” or John Arthur Johnson became the first Black American world boxing heavyweight (179 lbs not more than 201) champion. His reign as champion lasted for seven years. He had a total of 114 fights, he won eighty fights, forty-five by knockouts; twelve draws, fourteen no-contest, and 13 losses. Johnson was an “orthodox” style of boxer. | George Foreman (1949) Famous For:Rumble in the Jungle Two time World Heavyweight Champion George Foreman was one of the most famous boxers of his time that go with his epic battles against the likes of Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, and Muhammad Ali. In 1968, he won the gold medal at summer Olympics in Mexico City. In his storied boxing career, Foreman compiled seventy-six wins. He was the oldest, at age 45, Heavyweight champion to win the title. His nicknames include, “The Heywood Giant, Big George, and the Punching Preacher.” |
| Roy Jones Jr. (1969) Famous For:1990s Fighter of the Decade After starting as a boxer in the light middleweight division, Roy Jones Jr. eventually found himself winning the heavyweight title. During the 1990s, Jones received the recognition for being the “Fighter of the Decade.” He garnered a total of 56 wins during his professional career, receiving the title Champion as a Middleweight, Super Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, and Heavyweight. He was known as “RJ, Captain Hook, Superman, and Junior.” | Rocky Marciano (1923-1969) Famous For:Undefeated Heavyweight boxer Untied and undefeated in his professional boxing career, former World Heavyweight champion Rocky (Rocco Francis Marchegiano) Marciano, is the only boxer to hold this distinction. He had forty-nine fights, lost none, won 43 by knockout. Born in Brockton, Massachusetts, he has been given the alias “Rock from Brockton” and “Brockton Blockbuster.” |
| Julio César Chávez, Jr. (1986) Famous For:WBC Middleweight champion in 2011 Following in the footsteps of his father, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has a record of 47 wins and 1 loss. He won the WBC middleweight title in 2011. He has been rated to fight in two weight classes, Middleweight and Light Heavyweight. | Joe Frazier (1944-2011) Famous For:Thrilla in Manila Joseph William “Smokin Joe” Frazier was proclaimed the “undisputed World Heavyweight Champion” in boxing in 1970. In the 1964 Tokyo summer Olympics, Frazier won the gold medal in the heavyweight division. As a professional, Smokin Joe had 32 wins and 4 losses, twice each to Ali and Foreman. |
| Evander Holyfield (1962) Famous For:Holyfield vs. Tyson, the Bite With a nickname “The Real Deal”, Evander Holyfield proved that he was just that, the real deal as a boxer. Of his 44 wins, he won 29 by knockout. Some of those wins were at the expense of the likes of Foreman, Holmes, and Mike Tyson, to name a few. Another nickname given to Holyfield was “The Warrior.” | Julio César Chávez (1962) Famous For:The Great Mexican Champion Considered as Mexico’s greatest fighter, Julio Cesar Chavez is remembered for his punching power, relentless attack against his opponents, and his ability to take the punches. As a Chavez had 107 wins to go with being crowned six times as world champion in the Super Featherweight, Lightweight, and Light Welterweight divisions. |
| Lennox Lewis (1965) Famous For:Undisputed Champion in 2000 British/Canadian Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis is viewed by many as one of the greatest fighters of all time. He received a gold medal during the 1988 Seoul summer Olympics. He turned professional in 1989 in which he won forty-one times. At six feet five inches, he had a reach of 84 inches. He has been given the nickname “The Lion” and “Lenny”, though he viewed himself as “the pugilist specialist.” | Victor Ortiz (1987) Famous For:WBC Welterweight champion in 2011 Another southpaw, Victor Ortiz’s fighting record is 29 wins, 4 losses, and 3 draws. In 2011, he won the WBC welterweight title against Andre Berto. He us rated eligible to fight in the welterweight, light welterweight, and light middleweight divisions. |
| Sugar Ray Leonard (1956) Famous For:The Super Fight vs. Hagler In the 1980s, Sugar Ray Leonard received the recognition for being the “Boxer of the Decade”. Although he only figured in 40 fights, he won 36 of them, the men he fought against were equally legendary. Representing the USA at the summer Olympics in 1976, we won gold in the light welterweight division. He fought in five divisions, moving up from Welterweight to Light Heavyweight. His battles against fellow Hall of Famers were epic, these include the likes of Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Wilfred Benitez, and Marvin Hagler. | Timothy Bradley (1983) Famous For:World champion in welterweight division Current WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley is just getting started in his boxing career. To date, he has won 31 fights with no losses. He won the welterweight title against then champion Manny Pacquiao. |
| Jack Dempsey (1895-1983) Famous For:Boxing World Heavyweight Champion 1919-1926 Jack Dempsey held boxing’s World Heavyweight Championship belt for seven years, from 1919 to 1926. Because of his aggressive power, Dempsey was one of the most popular boxers in his time. Of the 83 fights he fought in, Dempsey won 65, winning 51 of those by knock-out. He only lost six of the 83. His nicknames include “Manassa Mauler” and “Kid Blackie.” | Joe Louis (1914-1981) Famous For:Brown Bomber & Boxing World Heavyweight Champion 1937-1949 As boxing’s World Heavyweight champion for twelve years, of the 70 fights Joe Louis fought, he only experienced three losses, winning 66. Of that victories, he won 52 by knockout. He is viewed as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. He had reach of 76″. He was nicknamed the Brown Bomber. |
| Sugar Ray Robinson (1921-1989) Famous For:best pound for pound boxer The title of the “greatest boxer” of all time may be given to Sugar Ray Robinson, as an amateur, he had a record of 85-0, 69 won by knockout, forty of those in the first round. Robinson had an “orthodox” style as a boxer. He fought in the welterweight (140 pounds not more than 147) and middleweight (152 pounds not more than 165) divisions of boxing. | Sonny Liston (unknown-1970) Famous For:1964 rematch against Muhammad Ali One of the most controversial boxers of his time, Sonny Liston had a record of 50 wins and four losses. He was in the heavyweight division and in 1962 was crowned the World Heavyweight Champion. His most memorable fights were those against Floyd Patterson and Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), whom he each fought two times. |
| Rubin Carter (1937) Famous For:his nickname, the Hurricane The Hurricane, this was the nickname given to middleweight boxer Rubin Carter. He was not tall for a middleweight fighter, but he did have a total of forty fights in which he won 27 of those, 19 by knockout. | Jake Lamotta (1921) Famous For:Raging Bull LaMotta has been given the nickname of “Raging Bull” and “Bronx Bull” for his bully style of fighting in the ring. As a middleweight and light heavyweight boxer, Jake fought a total of 106 times, winning 93 of those. His storied rivalry against Sugar Ray Robinson, they fought six times, the last had been labeled as boxings version of the “Valentine’s Day Massacre” in which LaMotta was out-boxed, out punched by Robinson, but never knocked down. |
| Roberto Durán (1951) Famous For:“No Mas, No Mas” One of the best fighters to step into the wrong was Panamanian Roberto Duran, the man who had been given the nickname “Manos de Piedra or Hands of Stone.” He fought in five different weight classes, Lightweight, Welterweight, Light and Super Middleweight, and Middleweight. He won 103 times and 70 of those by knockout. | Shane Mosley (1971) Famous For:Sugar Shane Mosley As a professional boxer, Shane Mosley has a record of 47 wins and 8 losses. 39 of those wins came via knockout. He held world titles as a Lightweight, Welterweight, and Light Middleweight. As an amateur, Mosley’s official record was 230 wins and twelve losses. |
| Oscar De La Hoya (1973) Famous For:Golden Boy Golden Boy Oscar dela Hoya has won ten world boxing titles in different weight classes beginning in the Super featherweight all the way up to Middleweight, six in all. He won a gold medal at the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain in the lightweight division. His professional boxing record is a respectable 39-6. | Larry Holmes (1949) Famous For:Easton Assassin The Easton Assassin, this was how former WBC Heavyweight champion was known. He grew up in the city of Easton in Pennsylvania. He reigned as boxing champion from 1978 through 1983. His record as a professional boxer was 69-6. |
| Marvelous Marvin Hagler (1954) Famous For:Marvelous Marvin Hagler Marvelous, that is what Marvin Hagler is known as. He is a southpaw (left-handed) boxer that fought in the Middleweight division, he has hailed the undisputed World Middleweight Champion over a seven year period, 1980 to 1987. He was involved in 67 fights and won 62. His knockout percentage is the highest among middleweight champions, of the 62 fights he won, he knocked out 52 of his opponents, giving him a 78% knockouts. |