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.
It is not difficult to make a case for Muhammad Ali as the greatest boxer in history, and Ali himself would probably agree. His amateur career included 100 wins and just five losses, as well as taking the gold medal in the light heavyweight division during the 1960 summer Olympic games in Rome. As a pro, he won 56 fights and lost just five bouts, three of them coming at the end of his career. He also defeated some of boxing's toughest competitors, including George Foreman, Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier and Floyd Patterson.
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.
With 173 wins and more than 100 of them by knockout, Sugar Ray Robinson is certainly one to be considered as the best boxer. While Muhammad Ali had no shortage of confidence regarding his own excellence as a fighter, even he declared that Robinson was the "King," of boxing. He was a top fighter at welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight, defeating a slew of tough opponents, including Jake La Motta, Kid Gavilan and Rocky Graziano.
While Rocky Marciano didn't face fighters that were as strong as Louis, Ali and Robinson, he certainly deserves some praise and a spot on anyone's Top Ten list of greatest boxers. Marciano is the only heavyweight champion in history to boast a completely undefeated fight record with 49 wins, 43 knockouts and no losses.
Before there was Ali, Robinson and even before Joe Louis, there was Jack Johnson, another of the world's best fighters. Johnson was the first African American to win the world heavyweight championship, but it was his 1910 bout against James Jeffries that truly cemented his reputation as a top fighter. Overall, he won 80 of his 114 bouts, with 45 of those being due to knockout.
It is not difficult to make a case for Muhammad Ali as the greatest boxer in history, and Ali himself would probably agree. His amateur career included 100 wins and just five losses, as well as taking the gold medal in the light heavyweight division during the 1960 summer Olympic games in Rome. As a pro, he won 56 fights and lost just five bouts, three of them coming at the end of his career. He also defeated some of boxing's toughest competitors, including George Foreman, Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier and Floyd Patterson.
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.
With 173 wins and more than 100 of them by knockout, Sugar Ray Robinson is certainly one to be considered as the best boxer. While Muhammad Ali had no shortage of confidence regarding his own excellence as a fighter, even he declared that Robinson was the "King," of boxing. He was a top fighter at welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight, defeating a slew of tough opponents, including Jake La Motta, Kid Gavilan and Rocky Graziano.
While Rocky Marciano didn't face fighters that were as strong as Louis, Ali and Robinson, he certainly deserves some praise and a spot on anyone's Top Ten list of greatest boxers. Marciano is the only heavyweight champion in history to boast a completely undefeated fight record with 49 wins, 43 knockouts and no losses.
Before there was Ali, Robinson and even before Joe Louis, there was Jack Johnson, another of the world's best fighters. Johnson was the first African American to win the world heavyweight championship, but it was his 1910 bout against James Jeffries that truly cemented his reputation as a top fighter. Overall, he won 80 of his 114 bouts, with 45 of those being due to knockout.
About the Author:
Nolan Barias loves blogging about mixed martial arts benefits. For more details about a boxing club San Diego or to find mixed martial arts classes in San Diego, go to The Arena MMA.com today.
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