Most Famous Boxers Of All Time
For more than 10 years, he was the most hated and the most famous African American on the earth. He had a record of 73 wins out of which 40 were knockout wins and lost 13 matches. 05- Jack Dempsey. He is definitely amongst the most popular boxers of America of all time. He is also famous for setting the highest purse records and attendance. Legendary boxer Rocky Marciano is amongst the hardest punchers of all time. He had a boxing era from 1948 to 1955 and he has a claim to fame for being the heavyweight champion who is undefeated. Rocky has a record of 49 wins out of which 43 were knock-out wins and zero losses. He had been a great boxer without any doubt in his time.
Sugar Ray Robinson (born Walker Smith Jr.; May 3, 1921 – April 12, 1989) was an American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create 'pound for pound' rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight. Jack Dempsey was a heavyweight champion for 7 years (from 1919 to 1926). He was also competing in the light heavyweight division although never got the belt there. I think he is one of the greatest boxers not only because of the fact he was a champion or because of his title defenses but also because of his unique style.
Boxing is without doubt one of the hardest sports to compare achievements and rank the all-time greats... but that doesn’t stop people trying relentlessly.
Most recently, Floyd Mayweather claimed that he was a better boxer than Muhammad Ali and should be rated more highly.
Despite stating how difficult it is to rank boxing greats, here’s a list of the top 25 boxers in history, which has been put together by Yard Barker.
If you don't agree, or you're annoyed by the rankings, just remember, it's an opinion, which we're all allowed.
25. Sandy Saddler
Sadler starts the list and is arguably one of the hardest hitting boxers of all time. Best known for being the only boxer to defeat Willie Pep in his prime.
24. Rocky Marciano
The Rock from Brockton was a hugely popular boxer in the 40’s and 50’s and knocked out 88% of his opponents. The fighter had an excellent career and was also partially the inspiration for the Sylvester Stallone classic.
23. George Foreman
With 68 of his 76 career wins being knockouts, the Olympic gold medallist has an impressive 89.5% knockout rate. The main blemish on the heavyweight’s record is his loss to Muhammed Ali in the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’.
22. Julio Cesar Chavez
The popular Mexican fighter began his career with 88 straight wins and has beaten some impressive opposition.
21. Jack Dempsey
The American boxer held the heavyweight title for seven years, the second longest of all time.
20. Gene Tunney
Tunney is one of the most famous boxers of all time. His fights with Jack Dempsey drew over 100,000 spectators. Tunney has also been recognised for his military service in the first world war.
19. Barney Ross
A strong activist for Jewish-Americans during the build-up to World War 2, Ross’ legacy extends beyond the ring. Only the third fighter to win titles in three weight classes, his legacy in the ring is also a lasting one.
18. Joe Gans
Gans made history as the first black American to win a boxing world title and is an inspiration to many boxers today. Unfortunately, Gans died of tuberculosis.
17. Floyd Mayweather Jr
Despite ranking himself as the greatest of all time, most don’t. His attachment to his unbeaten record means he rarely tests himself against the best.
16. Pernell Whittaker
An Olympic gold medallist in 1984 and an exceptional fighter earns Pernell the 18th spot.
15. Archie Moore
One of the first fighters to be named in the international boxing Hall of Fame, Moore has the second highest number of knockouts in the sport's history. Moore also held the light heavyweight title for 10 straight years.
14. Ezzard Charles
Charles started his career with a record of 70-6 but had a more unsuccessful later career. Charles is in the boxing hall of fame and commemorated on a postage stamp.
13. Manny Pacquiao
Only one man has ever won more titles in more than six weight divisions, an impressive record to hold. Despite losing to Mayweather, the 40-year-old makes it into the top 15.
12. Sam Langford
Langford suffered racial discrimination throughout his career, and as a result, one of the most dominant fighters of his generation never had the opportunity for a title fight.
Most Famous Boxers Of All Time Periods
11. Jack Johnson
Following in Joe Gan’s footsteps, Johnson was the first black boxer to be crowned world heavyweight champion. Despite the racial abuse the fighter received in the press and throughout his career, to this day he is undoubtedly a legend.
10. Marvin Hagler
Declared the greatest middleweight ever by many fans, Hagler just makes it into the top 10.
9. Sugar Ray Leonard
Despite only 40 fights, Leonard won an Olympic gold medal and 12 world titles in five divisions. Without an eye injury ending his career early, Leonard would have climbed even higher on this list.
8. Benny Leonard
Leonard makes the top 10 of almost all pound-for-pound boxing rankings and for good reason.
7. Joe Louis
The longest reigning heavyweight title holder in history, as well as defending the title a record 25 times, earns Louis a top spot. In a huge cultural moment, Louis defeated German boxer Max Schmeling in 1938 during the Nazi era.
6. Roberto Duran
Duran was the dominant boxer of the 70’s. His unmatched 41-fight win streak led him to the welterweight title.
5. Willie Pep
The highest number of official wins in history and having fought nearly 2,000 rounds of boxing in his career. Pep has earned a spot in the top five on everyone’s list.
4. Harry Greb
Greb has one of the most respected boxing records of the entire list and is the only fighter to beat Gene Tunney. If newspaper decisions at the time are included, Greb has more wins than any other boxer in history.
3. Henry Armstrong
Being the only boxer to hold world titles in three weight divisions simultaneously is only the tip of the iceberg of achievements of Armstrong. His 27-0 run to win the welterweight world title in 1937 is one of his most memorable streaks.
2. Muhammad Ali
When someone mentions boxing, Muhammad Ali’s name is not far behind. His quotes and legacy have extended further beyond the ring than any boxer before or after him. Little needs to be said to justify his place at number two.
1. Sugar Ray Robinson
The top spot is an easy pick. Sugar Ray Robinson is the main reason that the pound-for-pound rating system was ever used to compare boxers. Called “the king, my master, my idol” by Muhammad Ali himself says it better than most could. The five-time world middleweight champion is ranked number one on almost all lists for a reason.
News Now - Sport NewsOne of the most brutal, savage, and entertaining sports in the world is boxing. Boxing is also far and away one of the most profitable. While only a handful of boxers can earn critical acclaim and fortune in their profession, if you make it to the top, boxing is 100% the sport that earns the most money per time spent in the ring. The richest boxers in the world earn more money per minute than just about any big sport in the world combined; do you know who the highest paid boxer is?
In some cases a boxer can take home literally 9 figures in a night that lasts all of 2 minutes. Why such a payoff? Gambling and promoting. No other sports commands the amount of action Vegas receives as much as boxing does. Also, no other sport brings in as much Pay Per View money as boxing does. So how much money is A LOT of money in boxing? Glad you were thinking that too.
We’ve gone through the archives to list the 20 richest boxers in the history of the sport. Some of these may very well surprise you:
20. Mike Tyson – $ 3 million
Mike Tyson is one the most common and popular figures in the world of boxing. Tyson is a retired American professional boxer born on 30th June 1966. Tyson had an incredible boxing career having been the world’s undisputed heavyweight champion. Tyson had a controversial history and a career full of ups and downs. Out of 58 fights, he had an incredible 50 wins that made the world to give him a name ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet.’ With this kind of impact in boxing, we would all expect him to be among the richest boxers in the world, but he is trailing far from the top of list. At the peak of his career, Tyson was wealthy as he earned $300 million but squandered all of it in ways we can explain in this one article alone (it would require an entire book and film, both of which are out there). His current net worth is $3 million.
19. Juan Manuel Márquez – $20 million
Hailing from Mexico is a former professional boxer named Juan Manuel Márquez. He was born on 23rd August 1973 and competed from 1993 to 2014. Márquez was an exceptional boxer with top-notch combinations and counterpunches skills. He was fast and rough, and these qualities made him successful in his profession. In his career, Márquez held various titles such as WBA, WBO featherweight, IBF, WBC super featherweight, lineal lightweight, and WBO junior welterweight. Out of 64 fights, he had incredible 56 wins, one draw, 40 wins by KO, and seven losses. He has a net worth of $20 million.
18. Carl Froch – $20 million
Born on 2nd July 1977, Carl Froch is a former professional boxer from England. He competed from 2002 to 2014. Boxing was in his veins as he started off at a tender age of 9. He is famously known as ‘The Sheriff of Nottingham’ as a result of his skills and dedication in the world of boxing. As an amateur, Carl Froch won the ABA Middleweight titles two times, and a Bronze medal during the 2001 World Amateur Championship. As a professional boxer, he won 33 fights out of a possible 35, with 24 being knockouts. In addition to the fact that held the IBF and WBA Super middleweight champion belts, Carl Froch has been awarded World Champion status four times. His net worth is $20 million.
17. Joe Calzaghe – $21 Million
Coming from Wales is a former professional boxer by the name Joe Calzaghe. He was born on 23rd March 1972 and competed from 1993 to 2008. He fans refer to him as ‘Pride of Wales’ that came as a result of his exceptional skills in boxing. He started his career at a young age and made an impact in the world of sports, having bagged various titles such as Super WBA, IBF, WBC, Ring Magazine, the Ring light heavyweight, WBO, and lineal super middleweight. He holds a record at super-middleweight as the longest reigning champion as he had successfully defended the WBO title 21 times and held it for a record ten years. As he tries to make it into Hollywood, his net worth is $21 million.
16. Amir Khan – $30 million
Amir Khan was born on 8th December 1986. He is a professional boxer from Britain and has found a place in the world of boxing thanks to his exceptional skills. At the age of 17 years, Khan presented himself to the world after winning a silver medal at Athens in 2004. Interestingly, he is the youngest British Olympic boxing medalist. At the age of 22, he again showed the world that he was true and real about dedicating his life to boxing when he won the WBA light welterweight title. He is a rich boxer as he currently pockets $1.6 million per fight. In addition to his purses for his fights, Khan owns a Boxing academy in Pakistan. His net worth is $30 million.
15. Anthony Mundine – $30 million
Anthony Mundine is a well known in the world of sports as he has actively participated in both boxing and rugby. Born on 21st May 1975, Mundine became famous as a result of a rivalry he had with fellow Australians Daniel Geale and Danny Green. However, the rivalry did not prevent him from impacting the world of sports. He comes from a boxing lineage given that his father Tony Mundine is a former boxer. Before he even made his way into boxing, he was a rugby player and the highest paid in the NRL. During his boxing career, Mundine has bagged various titles such as WBA super middleweight, IBO middleweight, and interim super welterweight. His net worth is $30 million.
14. Felix Trinidad – $30 million
Hailing from Puerto Rico we get Felix Trinidad who is a former professional boxer born on 10th January, 1973. During his career from 1990 to 2008, Felix cemented himself as being of the greatest boxers of all-time in his weight class. He started his career at the young age of 17 and won five national amateur Championships in Puerto Rico. As a professional boxer, Felix made his first impact in 1993 by defeating Maurice Blocker to win the IBF welterweight. His fans refer to him as ‘Tito’ and has been impressive throughout his boxing career especially after bagging various titles such as WBC, WBA, lineal lightweight, IBF light middleweight, and WBA middleweight. He defended the welterweight title for a record 15 times, and he is a record welterweight champion. He lost his first professional fight in 2001 against Bernard Hopkins. His net worth is $30 million.
13. Naseem Hamed – $33 million
Born on 12th February 1974, Hamed is a former professional boxer from Britain famously referred to as ‘Prince’ or Naz Hamed. He competed from 1992 to 2002. He was flashy and elusive, and he always fought with both of his hands down as he never saw the need to protect his face from his opponents. He believed in himself and in a total of 37 fights, he lost only once. Before his retirement at 28 years old, Hamed bagged various titles such as WBO, IBF, WBC, European bantamweight, and IBO. His net worth is $33 million.
12. Ricky Hatton – $40 million
Born on 6th October 1978, Ricky Hatton is a former British professional boxer who started his career as a business person before getting his mind to boxing. He competed from 1997 to 2012 and had an impressive record. Even though he had a passion for football, he chose boxing as his profession. In his entire career, Hatton won 45 fights out of a possible 47. He has won various titles such as IBF, super WBA, IBO, WBA welterweight, and The Ring magazine light welterweight. His net worth is $40 million.
11. Bernard Hopkins – $40 million
Born on 15th January 1965, Bernard Hopkins is an American former professional boxer who used to fight at both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions. He made the greatest achievement of his career from 1994 to 2005 when he won the world middleweight titles. He managed to defend his world middleweight title for a world record 20 times and has had an excellent career as he has won 55 fights out of possible 66, with 32 wins by KO, thanks to his counter-punching skills. His net worth is $40 million.
10. Roy Jones Jr. – $45 million
Roy Jones Jr. was a professional boxer, boxing trainer, boxing commentator, actor and a rapper with a dual Russian and American citizenship. He presented himself to the world of boxing at a young age when he won the 1984 U.S National Junior Olympics. In 1986 he won the U.S National Golden Gloves in one weight class and in 1987, he won yet another Golden Gloves in another class. He became a professional boxer in 1989, and in his debut knocked out Ricky Randall in two rounds. In 1992, he picked up his first title and became the WBC Continental Americas super middleweight champion. In 1993, he earned IBF middleweight title. Throughout his boxing career, Roy Jones became the undisputed light heavyweight champion, has won the WBA heavyweight title, has been named Fighter of the Decade, and Fighter of the Year, and won Best Boxer ESPY Award three times. His fans refer to him as ‘Superman,’ “Captain Hook’ ‘RJ.’ He won 62 fights out of a possible 71 fights. His net worth is $45 million.
9. Marvin Hagler – $45 million
If you were born in the 1970s and 80s, you definitely know this boxing legend. Born on 23rd May 1954, Marvin Hagler was famously referred to as ‘Marvelous Marvin Hagler,’ due to his wonderful skills in the ring in which he competed from 1973 to 1987. He is in the International Boxing Hall of Fame and earned various accolades during his boxing career such as Fighter of the Year, and Fighter of the Decade. His knockout percentage stands at 78% and is the highest in all undisputed middleweight champions. His boxing career was impressive as it was “marvelous”as he won 62 fights out of a possible 67 fights with two draws and 52 knock-outs. Hagler’s net worth is $45 million.
8. Muhammad Ali – $50 million
Muhammad Ali was born on 17th January 1942, and is hands down the most famous boxer in history. His boxing career started at the age of 12, and at 18 years, he managed to win a gold medal in the light heavyweight division during the 1960 Summer Olympics. He became a professional boxer at the age of 19. Both inside and outside the ring, Muhammad Ali was regarded as a polarizing, controversial, and inspiring figure. His boxing career was historic as he partnered with his coach Fred Stoner and won various titles such as Amateur Junior titles, six Kentucky Golden Gloves, and two national Golden Gloves. In 1984, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a time at which he decided to devote his time to philanthropy. In 2005, he earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He died on 3rd June 2016 from septic shock. He is considered one of if not the greatest boxer in history with a net worth of $50 million.
7. Vitali Klitschko – $65 million
Coming from the Ukraine we find Vitali Klitschko who is a former professional boxer and Ukrainian politician. He was born on 19th July 1971, standing at 6’7 and was the closest boxer to Ivan Drag the world had ever seen. During his career, Klitschko became the third longest combined world champion in boxing history. He became world heavyweight champion three times, and is the second longest reigning WBC heavyweight champion. From 1999 to 2000, he held the WBO title, from 2004 to 2005 held the Ring Magazine title, 2004 and 2005 held WBC title and the same WBC title from 2008 to 2013. He had an exceptional knockout percentage of 87.23%, and he successfully defended his title ten times. He has also never been knocked down by any boxer in any fight. He lost twice due to a deep cut slightly above his eyes and a shoulder injury, and the judges recorded them as stoppages and not outright knockouts. He was famously known as “Dr. Ironfist.” Klitschko’s net worth is $65 million, and he is currently serving as a Kyiv Mayor as well as the head of the Kyiv City State Administration.
6. Ray Charles Leonard – $120 million
Ray Charles Leonard was born on 17 May 1956. He is famously known as ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard due to the fact that he added flavor to the world of boxing. He is a former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1997. During his career, he managed to bag various world titles in five weight divisions, undisputed welterweight, and the lineal championship. If “The Fabulous Four” rings a bell on your mind, Charles Leonard was among the four fighters who fought each other during the 1980s. In 1980, Leonard was named Boxer of the Decade and also happened to be the first boxer in the world of boxing to earn more than $100 million in purses. He is a motivational speaker and an occasional actor worth $120 million.
5. Lennox Lewis – $140 million
Born on 2nd September 1965, Lennox Lewis is a former professional boxer who has left a legacy in the world of sports. He competed from 1989 to 2003 and became two-time lineal champion, three times world heavyweight champion, and retains the world’s undisputed Heavyweight Champion. As an amateur, he represented Canada in the 1988 Summer Olympic and bagged a gold medal in the super-heavyweight division when he defeated Riddick Bowe. When he graduated to professional boxer, he showed the world what he was made of by winning various regional heavyweight champions. Out of 44 fights, Lennox won 41 bouts. He is also an actor with a net worth of $140 million.
Most Famous Boxers Of All Time Names
4. Manny Pacquiao – $190 million
Born on 17th December 1978, Pacquiao is a famous Filipino figure in the world of boxing. He started his boxing career at the age of 14 but turned into a professional boxer at 16. He has a fantastic record as he has won 57 fights out of 65 fights, with two draws and 38 KOs. Pacquiao is the only boxer in the entire world to have won titles in seven various weight classes. In 2010, the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), WBO, and WBC named Pacquiao as the Fighter of the Decade. In 2006, 2008, and 2009, he was named Ring Magazine and BWAA Fighter of the year and Best Fighter ESPY Award in 2009 and 2011. His best achievement in boxing history came in 2014 when he was named Pac-Man after winning two big fights from Chris Algeri and Timothy Bradley. He possesses exceptional skills that helped him to be ranked second pound-to-pound boxer by ESPN in 2016. Besides boxing, Pacquiao is a politician, and he is currently a senator of the Philippines. He is worth $190 million.
3. Oscar De La Hoya – $200 million
Born on 4th February 1973, Oscar De La Hoya is another admirable figure for his strength and skills in boxing. He competed between 1992 and 2008 and made a very big impact in the world of sports. He holds Mexican and American citizenship and presented himself to the world after representing the United States at 1992 Summer Olympics and won a gold medal in the lightweight division. He hails from a boxing family, given that his brother Joel Jr., his father Joel Sr., and his grandfather Vicente were all boxers. Ring Magazine awarded him as a Fighter of the Year in 1995 and best pound-for-pound fighter in 1997 and 1998. He retired in 2009 after sixteen years of a successful career. We can remember him as ‘The Golden Boy’ based on his exceptional skills and a gold medal he won at Barcelona Olympic Games. Out of 45 fights, Oscar De La Hoya won 39 of them which made him one of the richest boxers with a net worth of $200 million. He’s now a promoter.
2. George Foreman – $300 million
Born on 10th January 1949, George Foreman is an American former professional boxer famously known as ‘Big George.’ He competed from 1969 to 1977 and then from 1987 to 1997, a career he started at 24 years old when he delivered a TKO to the then-undefeated Joe Frazier. As an amateur, he won a gold medal in the heavyweight division during the 1968 Summer Olympics. He became a professional boxer in 1969 and had an excellent career with 76 wins out of possible 81 fights. His first professional loss came in 1974 when he lost to Muhammad Ali, and he retired in 1977 after failing to secure another title opportunity. However, he didn’t give up and tried something else for himself. He became a Christian minister and also worked for home appliances manufacturing company known as Russell Hobbs Inc. As a spokesperson, Foreman earned $137 million, and he allowed the company to use his name on the ‘George Foreman Grill.’ Today, his success is a diverse set of various activities such as acting, advertising, writing, and other media activities. Tracing his history as a boxer, Foreman had a great achievement where he won World heavyweight champion twice and Olympic Gold Medal. He is currently a multimillionaire entrepreneur worth $250 million.
1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. – $560 million
Mayweather is the highest paid and richest boxer in the world. Born on February 24, 1977, Mayweather competed from 1996 to 2007, and then from 2009 to 2017. As an amateur, he introduced himself to the world after winning a bronze medal in featherweight division during 1996 Olympics, U.S national championship, and three U.S Golden Gloves. Since then, he has been a limelight and has won six boxing championship in various weight classes that include Lightweight Championship, Super Featherweight Championship, Junior Welterweight Championship, Superweight Championship, and Welterweight twice. His greatest achievement was witnessed during the 2013-2014 era when he was pronounced the highest paid athlete in any sport after earning $105 million in a single fight He retired in 2015 but made a comeback in 2017 when he fought Conner McGregor and won, extending his undefeated streak from a record forty-nine to fifty. He has the nickname of ‘Pretty Boy.’ His current net worth is $400 million, making him the highest paid boxer.