20 Best Pound-For-Pound Boxers in History [Ranked]

Boxing history is full of sublime technicians. These fighters dedicated their lives to mastering the sweet science.

Some went on to parlay their talents into becoming pay-per-view superstars and – in some cases – global icons. Others, meanwhile, didn’t find fame and fortune, but are globally appreciated for the skills they possessed and the impressive records they went on to achieve.

Below, GIVEMESPORT pays tribute to the best to ever step foot in a ring as we rank the 20 greatest pound-for-pound boxers in history.

Ranking factors include:

• Overall record
• Titles
• Ability in the ring

10

Roy Jones Jr

Professional record: 66-10

Winning a light middleweight silver medal at the 1988 summer Olympic Games, this sparked the beginning of an incredibly successful career for Jones Jr. Having had 76 professional fights throughout his career that spanned from 1989 to as recently as 2023, he boasts 66 wins during that time, with his first loss coming in 1997 to Montell Griffin, a loss that ended his near eight-year win streak. Holding multiple world championships in four different weight classes; middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight, Jones Jr showed an adaptability unlike many before or since, and will go down as one of the greatest to grace the sport.

9

Willie Pep

Professional record: 229-11-1

Reeling back the years for ninth on this list, and it is Willie Pep, a featherweight known by the nickname ‘Will O’ the Wisp’. The American boxed a 26-year career which saw him involved in a jaw-dropping 241 bouts. A two-time featherweight champion, Pep’s ability to defend and counter left him with 229 victories to his name, as he made himself one of the most feared men of the 1940s. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, and has since been dubbed the best featherweight of all time. Having passed away in 2006, he left a legacy in boxing that will stand the test of time.

8

Henry Armstrong

Professional record: 152-22-9

Having dabbled in the 1940s era of boxing, Armstrong brings it even further back, as he made a name for himself during the 1930s as the man who simultaneously held the featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight championships. Only losing 21 bouts in a career that saw him fight 180 times, Hurricane Hank’s 14-year career saw his unrelenting in-ring style bring him to the top of boxing, and find himself undoubtedly agreed upon as being one of the best to step into a ring.

7

Manny Pacquiao

Professional record: 62-8-3

A fan favourite for years, the Philippine-born boxer dominated in various weight classes throughout his career, amassing 62 victories from 73 bouts. Having had classic bouts with the likes of Erik Morales, much like Armstrong, it was Pacquiao’s unrelenting in-ring style and speed that saw him maintain a level of success that not many will ever be able to reach. Pacquiao is still to this day the only boxer in history to win 12 world titles in eight different weight classes, from flyweight to light middleweight, a record that sees him unanimously viewed as one of the greatest of all time.

6

Rocky Marciano

Professional record: 49-0

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The Rock from Brockton is next on this list, with the heavyweight managing a feat that has rarely been accomplished, ending his career with a flawless record of 49 wins from 49 fights. A man with a chin that couldn’t be rocked, Marciano holds the highest knockout-to-win percentage of any boxer in heavyweight title bouts, with an 85.71% success rate. With a career that only spanned eight years, he finds himself with a career much shorter than most and much more successful than most, something that plays a huge role in him being viewed as one of the best heavyweights ever.

5

Roberto Duran

Professional record: 103-16

Fifth place on this list is the Panamanian-born boxer, Roberto Duran, a man who, much like prior entrants, saw himself fight in several weight classes in a career that saw him win over 100 fights. From super featherweight to light heavyweight, the ‘Hands of Stone’ had a power that could rarely be stopped, and he made a name for himself as being a man who wouldn’t shy away from facing the best there was, hence the litany of weight classes he fought in. Having been voted the best lightweight of the 20th century, his world championships in lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight, and middleweight see him viewed as one of the best pressure fighters of his time.

4

Floyd Mayweather Jr

Professional record: 50-0

It wouldn’t be a list of boxing greats without ‘Money’ Mayweather being featured, and for good reason, as the American, much like Marciano, enjoyed a flawless career, with a 100% success rate in his 50 fights. The former 15-time world champion fought between super featherweight and light middleweight throughout his career, with his pretty footwork and ability to dodge punches making him a feared opponent for all. With a classic against the aforementioned Pacquiao, he also worked his magic against the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, dodging no man in his pursuit of becoming one of the best of all time.

3

Joe Louis

Professional record: 66-3

Making the podium on this list is none other than the ‘Brown Bomber’ Joe Louis. A man who held the heavyweight championship for a ludicrous 12 years, his right hand sees him known as one of the most ruthless punchers of all time. Competing from 1934 to 1951, his 25 consecutive successful title defences from 1937 to his temporary retirement in 1949 is a record still held to this day. He had a tenacity and bravery unlike many, making himself a fan favourite, as he went on to become one of the first African-Americans to achieve a hero-like status in the United States during a time of divide, an achievement that supersedes a career that all boxers dream of.

2

Sugar Ray Robinson

Professional record: 174-19-6 (2 NC)

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With a career spanning three decades, it is easy to see why Robinson is viewed as pound-for-pound one of the greatest boxers of all time. A combination of perfect technique, speed, and power, Robinson managed to earn himself an impressive 174 career victories, a stat bested by his rumoured flawless amateur career of 85 straight victories. Turning professional at just 19 in 1940, Robinson went on to dominate until 1952, when he temporarily retired. Having won both the welterweight and middleweight world titles before his first retirement, his legacy proceeds him, as he will forever find himself brought up in the conversation of the greatest of all time.

1

Muhammad Ali

Professional record: 56-5

Taking the gold medal on this list of best pound-for-pound boxers of all time, and it is none other than Muhammad Ali. It is hard to begrudge a man nicknamed ‘the Greatest’, and in Ali’s case, he truly was, as he is still regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. Having been voted Sportsman of the Century in 1999, Ali held Olympic Gold, and the WBA and Ring world heavyweight titles during this era of dominance. A success in the ring, his career outside was a huge success too, with Ali dedicating a lot of time to fighting against racial injustice and prejudices, a legacy any man would be proud of. Having infamous bouts against Joe Frazier, known as the Fight of the Century, Ali also competed in the Thrilla in Manila against Frazier. With the Rumble in the Jungle against George Foreman also being on his CV, it is hard to argue against Muhammad Ali being the greatest boxer of all time.