Boxing Greats - by Moses

  As we were just treated to the last Floyd Mayweather fight, I just thought I'd treat the viewers to a piece I recently wrote (for greatest pleasure read from Twenty to One);

Greatest Boxers of All-Time

1.  Joe Louis went 69-3 over his boxing career.  Joe Louis was the second African American (after Jack Johnson) to win the Heavyweight Championship (or any Belt approved by the World Boxing Commission).  He won the Heavyweight Championship in 1937 and held it until 1949.  In his 72 fights Louis recorded 57 KO's.  Joe Louis held the belt for thirteen years.

2.  Sugar Ray Leonard was 36-3-1 in his career.  As an amateur Leonard won the Gold Medal as a Junior Welterweight in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in the 1976 Summer Olympics.  As a professional, Leonard took on Roberto Duran to win the Welterweight Championship in 1979 (his first belt).  Sugar Ray then took on and beat Thomas ‘Hit Man’ Hearns to win the Middleweight Championship in 1981.  In 1983 Leonard fought Marvin Hagler to win the light-Heavyweight Championship.  Of his 36 wins, 25 came by way of knockout.  Having the belt in four separate weight classes makes 'Sugar Ray' the most versatile Boxer of All-Time.

3.  Rocky Marciano never lost a fight.  He went 49-0 and was the Heavyweight Champion of the World from 1949-1953.  Of his 49 wins, 43 were by knockout.  He defeated Joe Louis himself in 1949 to win the Heavyweight Belt.  A true legend, Marciano is the 'Satchel Paige' of Boxing.  He was known for punishing his opponents with heavy body shots (the reason we see Sylvester Stallone in 'Rocky' slugging huge Beef Rib Racks in the meat plant his future brother in-law sets him to train in).  Marciano had, perhaps, the heaviest punch in the History of Boxing. 

4.  Cassius Clay (Muhammed Ali) fought through probably the toughest Heavyweight division of all time.  Ali defeated Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Ken Norton, George Chuvallo, and Leon Spinks, throughout his storied career.  Ali could 'float like a butterfly and sting like a bee'.  He won in convincing fashion when he showed up, which was all the time.  His lifetime record was 56-5 with 37KO’s.  The only fight Ali should ever have backed away from was the Holmes fight.

5.  George Foreman fought against the likes of Ali, Frazier, Norton, Chuvallo, Holmes, Tyson and Holyfield throughout his career.  He is the only Boxer to have won the Belt in two different eras.  Foreman finished his career 76-5 with 68 KO’s.  Considering that Foreman had won the Heavyweight Championship Belt for the first time in 1973 and for the last time in 1996, his career span makes him one for the ages.

6.  Marvin Hagler was as polished a fighter as there has ever been.  Hagler won the Middleweight Championship in 1978 and was also an accomplished Light-Heavyweight fighter, winning the Belt in 1985, once Sugar Ray Leonard retired.  Over the course of his career Hagler fought against the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas ‘Hit Man’ Hearns, and Donny Lalonde.  Hagler finished his career 62-3-2 with 52KO’s.

7.  Floyd Mayweather is the greatest Welterweight of all-time, neigh Sugar Ray Leonard.  His professional career has seen him go undefeated 45-0 to this point of his career (as Mayweather, just two nights ago defeated Canelo Alvarez in a unanimous decision).  Time will tell if Mayweather supplants Leonard as the most versatile Boxer in the history of the sport, with respect to fighting in different weight classes, over the course of his career.  One thing is for certain, he'll be remembered as one of the greatest pure fighters of all-time.

8.  Sugar Ray Robinson was the Middleweight Champion in the 1950’s.  He finished his career 173-19-6 with 108KO’s.  He fought against the likes of Jake Lamotta, and ‘Kid’ Gavilan in the toughest fighting division in the 50’s.

9. Matthew Hilton is the best Canadian Boxer in the Pro-Ranks, of all-time.  In his storied career he was 32-3-2 fighting against a legend in Wilfred Benitez (knocking him out in the ninth round) to win the Middleweight Belt.  Of his 32 wins 24 were by Knockout.  Had cocaine not entered the picture, Hilton surely would have held on to the Middleweight Belt that he earned earlier in his career against Benitez.   

10. Jake LaMotta is best remembered for the movie made by Martin Scorcese, Raging Bull.  LaMotta was a great fighter.  He will unfortunately be remembered for the dives he took in the prime of his career against the likes of Sugar Ray Robinson.  LaMotta won the Middleweight Belt briefly in the mid-fifties.  He went 93-9-4 and recorded 30 Knockouts in his Boxing career.

11) Jack Dempsey was a fighter from the 1910’s and 1920’s.  He was the Heavyweight Champion for most of the 1910’s.  In his prime his toughest foe was Gene Tunney who he knocked out twice.  His career shows a mark of 65-6-11 with 51 knockouts.  He was one of the first true Irish-American Heroes of that time.

12) Roberto Duran fought for almost an eternity.  Having fought in over 100 matches, Duran is best known for the rematch fight against Sugar Ray Leonard, (No Mas) in which he lost to Leonard.  Nonetheless, Duran was one of the greatest fighters the sport has ever seen.(and he did defeat Leonard in the first fight).  His lifetime record was 104-16 with 69 knockouts.

13. Lennox Lewis – Was Gold Medallist for Canada as a Super-Heavyweight in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.  Lewis soon climbed to the top of the Professional Ranks, and after emigrating to England, won the Heavyweight Title as Heavyweight Champion of the World defeating the impressive Evander Holyfield in 1995.  He held the Belt, off and on, until 2002 when he retired.  Some of the boxers Lewis fought include Mike Tyson, George Foreman, and the previously mentioned Evander Holyfield.  His career record shows 41-2-1 (32 wins coming by way of KO).

14. Joe Frazier – A lefty from Philadelphia, Frazier defeated Ali in 1972 to win the Heavyweight Belt, before losing to George Foreman in his first defence of the belt (in 1973).  Frazier stuck around to fight Ali again, this time losing, in 1975.  Frazier was probably the best pure brawler to come out of Philly.  His lifetime record was 32-4-1 with 27 KO’s.

15. Roy Jones Jr. – Established himself to be the greatest Light-Heavyweight Boxer of his day.  Had the competition been better he very well may have cracked the top ten.  Through his career to date, Jones Jr. held the light-Heavyweight belt from 1994 until 2001 (a lengthy mainstay). His career shows a mark of 56 Wins and 8 Losses with 40 Wins coming by way of Knockout.
      
16. Tommy ‘Hit Man’ Hearns – ‘Hit Man’ Tommy Hearns was thought of, in the early – mid eighties, to be at the top of the Middleweight Division.  He fought against the likes of Duran, Leonard, Hagler and only lost six fights in his entire career. His career record was 61 Wins 5 Losses and 1 Draw (48 Wins by knockout).

17. Mike Tyson – A true enigma.  Had Tyson fought any real tough Boxers when he started out, his wins may have carried a little more weight to them.  When Tyson won the Heavyweight Title of the World he was thought, at the time, to being the real thing.  Although Tyson was dominant against Trevor Berbick and Michael Spinks, once he fought against Buster Douglas and lost, the sentiment changed.  Had Tyson fought against Douglas in America, I firmly believe he would have remained undefeated throughout his career.  Tyson though, never got back to the level that most thought was inevitable after that defeat.  He could never beat Holyfield, Foreman, and Lennox Lewis and therefore ranks this low on my all-time list of boxing greats.  In his career Tyson won 50 Fights (44 by knockout) and lost 6.

18. Larry Holmes – Finished his career with 69 Wins and 6 Losses (with 44 KO's).  Holmes started his career, like Tyson, undefeated through his first 30 fights.  Although he accomplished an excellent record through his career, he never had to fight the great fighters that Ali, or Joe Lewis did.  Although Holmes fought and beat Ali, it was beyond Ali’s prime.  In his toughest and most influential victory, Holmes fought against Ken Norton for the Heavyweight Title.  In a truly great fight Norton and Holmes pummeled each-other for fifteen Rounds, and Holmes managed to eke out a win on the scorecards to win the Heavyweight Belt.

19. Ken Norton –A sentimental favorite of mine, Norton was considered by most to be the strongest man in the fight game of the 70’s.  These times were the days of greats such as Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Holmes, and Chuvallo. Norton fought Ali 3 times over his career, losing 2 and winning one.  Ironically, the fight in which Norton beat Ali he didn’t win the Belt as the fight wasn’t sanctioned.  Norton’s physique was truly impressive.  Over his career, Norton fought against Ali, Frazier, Foreman, and Holmes.  His Lifetime record was 42 Wins and 7 Losses with 1 draw.  33 of his wins came by way of knockout.  Norton briefly held the World Boxing Champion Belt in the late Seventies until losing it to Holmes.    

20. Oscar De La Hoya – Recently retired, De La Hoya compiled a 39-6 Record over the duration of his career.  A true Middleweight, De La Hoya had a punishing style leading him to 30 Knockouts and the Belt for a good tenure.  De La Hoya is one of the most versatile Boxers, with respect to weight class, in the history of the sport.