Ranker

Anime Underground

Button Mash

Graveyard Shift

Total Nerd

Unspeakable Times

Weird History

Weird Nature

Weirdly Interesting

Sports

Music

Entertainment

Living

Culture

Food

Makeup

Halloween

Thanksgiving

Holidays

Watchworthy

HBO Max

poll

Newsboy Brown

List of the best flyweight boxers of all time, from all over the world including the US, Thailand, Mexico, Hungary, Japan, the&nbsp;Philippines, the UK and more.&nbsp;Top flyweight boxing champions include professional fighters weighing above 108 lb (49 kg) and up to 112 lb (52 kg). Those are the limits of the flyweight boxing category agreed upon by four of the best-known sanctioning organizations: the World Boxing Association (WBA), the World Boxing Council (WBC), the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO).Just like with <a href="/list/best-heavyweight-boxers-of-all-time/ranker-sports">the best heavyweight boxers of all time </a>and <a href="/list/best-lightweight-boxers-of-all-time/ranker-sports">the best lightweight boxers of all time</a>, there are a few favorites among these elite fighters that come to mind when discussing the top boxers in the featherweight division. Jimmy Wilde, Pancho Villa and Miguel Canto are widely considered to be some of the best and most legendary flyweight boxers of all time. Manny Pacquiao is another popular flyweight boxing champion - he is considered to be one of the best professional boxers of all time, has competed in 8 weight classes including the flyweight division.&nbsp;The flyweight division was the last of boxing's eight traditional weight classes to be established. Before 1909, anyone below featherweight was considered a bantamweight, regardless of how small the boxer. In 1911, the organization that eventually became the British Boxing Board of Control held a match that crowned Sid Smith as the first flyweight champion of the world. Jimmy Wilde, who reigned from 1914 to 1923, was the first fighter recognized both in Britain and the United States as a flyweight champion.Boxing, like other combat sports, is divided into weight classes in an effort to match fighters of similar physical characteristics against each other. Without weight classes it would be difficult to determine whether a fighter was being unfairly pitted against a larger or stronger opponent, and would potentially present an advantage to the heavier-weighted player. This is a complete list of the best boxing champions to ever fight in the flyweight class.

Boxing

Ezzard Charles

This <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-male-professional-boxers/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">list of boxers</a> from the 1950s consists of a number of names that would go on to become some of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-boxers-of-all-time" target="_blank">greatest boxers of all time</a>. The decade saw the transition from fighters like Willie Pep, Joe Louis, Sandy Saddler, and Ezzard Charles to the rise of Sonny Liston, Joe Brown, Rocky Marciano, and Carmen Basilio. Two of the greatest boxers of all time, Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta continued their feud into the '50s. LaMotta later joked with <a href="http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/interviews/a17593/jake-lamotta-quotes-0113/" target="_blank">Esquire magazine</a> that he fought Sugar Ray so many time, &quot;it's a wonder I don't have diabetes!&quot;Who is the best boxer from the 1950s? Vote below on who you think the greatest boxer from the 1950s is and if we missed any fighters, feel free to add them to the list so that other boxing fans and Rankers can vote on your addition! &nbsp;

Combat Sports

George Foreman

This list of the best boxers of all time is ranked by boxing fans worldwide. The goal is to determine the greatest boxers ever. The list establishes individual rankings of specific boxers and helps answer the question, &quot;<a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-boxers-of-the-20th-century/ranker-sports?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Who is the greatest boxer</a> of all time?&quot; This list includes some real legends of the boxing world.

Who are the best boxers of all time? Anyone can vote on the greatest&nbsp;boxers of all time, which means these boxers are truly fan favorites. From Olympic legends like Sugar Ray Leonard to sports idols like Muhammad Ali, there are numerous choices to examine when contemplating the question of who is the greatest boxer of all time. Vote now to help determine the greatest pound for pound boxers of all time.

Max Baer

The best heavyweight boxers of all time are not just the best boxers in that weight class but also arguably many of the <a href="/crowdranked-list/the-best-boxers-of-all-time" target="_blank">best boxers of all time</a>. These men dominated their matches during their respective times, won championships and even fought each other on occasion in some of the most well known boxing matches in history.Easily the best of all time, Muhammad Ali is undoubtedly the best heavyweight boxer to ever step in the ring. As the first and only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion, Ali fought many of the other members on this list in many of the greatest boxing matches ever such as when he duked it out with Joe Frazier and George Foreman and lost only five matches over his career which spanned over 20 years.Going beyond &quot;The Greatest,&quot; many other notable heavyweight boxers have earned their place on these rankings too. Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Sonny Liston, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield are all easily among the best heavyweight boxers ever. Even current boxers made the list with the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-current-mma-heavyweights/ranker-sports?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">current Heavyweight Champion</a> Wladimir Klitschko from the Ukraine a modern legend.Be them current champions or legends from yesteryear, these are surely <a href="/list/top-10-boxers-not-to-mess-with/annebel" target="_blank">boxers that should not be messed with</a>. Share your thoughts on which of these men are the best in their weight class by voting, adding to or re-ranking this list of the best heavyweight boxers of all time.

Sugar Ramos

Muhammad Ali emerged in the 1960s as one of the greatest boxers of all time or, as he put it, &quot;shock the world.&quot;&nbsp;There were plenty of other great boxers from the '60s who also became some of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-boxers-of-all-time" target="_blank">greatest boxers of all time</a>. Other great boxers from the decade that saw the sport grow globally included names like Joe Brown, Dick Tiger, Rubin &quot;Hurricane&quot; Carter, and Japanese boxers like Takeshi Fuji, Yoshiaka Numata, and Katsuyoshi Takayama.&nbsp;The first world champions from Venezuela and Thailand were crowned during the 1960s and the WBA and WBC began competing against each other. A new division was also created in the Junior Middleweights where a high school teacher, Freddie Little, was crowned world champion. Fights were also seen on color television for the first time.<a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-active-boxers/ranker-sports?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Who is the best boxer</a> from the 1960s. It's your time to vote for who you think are the greatest boxers from the 60s. If we missed anyone, feel free to add them to the list so that other boxing fans and Rankers can vote on your additions!&nbsp;

1970s

Alan Minter

Boxing in the 1970s was dominated by legendary champions and history-making rivalries. Ruben Olivares dominated the Bantamweights while Wilfredo Gomez ruled the Super Bantamweight division. Meanwhile, Roberto Duran ruled the Lightweights, Antonio Cervantes held the Welterweight division twice, Carlos Monzon dominated the Middleweights, and Bob Foster topped the Light-Heavyweights. The <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-boxers-of-all-time" target="_blank">greatest of all time</a>, Muhammad Ali&nbsp;ruled the Heavyweight division twice between 1974 and 1979.Duran and Esteban De Jesus had a historic rivalry as did Monzon and Rodrigo Valdez and who could forget the trilogy of fights between Ali and Joe Frazier. There were plenty of great fighters in the 1970s but we want to know who you think are the best boxers of the 1970s.Vote below for the boxers from the 1970s who you think were the greatest fighters of the '70s and if we missed any, feel free to add them so that other boxing fans and Rankers can vote on your addition!&nbsp;

Henry Armstrong

Who are the best boxers of the 20th century? This list of the best boxers of the 20th century contains some of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport. From legends like Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, and Joe Louis to late-century stars like Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, and Evander Holyfield, this list of the greatest boxers of the 20th century will surely include some of your favorite fighters of all time!Now it's your turn to vote on who you think are the greatest boxers of the 20th century from the list below. See a great boxer from the 20th century missing from the list? Add them so that other boxing fans and Rankers can vote on your addition!

Sugar Ray Robinson

The best middleweight boxers of all time are those greatest men ever to compete at the 160-pound weight class in the history of boxing. These marvelous athletes&nbsp;are the worldwide champions of yesteryear and the stars of today but overall, they are the top boxers to ever head into the ring for a middleweight match as well as some of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-boxers-of-all-time" target="_blank">greatest boxers of all time</a>.Though he saw most of his success in the welterweight class, many would argue that Sugar Ray Robinson is both the best middleweight boxer of all time and pound-for-pound among one of the best boxers ever. The five-time middleweight champion had a long and glorious career including an 85-0 amateur record, a 91-fight unbeaten streak and the title as the only boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. In 200 total fights, he had only 19 losses and six draws.Besides Robinson, there are many other great boxers who made a name for themselves in the history of middleweight boxing. Carlos Monzon, Harry Greb, Marvin Hagler, and Freddie Steele are among the classic middleweight boxers that are considered the best of all time while more recent stars like James Toney, Bernard Hopkins, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. and Jermain Taylor each deserve some love for their success.How do you compare the classic middle weight boxers with those famous stars of today who are primed to make legacies of their own? What about those greatest fighters who also fought in other weight classes, perhaps better? However you rank them amongst each other, do so below by voting on, adding to or re-ranking this list of the greatest middleweight boxers of all time. When you're done, head over to rank the <a href="/list/best-lightweight-boxers-of-all-time/ranker-sports" target="_blank">best lightweight boxers of all time</a> too!

Andre Ward

Who are the best boxers of the 21st century? Is it Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao? How about Timothy Bradley, Oscar de la Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr., or Shane Mosely? Maybe you are a fan of Lennox Lewis or Wladimir Klitschko?Now's it's your turn to vote on who you think the greatest boxers of the 21st century below. if you see any fighters missing from the list, feel free to add them below so that other boxing fans and Rankers can vote on your additions!

Ike Williams

The best lightweight boxers of all time are the elite and best ever boxers who fought in the lightweight division, which generally is between 130 and 135 pounds. These top lightweight boxers are former World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Organization and Olympic champions plus some of the greatest lightweight boxers in the game today. While they cannot all square off in the ring to determine an ultimate best lightweight boxer of all time, they can be ranked and voted on below to name the best of the bunch.Just like with the <a href="/list/best-heavyweight-boxers-of-all-time/ranker-sports" target="_blank">best heavyweight boxers of all time</a>, there are a few favorites among these elite fighters that come to mind when discussing the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-boxers-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">top boxers</a> in the lightweight division. Roberto Duran, Benny Leonard, Joe Gans, Pernell Whitaker and Ike Williams all fall into that category with numerous titles and accolades between them.Moving more into modern times, names like Oscar de la Hoya, Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. are all among the top lightweight boxing stars who saw success more recently. But they have plenty of competition with current top boxers like Manny Pacquiao, Adrien Broner and Vasyl Lomachenko each making a name for themselves in the division and the sport.So how do you compare the classic boxers who held titles for years at a time to those with the potential to have even better careers in the future? However you rank these famous lightweight boxers, do so below by voting, adding to or re-ranking this list of the best lightweight boxers of all time. When you're done there, head over and see how these men stack up against the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-boxers-of-all-time" target="_blank">best boxers of all time</a> too.

Alexis Argüello

The best featherweight boxers are all time are the most successful and most legendary boxers ever to compete in the weight class in the history of the sport. Typically with a weight limit of 126 pounds, the featherweight class has seen its fair share of stars throughout the years between the champions who helped the sport rise to prominence many decades ago to the top featherweight boxers of today. Looking back into the history books, many names pop up as among not only the best featherweight boxers ever but the <a href="/crowdranked-list/the-best-boxers-of-all-time" target="_blank">best boxers of all time</a>. The likes of Willie Pep, who is regarded by many as the best featherweight boxer ever, Henry Armstrong, Sandy Saddler, Abe Attell, George Dixon, Young Griffo and Terry McGovern all saw success in the late 19th century and early 20th century. While which of these boxers should be regarded higher than another is debated, all set the tone for many generations of featherweight boxers to come.Fast forward to modern times and the men who are dominating the weight class have quickly made their place as among the greats of yesteryear. Juan Manuel Marquez, Naseem Hamed and even Manny Pacquiao, who often fights in other weight classes and is also considered one of the <a href="/list/best-lightweight-boxers-of-all-time/ranker-sports" target="_blank">best lightweight boxers of all time</a>, are all names both to watch now and later when their career accomplishments are stacked up against other all-time greats.So whether you rank the classic boxers above the stars of today or vice versa, share your rankings for the top featherweight boxers of all time below by voting for your favorites, adding any not already listed or clicking re-rank to put these best featherweight boxers in your own order.

Get in the ring with a list of the most popular, renowned, and famous boxers from England. This list includes the most notable boxers from England, along with photos when available. This list of English boxers is alphabetical, making it an easy-to-use factual resource on British boxers. The list helpfully answers the questions, &quot;Which famous boxers are from England?&quot; and &quot;Who are the most <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-boxers-from-united-kingdom/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">famous UK boxers</a>?&quot;For a country with a rich sporting history like England, it shouldn't be too surprising that they have a slew of famous boxers, including several champions. Some of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-male-professional-boxers/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">well known boxers</a> to hail from England include former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, retired light-welterweight champ Ricky Hatton, and the old-fashioned boxing legend Bob Fitzsimmons. Boxers also include everyone from Matthew Hatton to Frankie Gavin. Click on the names of these famous boxers of England in order to view more information about each, including their places of birth, so you can see which British boxers hail from London and which come from far corners of the United Kingdom.

Wilfred Benítez

The best welterweight boxers of all time are the fighters who are the legends of the weight class in the history of the sport. These are those current and former welterweight boxing champions as recognized by the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization as the absolute best at any given time. Looking back on the early days of the welterweight class, fighters like Jack Britton, Ted &quot;Kid&quot; Lewis, Mickey Walker, Jackie Fields, and Jack Thompson dominated the sport in the early 20th century as they won bout after bout, often against one another. These early fighters set the stage for another generation of boxers like Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Robinson, Kid Gavilan, Tony DeMarco, and Jose Napoles, who saw a great deal of success during the middle of the century. More recently, top welterweight boxers such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have taken over as the top names in the weight class with many still fighting in the class to this day. Of course these stars also compete in other weight classes, like Mayweather Jr. who is also among the <a href="/list/best-lightweight-boxers-of-all-time/ranker-sports" target="_blank">best lightweight boxers of all time</a>. So while we can't get all of these current and historical welterweight boxers in the ring to duke it out for an all-time title, we can rank these best welterweight right here instead. Vote up the ones you love, add those not listed or re-rank these best welterweight boxers of all time. Then, head over and give your say on how they stack up against the <a href="/crowdranked-list/the-best-boxers-of-all-time" target="_blank">best boxers of all time</a> too!

90s Sports

Tommy Morrison

Boxing in the 1990s saw Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis dominate the heavyweight division. Mike Tyson was also around, although he had to take a three-year hiatus after running into trouble with the law. Buster Douglas, Riddick Bowe, Pernell Whitaker, Julio Caesar Chavez, Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad, Roy Jones Jr., Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Michael Watson all rose to prominence in the decade to become some of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-boxers-of-all-time" target="_blank">greatest boxers of all-time</a>.Who is the greatest boxer of the 1990s? Vote below to improve our definitive rankings of the best boxers of the 1990s. If you think any fighters are missing, feel free to add them so that other boxing fans and Rankers can vote on your additions!

Brian Mitchell

Boxing in the 1980s saw the exit of Muhammad Ali, the continuing rise of Don King as the sport's most famous promoter, as well as the rise of rival promoters like Bob Arum. The decade as saw a rivalry between five world champions - Wilfred Benitez, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, and Sugar Ray Leonard, all of whom would eventually find themselves among the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-boxers-of-all-time" target="_blank">greatest boxers of all time</a>. The 80s also saw the rise of Mike Tyson as a dominant fighter who would be crowned World Champion in 1986.<a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-active-boxers/ranker-sports?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Who is the best boxer</a> from the 1980s? Vote below with who you think is the greatest boxer from the 1980s is below and if you see anyone missing from the list, feel free to add them so that other boxing fans and Rankers can vote on your additions!

Wladimir Klitschko

The heyday of heavyweight boxers may have passed but a new age of Welterweight and Flyweight fights have begun to rise the ranks of prominence. Who are the best active boxers fighting right now? This list of the very best active boxers includes a number of current champions as well as boxers who are contenders to claim a belt or two in the near future. Some of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-male-professional-boxers/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">most famous boxers</a> today still have undefeated records and multiple championship belts.

Who are the best current boxers right now? It&#39;s your turn to vote on who you think are the top boxers in the world from the list below. If you see any boxers missing from the list, feel free to add them below so that other boxing fans and Rankers can vote on your additions!

Who are the best active <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/greatest-female-boxers/ranker-sports?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">female boxers</a> currently fighting in the sport? Is it Cecilia Braekhus or Christina Hammer? This list of the very best active female boxers includes a number of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/worst-heavyweight-boxing-champions/dannyrichman?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">current boxing champions</a> as well as contenders for belts in numerous weight classes including Middleweight, Welterweight, and Bantamweight divisions. If you're new to the sport and are trying to find out who the best female boxers are right now, this list is the perfect place to start.Who is the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/greatest-female-boxers/ranker-sports?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best female boxer</a> in the world? Vote on who you think the greatest female boxer is right now in the list below and if you see any female boxers missing from the list, add them so that other boxing fans and Rankers can vote on your additions!

List of the most popular, renowned or famous boxers from the United States. List includes the most notable boxers from the United States, along with photos when available. This list of American boxers is alphabetical, but can be sorted by any column and answers the question &quot;what famous boxers are from the United States?&quot; You can click on the names of the famous boxers of the United States in order to get more information about each one. This list below has a variety of boxers, like {X} and {Y}, in it. You can use this factual list to create a new list, re-rank it to fit your opinion, then share it with your Twitter followers, Facebook friends or with any other social networks you use on a regular basis. {#nodes}

Canada

<a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-male-professional-boxers/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">List of famous boxers</a> from Canada, listed alphabetically with photos of the boxers when available. Canada has produced some very talented boxers over the years, including heavyweights, light heavyweights, cruiserweights, featherweights and flyweights. These are some of the best Canadian boxers to ever live, so if you're a native of Canada and are aspiring to box professionally then these people should be your idols. If you're searching for a particular popular boxer from Canada then you can use the &quot;search&quot; box to find who you're looking for.The list you're viewing is made up of different boxers like William Irwin and Andrew Kooner.This list answers the questions, &quot;Who are the greatest Canadian boxers?&quot; and &quot;Which boxers are from Canada?&quot; You can click on the names of these legendary boxers of Canada in order to get more information about each one. If you box or just love the sport then use this list of talented Canadian boxers to find some new athletes to watch.

List of famous boxers from Italy, listed alphabetically with photos of the boxers when available. Italy has produced some very talented boxers over the years, including heavyweights, light heavyweights, cruiserweights, featherweights and flyweights. These are some of the best Italian boxers to ever live, so if you're a native of Italy and are aspiring to box professionally then these people should be your idols. If you're searching for a particular popular boxer from Italy then you can use the "search" box to find who you're looking for.This list features Alessio Furlan, Clemente Russo and more.This list answers the questions, "Who are the greatest Italian boxers?" and "Which boxers are from Italy?" You can click on the names of these legendary boxers of Italy in order to get more information about each one. If you box or just love the sport then use this list of talented Italian boxers to find some new athletes to watch.

Boxing: The Perfect Sport

pageType

unsafe_grapeshot

unsafe_grapeshot_military

X_AMP

top_search_2-3

amazon_alexa

mod_alexa

srch

cb_boxing-the-perfect-sport

Sugar Ray Robinson, Jake LaMotta, and Rocky Graziano are all names that land on our list of the greatest boxers of the 1940s. This list of boxing greats includes boxing champions like Willie Pep, Manuel Ortiz, and Sal Bartolo who all fought in the decade that World War II broke out in.&nbsp;<a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-active-boxers/ranker-sports?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Who is the best boxer</a> from the 1940s? It's time for you to decide which of these fighters you think is the top boxer from the '40s. Vote below and feel free to add any boxers that we might have missed so that other boxing fans and Rankers can vote on your addition! After you are finished, head on over and vote for the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-1990s-boxers/ranker-sports?ref=collections&amp;l=2090610&amp;collectionId=1583" target="_blank">best boxers of the 1950s</a>.

Best 1940s Boxer | List of Top Boxers of the 40s

The Best Boxers of the 1940s

Boxer

Best Rankings of Sports Teams and Players, Interesting Sports Facts, and Moments in Sports

sports

Ranker Sports

Gender

Women

Gen Zs

Millenials

Gen Xers

Baby Boomers

Region

West Coast US

Mountain US

Midwest US

Southern US

Northeastern US

International

Sugar Ray Robinson (born Walker Smith Jr.; May 3, 1921 – April 12, 1989) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1940 to 1965. Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He is widely regarded as the greatest boxer of all time, and in 2002, Robinson was ranked number one on The Ring magazine's list of "80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years".Robinson was 85–0 as an amateur with 69 of those victories coming by way of knockout, 40 in the first round. He turned professional in 1940 at the age of 19 and by 1951 had a professional record of 128–1–2 with 84 knockouts. From 1943 to 1951 Robinson went on a 91-fight unbeaten streak, the third-longest in professional boxing history. Robinson held the world welterweight title from 1946 to 1951, and won the world middleweight title in the latter year. He retired in 1952, only to come back two-and-a-half years later and regain the middleweight title in 1955. He then became the first boxer in history to win a divisional world championship five times (a feat he accomplished by defeating Carmen Basilio in 1958 to regain the middleweight championship). Robinson was named "fighter of the year" twice: first for his performances in 1942, then nine years and over 90 fights later, for his efforts in 1951.
Renowned for his flamboyant lifestyle outside the ring, Robinson is credited with being the originator of the modern sports "entourage". After his boxing career ended, Robinson attempted a career as an entertainer, but it was not successful. He struggled financially until his death in 1989. In 2006, he was featured on a commemorative stamp by the United States Postal Service.

Joe Louis

Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981), best known as Joe Louis was an American professional boxer who competed from 1934 to 1951. He reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949, and is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. Nicknamed the "Brown Bomber", Louis' championship reign lasted 140 consecutive months, during which he participated in 26 championship fights. The 27th fight, against Ezzard Charles in 1950, was a challenge for Charles' heavyweight title and so is not included in Louis' reign. He was victorious in 25 consecutive title defenses. In 2005, Louis was ranked as the best heavyweight of all time by the International Boxing Research Organization, and was ranked number one on The Ring magazine's list of the "100 greatest punchers of all time".Louis' cultural impact was felt well outside the ring. He is widely regarded as the first person of African-American descent to achieve the status of a nationwide hero within the United States, and was also a focal point of anti-Nazi sentiment leading up to and during World War II. He was instrumental in integrating the game of golf, breaking the sport's color barrier in America by appearing under a sponsor's exemption in a PGA event in 1952.Detroit's Joe Louis Arena, former home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League, and the Forest Preserve District of Cook County's Joe Louis "The Champ" Golf Course, situated south of Chicago in Riverdale, Illinois, are named in his honor.

Willie Pep

Guglielmo Papaleo (September 19, 1922 – November 23, 2006) was an American professional boxer, better known as Willie Pep who held the World Featherweight championship twice between the years of 1942 and 1950. Pep boxed a total of 1,956 rounds in the 241 bouts during his 26-year career, a considerable number of rounds and bouts even for a fighter of his era. His final record was 229–11–1 with 65 knockouts. Pep, known for his speed, finesse and elusiveness, is considered to be one of the best fighters of the 20th century; after his 199th win, Kid Campeche described his experience by saying, "Fighting Willie Pep is like trying to stamp out a grass fire." Pep was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. Pep was voted as the #1 featherweight of the 20th Century by the Associated Press and ranked the #1 featherweight of all-time by the International Boxing Research Organization in 2005.

Jake LaMotta

Giacobbe "Jake" LaMotta (July 10, 1922 – September 19, 2017) was an American professional boxer, world middleweight champion, and stand-up comedian. Nicknamed "The Bronx Bull" or "Raging Bull", LaMotta was a rough fighter who was not a particularly big puncher, but he would subject his opponents to vicious beatings in the ring. With use of constant stalking, brawling and inside fighting, he developed the reputation for being a 'bully'; he was what is often referred to today as a swarmer and a slugger.
Due to his hard style of fighting, LaMotta often got as much as he was giving in an era of great middleweights. With a thick skull and jaw muscles, LaMotta was able to absorb incredible amounts of punishment over the course of his career, and is thought to have one of the greatest chins in boxing history. LaMotta's six-fight rivalry with Sugar Ray Robinson was one of the most notable in the sport, but LaMotta won only one of the bouts. Although each fight was close, LaMotta dropped Robinson to the canvas multiple times. LaMotta, who lived a turbulent life in and out of the ring, was portrayed by Robert De Niro in the 1980 film Raging Bull. He was managed by his brother Joey LaMotta.

Ezzard Mack Charles, known as the Cincinnati Cobra (July 7, 1921 – May 28, 1975) was an American professional boxer and World Heavyweight Champion. Known for his slick defense and precision, he is considered one of the greatest fighters of all time by boxing critics. Charles defeated numerous Hall of Fame fighters in three different weight classes. He retired with a record of 95 wins, 15 losses and 1 draw.

Henry Jackson Jr. (December 12, 1912 – October 24, 1988) was an American professional boxer and a world boxing champion who fought under the name Henry Armstrong.
Armstrong was one of the few fighters to win in three or more different divisions: featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight. He defended his welterweight title a total of nineteen times.
The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 1937. The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) named him Fighter of the Year in 1940. In 2007, The Ring ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of the last 80 years. Historian Bert Sugar also ranked Armstrong as the second-greatest fighter of all time. ESPN ranked Armstrong as number 3 on their list of the 50 greatest boxers of all time.

Rocky Graziano

Thomas Rocco Barbella (January 1, 1919 – May 22, 1990), better known as Rocky Graziano, was an American professional boxer who held the World Middleweight title. Graziano is considered one of the greatest knockout artists in boxing history, often displaying the capacity to take his opponent out with a single punch. He was ranked 23rd on The Ring magazine list of the greatest punchers of all time. He fought many of the best middleweights of the era including Sugar Ray Robinson. His turbulent and violent life story was the basis of the 1956 Oscar-winning drama film, Somebody Up There Likes Me, based on his 1955 autobiography of the same title.

Jack Dempsey

William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed "Kid Blackie" and "The Manassa Mauler", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. A cultural icon of the 1920s, Dempsey's aggressive fighting style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first million-dollar gate.Dempsey is ranked tenth on The Ring magazine's list of all-time heavyweights and seventh among its Top 100 Greatest Punchers, while in 1950 the Associated Press voted him as the greatest fighter of the past 50 years. He is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and was in the previous Boxing Hall of Fame.

JonathanWhitfield

Tony Zale

Tony Zale, born Anthony Florian Zaleski (May 29, 1913 – March 20, 1997) was an American boxer.  Zale was born and raised in Gary, Indiana, a steel town, which gave him his nickname, "Man of Steel."  In addition, he had the reputation of being able to take fearsome punishment and still rally to win, reinforcing that nickname. Zale, who held the World Middleweight title multiple times, was known as a crafty boxer and strong body puncher who punished his opponents and steadily wore them down before knocking them out.

Fritzie Zivic

Fritzie Zivic (May 8, 1913 in Pittsburgh, United States – May 16, 1984), born as Ferdinand Henry John Zivcich (Croatian: Živčić, known to boxing fans as Fritzie Zivic), was an American boxer who held the world welterweight championship from October 4, 1940, until July 29, 1941.  His managers included Luke Carney, and later, after 1942, Louis Stokan.



Jersey Joe Walcott

Arnold Raymond Cream (January 31, 1914 – February 25, 1994), best known as Jersey Joe Walcott, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1930 to 1953. He held the world heavyweight title from 1951 to 1952, and broke the record for the oldest man to win the title, at the age of 37. That record would eventually be broken in 1994 by 45-year-old George Foreman.
After retiring from boxing, Walcott did some acting, playing small parts in a few movies and television shows. He also refereed several boxing matches, but after the controversial ending to the second fight between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston, Walcott was not asked to referee again. From 1971 to 1974, Walcott held the elected position of Sheriff of Camden County, New Jersey, the first African-American to do so. From 1975 to 1984, he was the chairman of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission.

Kid Gavilán

Gerardo González (January 6, 1926 – February 13, 2003), better known in the boxing world as Kid Gavilan, was a World Welterweight Champion from Camagüey, Cuba. Boxing Writers Association of America named him Fighter of the Year in 1953, Gavilán was voted by The Ring magazine as the 26th greatest fighter of the last 80 years.



Manuel Ortiz

Manuel Ortiz (July 2, 1916 – May 31, 1970) was one of the very best boxers of the 1940s, and was named to Ring Magazine's list of the 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years. In 1996, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.[1]

Jackie Paterson

Jackie Paterson (5 September 1920 – 19 November 1966) was a Scottish boxer who was world flyweight boxing champion. He was also British champion at flyweight and bantamweight.

Gus Lesnevich

Gustav George "Gus" Lesnevich (February 22, 1915 – February 28, 1964) was an American boxer who held the World Light Heavyweight Championship.

Sal Bartolo

Salvatore Interbartolo, better known as Sal Bartolo (November 5, 1917 – February 19, 2002) was an American boxer and WBA featherweight champion from March 1944 through May 1946. At the time, Bartolo's title was sanctioned by the National Boxing Association (NBA).



Sandy Saddler

Joseph "Sandy" Saddler (June 23, 1926 – September 18, 2001) was an American professional boxer. He was a two-time featherweight world champion, having also held the super featherweight title.  Over his twelve-year career (1944–56), Saddler scored 103 knockouts and was stopped only once himself, in his second professional fight, by Jock Leslie. In 2003, Saddler was ranked number five on The Ring magazine's list of "100 Greatest Punchers of All Time". His nephew is Grandmaster Flash.

Freddie Mills

Frederick Percival Mills (26 June 1919 – 25 July 1965) was an English boxer, and the world light heavyweight champion from 1948 to 1950. He was born in Bournemouth, Hampshire. Mills was 5 feet 10 1⁄2 inches (179 cm) tall and did not have a sophisticated boxing style; he relied on two-fisted aggression, relentless pressure, and the ability to take punishment to carry him through, and in more cases than not these attributes were sufficient. Mills excelled first as a middleweight, and most successfully as a light-heavyweight boxer, but also fought as a heavyweight. He was described as Britain's biggest boxing idol in the post-war period.After retiring from boxing, Mills moved into boxing management and promotion, and pursued a career in entertainment, working in radio, television (notably as co-presenter of  the early BBC-TV music show, Six-Five Special between 1957 and 1958), and on the stage, as well as playing roles in a number of films between 1952 and 1965. He opened a Chinese restaurant in Soho before there was an established Chinatown in the area and also ran a London nightclub until his mysterious death.

Arthur Persley

David Persley

Billy Conn

William David "Billy" Conn (October 8, 1917 – May 29, 1993) was an Irish American professional boxer and Light Heavyweight Champion famed for his fights with Joe Louis. He had a professional boxing record of 63 wins, 11 losses and 1 draw, with 14 wins by knockout. His nickname, throughout most of his career, was "The Pittsburgh Kid."

Peter Kane

Peter Kane (28 February 1918 – 23 July 1991) was one of England's greatest flyweight boxers and a world champion in the 1930s. Kane was born in Heywood, Lancashire, on 28 February 1918, but grew up in the town of Golborne, Lancashire, after his family moved there before his first birthday. In Golborne Peter Kane Square is named in his honour.

Tommy Bell

Tommy Bell (March 13, 1923 – July 14, 1994) was an African-American boxer. As a professional, he faced legendary fighters such as Jake LaMotta, Fritzie Zivic, and Kid Gavilán. Bell fought for the welterweight title against Sugar Ray Robinson in 1946.

Phil Terranova

Phil Terranova (September 4, 1919 – March 16, 2000) was an American boxer who took the NBA World Featherweight Boxing Championship in 1943 in a bout against Jackie Callura. His manager was Bobby Gleason.

Rinty Monaghan

John Joseph "Rinty" Monaghan (21 August 1918 – 3 March 1984) was a world flyweight boxing champion from Belfast. He became famous in the post-war period, eventually rising to become undisputed world champion and a hero to many people in his home city.

Marcel Cerdan

Marcellin "Marcel" Cerdan (French pronunciation: ​[maʁsɛl sɛʁdɑ̃]; 22 July 1916 – 28 October 1949) was a French Pied-Noir of spanish origin, world boxing champion who was considered by many boxing experts and fans to be France's greatest boxer, and beyond to be one of the best to have learned his craft in Africa. His life was marked by his sporting achievements, social lifestyle and ultimately, tragedy, being killed in an airplane crash.
Marcel Cerdan was born on 22 July 1916 in Sidi Bel Abbès in what was then French Algeria. The Palais des sports Marcel Cerdan is named in his honor.

Sugar Ray Robinson, Jake LaMotta, and Rocky Graziano are all names that land on our list of the greatest boxers of the 1940s. This list of boxing greats ...