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The Best Boxers of the 20th Century

Updated April 18, 2020 27.3k votes 3.1k voters 25.7k views207 items

List RulesVote for the greatest boxers in any weight class based on their performances during the 20th Century

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!

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1,466
279
Rocky Marciano
Heavyweight
Age: Dec. at 46 (1923-1969)
Birthplace: Brockton, Massachusetts, USA
Nationality: Italy, United States of America
49 fights from 1947-1955
49 wins (43 KO)
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#410 of 2,753 The Most Influential People of All Time#5 of 28 28 Famous Athletes Who Are Catholic
2
1,046
275
Jack Dempsey
Heavyweight
Age: Dec. at 88 (1895-1983)
Birthplace: Manassa, Colorado, United States of America
Nationality: United States of America
75 fights from 1914-1927
54 wins (44 KO)
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#3 of 107 College & Professional Athletes Who Were Raised Mormon#9 of 37 The Best Boxers of the 1940s
3
904
231
Gene Tunney
Heavyweight
Age: Dec. at 81 (1897-1978)
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York City, New York
Nationality: United States of America
85 fights: 65 wins (48 KO)
4
691
250
Max Baer
Heavyweight
Age: Dec. at 50 (1909-1959)
Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Nationality: United States of America
81 fights: 68 wins (59 KO)
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#3 of 11 People In History Who Were Unfairly Villainized#20 of 70 The Greatest Jewish Athletes Of All Time
5
608
238
Manny Pacquiáo
Super bantamweight, Flyweight
Age: 42
Birthplace: Kibawe, Philippines
Nationality: Philippines
29 fights from 1995-2000
27 wins (20 KO)
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#1778 of 1,891 The Greatest Musical Artists of All Time#8 of 15 Every Fighter We Want To See Against Conor McGregor
6
519
267
Joe Louis
Heavyweight
Age: Dec. at 67 (1914-1981)
Birthplace: La Fayette, Alabama, United States of America
Nationality: United States of America
69 fights from 1934-1951
66 wins (52 KO)
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#416 of 753 People We Wish Were Still Alive#65 of 101 The Most Beloved US Veterans
7
330
182
Joe Frazier
Heavyweight
Age: Dec. at 67 (1944-2011)
Birthplace: Beaufort, South Carolina, USA
Nationality: United States of America
37 fights from 1965-1981
32 wins (27 KO)
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#990 of 1,316 The Best Athletes Of All Time#567 of 582 The Greatest Baseball Players Of All Time
8
646
418
Muhammad Ali
Heavyweight
Age: 78
Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Nationality: United States of America
61 fights from 1960-1981
56 wins (37 KO)
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#162 of 325 The Most Obnoxious Athletes#79 of 362 The Greatest Entertainers Of All Time
9
464
287
Sugar Ray Robinson
Welterweight, Middleweight
Age: Dec. at 68 (1921-1989)
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Nationality: United States of America
200 fights from 1940-1965
173 wins (108 KO)
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#145 of 152 The Most Influential Athletes Of All Time#10 of 13 Athletes Who Are (Allegedly) In The Illuminati
10
392
169
Archie Moore
219 fights: 186 wins (132 KO)

11
338
203
George Foreman
Heavyweight
Age: 71
Birthplace: Marshall, Texas, USA
Nationality: United States of America
81 fights from 1969-1997
76 wins (68 KO)
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#126 of 243 The Most Trustworthy Celebrities In The World#134 of 574 American Public Figures Who Are National Treasures
12
265
169
Sugar Ray Leonard
Super middleweight, Welterweight
Age: 64
Birthplace: Rocky Mount, North Carolina, USA
Nationality: United States of America
40 fights from 1977-1997
36 wins (25 KO)
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#3 of 49 The Best Welterweight Boxers of All Time#10 of 81 The Best Lightweight Boxers of All Time
13
195
126
Roy Jones Jr.
Super middleweight, Middleweight
Age: 51
Birthplace: USA, Florida, Pensacola
Nationality: United States of America
74 fights: 65 wins (47 KO)
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#31 of 85 Great Athletes Who Waited Too Long To Retire#15 of 21 21 Athletes Who Failed Drug Tests
14
323
249
Mike Tyson
Heavyweight
Age: 54
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Nationality: United States of America
48 fights from 1985-2000
46 wins (40 KO)
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#1219 of 1,355 The Greatest Minds of All Time#790 of 904 Celebrity Death Pool 2021
15
141
107
Jack Johnson
Heavyweight
Age: Dec. at 68 (1878-1946)
Birthplace: Galveston, Texas
Nationality: United States of America
101 fights from 1900-1938
71 wins (38 KO)
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#21 of 25 Famous People From History You Had No Idea Were Foxy#63 of 80 The Most Controversial Athletes in Sports History
16
178
159
Evander Holyfield
Cruiserweight, Light heavyweight
Age: 58
Birthplace: Atmore, Alabama, USA
Nationality: United States of America
41 fights from 1984-2000
35 wins (22 KO)
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#2 of 169 The Celebrities You Most Want To See Play Survivor#9 of 30 The Best Boxers of the 1980s
17
125
117
Lennox Lewis
Heavyweight
Age: 55
Birthplace: West Ham
Nationality: Canada, United Kingdom
37 fights: 35 wins (26 KO)
18
133
127
Larry Holmes
Heavyweight
Age: 71
Birthplace: Cuthbert, Georgia, USA
Nationality: United States of America
75 fights: 69 wins (44 KO)
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#55 of 178 The Best Boxers of All Time#30 of 100 The Best Heavyweight Boxers of All Time
19
114
119
Oscar de la Hoya
Welterweight, Lightweight
Age: 47
Birthplace: East Los Angeles, California, United States of America
Nationality: United States of America, Mexico
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#21 of 74 The Best Active Boxers in the World Right Now#74 of 116 The Greatest Left-Handed Athletes of All Time
20
933
166
John L. Sullivan
Heavyweight
Age: Dec. at 60 (1858-1918)
Birthplace: Roxbury, Boston, Massachusetts
Nationality: United States of America

21
166
204
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Welterweight, Featherweight
Age: 43
Birthplace: Michigan, USA, Grand Rapids
Nationality: United States of America
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20 Knockout Tweets About The Floyd Mayweather Vs. Logan Paul Exhibition Boxing Match#6 of 11 Every Conor McGregor Rivalry In UFC History
22
642
171
Harry Greb
Middleweight
Age: Dec. at 32 (1894-1926)
Birthplace: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Nationality: United States of America
298 fights from 1913-1926
261 wins (48 KO)
23
535
150
Jake LaMotta
Middleweight
Age: 99
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States of America
Nationality: Italy, United States of America
106 fights: 83 wins (30 KO)
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Behind The Scenes Of 'Raging Bull,' The Masterpiece Scorsese Never Wanted To Make#10 of 72 The Best Middleweight Boxers of All Time
24
693
234
Willie Pep
Featherweight
Age: Dec. at 84 (1922-2006)
Birthplace: Middletown, Connecticut
Nationality: United States of America
241 fights from 1940-1966
229 wins (65 KO)
25
533
174
Ingemar Johansson
Heavyweight
Age: Dec. at 77 (1932-2009)
Birthplace: Gothenburg, Sweden
Nationality: Sweden