Walker Smith Jr., better known as Sugar Ray Robinson, was a professional boxer in the United States from 1940 to 1965. In 1990, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Pound for pound, he is widely recognized as the best boxer of all time.

Sugar Ray Robinson was a dominant amateur, but the details of his amateur record are unknown. It is commonly stated as 85–0 with 69 knockouts, 40 of which came in the first round. However, it has been alleged that as a teenager, Walker Smith Jr., lost to Billy Graham and Patsy Pesca. He started professionally at the age of 19 in 1940 and had a professional record of 128–1–2 with 84 knockouts by 1951. Robinson has the third-longest unbeaten record in professional boxing history, lasting 91 fights from 1943 to 1951.

From 1946 through 1951, Sugar Ray Robinson held the world welterweight title and in 1951, he won the world middleweight title. He retired in 1952, only to return two and a half years later to reclaim the middleweight belt. He went on to become the first boxer in history to win five divisions of world championships (a feat he accomplished by defeating Carmen Basilio in 1958 to regain the middleweight championship). Robinson was named "fighter of the year" twice: once in 1942 and again in 1951, nine years and more than 90 contests later.

Historian Bert Sugar named Robinson the best fighter of all time, and he was also ranked first on The Ring magazine's list of the "80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years" in 2002. BoxRec ranks Robinson as the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time as of November 2021.

Born: May 3, 1921
Died: April 12, 1989

Nationality: American

Joseph Louis Barrow was a professional boxer in the United States from 1934 until 1951. Louis, nicknamed the Brown Bomber, is widely considered to be one of the best and most influential boxers of all time. From 1937 until his short retirement in 1949, he held the world heavyweight title. He won 25 straight championship defenses, a record in all weight classes. Louis held the record for the longest single reign as champion in boxing history.

Louis' cultural impact extended well beyond the ring. He is widely regarded as the first individual of African-American origin to be recognized as a national hero in the United States, and his historic rematch with German boxer Max Schmeling in 1938 was a focal point of anti-Nazi feelings leading up to and during World War II. He was influential in unifying the game of golf, breaking the sport's color barrier in America by competing in a PGA event under a sponsor's exemption in 1952.

Born: May 13, 1914
Died: April 12, 1981

Nationality: American

Muhammad Ali was a professional boxer and activist from the United States. He is widely considered one of the most important and celebrated sports figures of the twentieth century, and he is regularly ranked as the best heavyweight boxer of all time. In 1999, Sports Illustrated named him Sportsman of the Century, and the BBC awarded him Sports Personality of the Century.

He began training as an amateur boxer at the age of 12 after being born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. At the age of 18, he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Summer Olympics and went pro the following year. He converted to Islam around 1961. On February 25, 1964, at the age of 22, he defeated Sonny Liston to win the world heavyweight championship. He participated in several notable boxing battles, including fights with Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier (including the Fight of the Century, the biggest boxing event at the time), the Thrilla in Manila, and George Foreman in The Rumble in the Jungle.

Ali left boxing in 1981 to devote his time to religion, philanthropy, and activism. He made public his diagnosis of Parkinson's condition in 1984, which some media linked to boxing-related injuries, while he and his specialist physicians denied this. He remained a global public figure but made fewer public appearances in his final years as his condition worsened and he was cared for by his family.

Born: January 17, 1942
Died: June 3, 2016

Nationality: American

Tony Canzoneri was a professional boxer from the United States. He was a three-division world champion who won five world titles in all. Canzoneri belongs to an elite group of boxing world champions who have won titles in three or more weight classes. Canzoneri competed for the bantamweight and light-welterweight titles. Canzoneri was one of the best boxers of his era, despite his lack of fame.

On February 10, 1928, Tony Canzoneri won his first title, the World Featherweight title, with a 15-round decision over Benny Bass. He defended the title once before moving up to World Lightweight Champion Sammy Mandell, whom he defeated by decision in ten rounds. Mandell lost his championship after being knocked out in the first round by Al Singer in 1930, and Canzoneri, who had previously beaten Singer by a ten-round decision, challenged Singer for the title on November 14, 1930, knocking him out in the first round to become a two-division world champion. Singer created history by becoming the first man, and only man until John Mugabi, to win and lose the title via knockout in the first round.

Tony Canzoneri became a three-division world champion on April 24, 1931, when he knocked Berg out in the third round. Canzoneri, Barney Ross, and Henry Armstrong were the only boxers in history to hold two or more world titles at the same time.

On May 10, 1935, he faced Lou Ambers for the world lightweight title. Canzoneri defeated Ambers in 15 rounds to win the World Lightweight title. After successfully defending his Lightweight title once, he was defeated by Ambers in a rematch by a 15-round decision. Ambers won a decision in 15 rounds in their rematch.

Born: November 6, 1908
Died: December 9, 1959

Nationality: American

Emile Alphonse Griffith was a professional boxer from the United States Virgin Islands who won World Championships in the weight classes of welterweight, junior middleweight, and middleweight.

Griffith won the 147-pound Open Championship at the New York Golden Gloves in 1958. Griffith won the championship by defeating Osvaldo Marcano of the Police Athletic League's Lynch Center in the finals. Griffith reached the finals of the 147-pound Sub-Novice class in 1957 but was upset by Charles Wormley of the Salem Crescent Athletic Club. Griffith trained at New York City's West 28th Street Parks Department Gym.

Griffith made his pro debut in 1958 and fought frequently in New York City. On April 1, 1961, he knocked out Cuban Benny "The Kid" Paret in the 13th round to win the Welterweight title. Six months later, Griffith was defeated by Paret in a close split decision. Griffith reclaimed the title from Paret on March 24, 1962, in a contentious fight in which Paret died.

Griffith and Luis Rodrguez had a famous four-fight series, with Griffith winning the first three and losing the second. He beat middleweight contender Holly Mims before being knocked out in the first round by Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. On April 25, 1966, three years later, he faced middleweight champion Dick Tiger and won a 15-round unanimous decision and the middleweight title. In three memorable fights with Nino Benvenuti, he too lost, won, and finally lost the middleweight title.

Griffith was selected Fighter of the Year in 1963 and 1964 by The Ring magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He was placed #33 on Ring Magazine's list of the greatest 80 fighters of the last 80 years in 2002. He was elected into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the inaugural class in 1990.

Born: February 3, 1938
Died: July 23, 2013

Nationality: American

Floyd Mayweather is a former boxer and boxing promoter from the United States. As one of the best boxers of all time, he presently owns The Money Team Racing, a NASCAR Cup Series team.

Floyd Mayweather was a professional boxer from 1996 to 2017, retiring with an undefeated record and fifteen major world championships ranging from super featherweight to light-middleweight. This comprises the Ring magazine championship in five weight classes as well as the lineal championship in four weight classes (twice at welterweight). Mayweather won a bronze medal in the featherweight division at the 1996 Olympics, three US Golden Gloves championships (at light flyweight, flyweight, and featherweight), and the US national featherweight championship as an amateur boxer.

The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) named Mayweather "Fighter of the Decade" for the 2010s. Floyd Mayweather is also a two-time winner of The Ring magazine's Fighter of the Year award (1998 and 2007), a three-time winner of the BWAA Fighter of the Year award (2007, 2013, and 2015), and a six-time winner of the Best Fighter ESPY Award (2007–2010, 2012–2014).

In 2016, ESPN named Floyd Mayweather the greatest boxer of the last 25 years, pound for pound. BoxRec ranks him as the greatest boxer of all time, pound for pound, as of May 2021. Many sporting news and boxing websites, including The Ring, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, BoxRec, Fox Sports, and Yahoo! Sports, named Mayweather the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world twice in a decade.

Born: February 24, 1977

Nationality: American

Guglielmo Papaleo was an American professional boxer known as Willie Pep who held the World Featherweight title twice between 1942 and 1950.

During his 26-year career, Guglielmo Papaleo boxed a total of 1,956 rounds in 241 contests, a significant number of rounds and bouts even for a fighter of his day. He finished with a 229–11–1 record and 65 knockouts. Pep, famed for his speed, grace, and elusiveness, is regarded as one of the greatest fighters of the twentieth century; after his 199th victory, Kid Campeche characterized his experience as "fighting Willie Pep is like trying to stomp out a grass fire."

In 1990, Guglielmo Papaleo was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The Associated Press named Pep the best featherweight of the twentieth century, while the International Boxing Research Organization named him the best featherweight of all time in 2005. BoxRec presently ranks him as the 31st best pound-for-pound boxer of all time.

Guglielmo Papaleo stayed engaged in boxing after retiring, serving as an inspector and referee. Pep was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1977. Pep died on November 23, 2006, after being diagnosed with dementia pugilistica in a Connecticut care facility in March 2006.

Guglielmo Papaleo ranks seventh in our list of the best boxers in history.

Born: September 19, 1922
Died: November 23, 2006

Nationality: American

Ezzard Charles was a World Heavyweight Champion and American professional boxer. He is widely regarded as the greatest light heavyweight boxer of all time due to his smooth defense and precision. BoxRec ranks Charles as the second greatest boxer of all time, pound for pound, as of May 2021, trailing only Floyd Mayweather Jr. In three separate weight divisions, Charles defeated numerous Hall of Fame opponents. Charles finished his career with a record of 95 wins, 25 defeats, and 1 tie. In the inaugural class of 1990, he was elected into the International Boxing Hall of Fame posthumously.

Ezzard Charles began his career as a featherweight in the amateurs, where he achieved a 42–0 record. He won the Diamond Belt Middleweight Championship in 1938. He followed this up by winning the Chicago Golden Gloves champions competition in 1939. In 1939, he won the national AAU Middleweight Championship. In 1940, he made his professional debut, knocking out Melody Johnson in the fourth round.

After the war, he returned to boxing as a light heavyweight, scoring important victories over leading light heavyweights as well as heavyweight contenders Archie Moore, Jimmy Bivins, Lloyd Marshall, and Elmer Ray. After knocking out Joe Baksi and Johnny Haynes, Charles won the vacant National Boxing Association Heavyweight title on June 22, 1949, by outpointing Jersey Joe Walcott over 15 rounds. He defeated his idol, former World Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis, the next year to become the recognized Lineal Champion.

Ezzard Charles, nicknamed "The Cincinnati Cobra," faced numerous prominent opponents in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight classes, finally earning the World Championship in the latter. Despite the fact that he never won the Light Heavyweight title, The Ring named him the greatest light heavyweight of all time.

Born: July 7, 1921
Died: May 28, 1975

Nationality: American

Manny Pacquiao is a former professional boxer and politician from the Philippines. He is considered one of the best professional boxers of all time and is known as "PacMan." He has been a senator in the Philippines since 2016.

Manny Pacquiao is boxing's only eight-division world champion, having won twelve major world titles. He was the first boxer to win the lineal championship in five different weight classes, the first to win major world titles in four of the eight "glamour divisions" (flyweight, featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight), and the only boxer to hold world crowns throughout four decades (the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s).

Manny Pacquiao defeated Keith Thurman to capture the WBA (Super) welterweight championship in July 2019, making him the oldest welterweight world champion in history at the age of 40 and the first boxer in history to become a recognized four-time welterweight champion. Pacquiao's 25 pay-per-view fights had produced $1.2 billion in revenue as of 2015. According to Forbes, he was the world's second-highest-paid athlete in 2015.

Outside of boxing and politics, Manny Pacquiao was the head coach and a player for the Philippine Basketball Association team Kia/Mahindra from 2014 to 2017, before establishing the semi-professional Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. He has also appeared in films and on television series. He is also a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and Evangelical Christian preacher.

Born: December 17, 1978

Nationality: Filipino

Archie Moore was an American professional boxer who held the World Light Heavyweight Championship for the longest time (December 1952 – May 1962). He had one of the sport's longest professional careers, competing from 1935 to 1963. Moore, nicknamed "The Mongoose" in the latter half of his career, was a highly methodical and defensive boxer with a strong chin and exceptional resilience.

BoxRec ranks Archie Moore as the third greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time as of December 2020. In addition, he is ranked fourth on The Ring's list of the "100 best punchers of all time." Moore also worked as a trainer for Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, and James Tillis after retiring.

Archie Moore, a native of Benoit, Mississippi, was raised in poverty in St. Louis, Missouri. Moore had been denied a shot at the world title for nearly ten years, and he spent the majority of that time fighting on the road with little to show for it. He became interested in African American causes after his days as a fighter were done, becoming a prominent figure in the American Black community. He has made a name for himself as a successful character actor in both television and movies. Moore died at the age of 84 in his adopted hometown of San Diego, California.

Born: December 13, 1913
Died: December 9, 1998

Nationality: American