Many truly great fighters have graced the ring over the past century-plus.
To whittle that list down to a Top 10 is a monumental task, one involving a great deal of research and institutional knowledge on the part of the Boxing Junkie staff.
And that’s what we’ve done here, give you the 10 boxers we feel are the best the sport has ever produced.
Here is the list, from No. 10 to No. 1.
NO. 10 ROBERTO DURAN
Record: 103-16 (70 KOs)
Years active: 1968-2001
Titles won: World lightweight, world welterweight, world junior middleweight, world middleweight
Among his victims: Ken Buchanan, Esteban De Jesus, Saoul Mamby, Carlos Palomino, Ray Leonard, Pipino Cuevas, Davey Moore, Iran Barkley
Background: Duran was a fighter’s fighter, a snarling brute who happened to have sublime boxing ability and fight-changing power. The combination was something to behold. Duran would’ve been considered an all-time great had his career ended after his incredible lightweight years, as he built a record of 62-1 before he became a full-fledged welterweight. And he twice avenged the lone loss to fellow Hall of Famer Esteban De Jesus. Duran would fight another 23 years. He became the first to beat Sugar Ray Leonard, which left no doubt about his greatness. He quit in the rematch, which earned him scorn, but he rebuilt his reputation in part because of his resilience. He seemed to be finished when he lost to Wilfredo Benitez and Kirkland Laing but then stopped Pipino Cuevas and Davey Moore, and almost beat Marvin Hagler. In 1989, when he was 37, he outpointed Iran Barkley to win a middleweight title. That was his last hurrah. He fought until he was 50 but never won another big fight. That didn’t matter in terms of his legacy. His place among the most revered fighters was already secure.