Some fans are saying, “Boxing isn’t what it used to be today!” That could also be said about other sports!
In looking at today’s top ten boxers, you have to consider being unbeaten with the exception of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who has more wins than any of the other champs today.
Most people would say that WBC, WBA, and WBO World Welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford, 40-0 with 31 stoppages from Omaha, Nebraska, is No. 1.
After disposing of Spence again, the Super Welterweight division is wide open with WBA, WBC, and IBF champion Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo, 35-2-1 with 19 stoppages out of Richmond, Texas, recently announcing giving up the titles Crawford should fight for those vacancies.
No. 2 and No. 3 would go to the two Russian light heavyweight champions. No. 2 WBC, IBF, and WBO champion Artur Beterbiev, 19-0 with 19 stoppages fighting out of Montreal, Canada, with a defense in January against Callum “Mundo” Smith, 29-1 with 21 stoppages out of the UK would be his last fight before a unification match with 2022’s Fighter of the Year WBA Super World champion Dimitrii Bivol, 21-0 with 11 stoppages having defeated Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, 44-0, and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 57-1-2, earning that award! He is scheduled to fight in December against IBO World champion Lyndon Arthur, 23-1.
No. 4 would be WBC and WBO Super Bantam champion Japan’s Naoya “Monster” Inoue, 25-0 with 22 stoppages. He is scheduled to fight in December in a unification match against WBA and IBF champion Marlon “Nightmare” Tapales, 37-3 with 19 stoppages.
No. 5 and No. 6 are heavyweight champions WBC champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury, 34-0-1 with 24 stoppages out of the UK at No. 5 and at No. 6 Olympic Gold Medalist and current WBA, WBO and IBF champion Oleksandr Usyk, 21-0 with 14 stoppages out of the Ukraine.
No. 7 would be IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO Super Middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 60-2-2 with 39 stoppages out of Mexico.
At No. 8 and No. 9 would be lightweight champions IBF, WBA, and WBO champion Devin “The Dream” Haney, 30-0 with 15 stoppages out of Las Vegas, Nevada, at No. 8. He is scheduled in December to move up a division against WBC Super Lightweight champion Regis “Rougarou” Prograis, 29-1 with 24 stoppages.
No. 9, though having had an “off night” recently, would be WBC Lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson, 21-0 with ten stoppages out of Newark, New Jersey, having recently won his third division title.
No. 10 would be newly crowned IBF Welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis, 31-0 with 28 stoppages out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, possibly the “most avoided” boxer today, if just in his division.
Comparing this ten to the all-time ten is like night and day. No. 1 would be welterweight and middleweight champion “Sugar” Ray Robinson, 174-19-6 with 109 stoppages out of Harlem, New York. He spent sixteen months in the US Army.
He defeated the No. 2 boxer who was past his prime at the time in featherweight, welterweight, and lightweight champion (hold all three at the same time) Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, 149-21-10 with 99 stoppages out of L.A., California.
No. 3 and No. 4 would be heavyweight champions, starting with 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist Muhammad “The Greatest” Ali, 56-5 with 37 stoppages out of Louisville, Kentucky. He was a three-time champion who lost his belt outside of the ring and three years of inactivity.
No. 4 would be Joe “The Brown Bomber” Louis, 66-3 with 52 stoppages and a record 25 defenses out of Detroit, Michigan. He lost four years while being in the US Army.
No. 5 World Middleweight champion Harry “Pittsburgh Windmill” Greb, 262-17-18 (Boxrec shows only 108-9-3 with 49 stoppages), defeated 2-division champion Mickey “Toy Bulldog” Walker for the title and is out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He also won the American Light Heavy title, being the only one to defeat then-future heavyweight champion Gene “Fighting Marine” Tunney, 47-0-2 and going 1-2-1 against him. Greb fought with one blind eye and would die during an operation of the eye.
No. 6, the only non-champion on the list in heavyweight Sam “The Boston Bonecrusher” Langford, 178-30-38 with 126 stoppages out of Nova Scotia, Canada, and then Boston, Massachusettes. Heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey claimed Langford was the only fighter he ever ducked.
No. 7 1976 Olympic Gold Medalist and five-division world champion “Sugar” Ray Leonard, 36-3-1 with 25 stoppages from Palmer Park, Maryland. Leonard defeated such boxers as Tommy “Hit Man” Hearns, “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler, won 2 of 3 against Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran, and defeated WBC champion Wilfredo Benitez, 38-0-1, for his first world title in his 26th fight. He lost two years due to eye surgery to come back and defeat Hagler and draw with Hearns.
No. 8 Lightweight champion Benny “The Ghetto Wizard” Leonard, 186-22-9 (box rec shows 90-6-1 with 71 stoppages of those).
No. 9 and No. 10 are listed due to their unbeaten records with No. 9 heavyweight champion Rocky “The Brockton Blockbuster” Marciano, 49-0, with 43 stoppages out of Brockton, Massachusetts.
No. 10 is Olympic Bronze Medalist and five-division world champion Floyd “Money-Pretty Boy” Mayweather, Jr., 50-0 with 27 stoppages out of Grand Rapids, Michigan and Las Vegas, Nevada. He defeated Oscar “Golden Boy” De La Hoya, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao.
