The Greatest All Weight Boxers

The History of Boxing

Boxing was first recorded as a sport in the year 688 BC. The ancient Greeks and Romans both competed in a form of boxing. It is unclear which came first, but it is believed that they learned the sport from one another.

Boxing has evolved over the years. Originally boxers would wear nothing to cover their bodies for protection and fights would only last an hour or two. Now, boxers are divided into weight classes: bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight and heavyweight. Boxers now use padded gloves and headgear to protect themselves from injury during competition.

The first professional boxing match took place in 1892 between John L Sullivan and James J Corbett in New Orleans. Since then there have been many great moments in boxing history including:

-Jack Johnson knocking out James J Jeffries after he had retired as champion;

-Joe Louis became the first African American heavyweight champion of the world when he knocked out Max Schmeling;

-Muhammad Ali's 'Thrilla in Manila' with Joe Frazier;

-Mike Tyson biting Evander Holyfield's ear during their 1997 rematch;

-Ricky Hatton coming back from a 10th round TKO loss to knock out Kostya Tszyu to become IBF light welterweight champion;

-Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s unanimous decision victory over Manny Pacquiao at the end of 2015 for his 49 run.

The Best All-time Heavyweight Boxers

Joe Louis: Joe Louis was the heavyweight champion of the world for 12 years. He retired with a record of 68-3, with 37 knockouts.

Muhammad Ali: Muhammad Ali had a record of 56-5, with 37 knockouts.

George Foreman: George Foreman had a record of 76-5, with 68 knockouts.

Larry Holmes: Larry Holmes had a record of 69-6, with 45 knockouts.

Wladimir Klitschko: Wladimir Klitschko has a current professional boxing record of 64-3 and has 54 KOs.

Tyson Fury: Tyson Fury currently has an undefeated professional boxing record at 27 wins to 0 losses and 18 KOs.

The Best All-time Lightweight Boxers

Jim Driscoll

Jim Driscoll was Irish and a professional boxer. He had three boxing rules—allowing only punches below the belt, allowing only one-twenty second interval between rounds, and banning wrestling tactics. You can see that he is a great champion to have won so many fights.

The Best All-time Middleweight Boxers

The best all-time middleweight boxers are names that you'll most likely recognize.

Muhammad Ali: Muhammad Ali is one of the most famous people in American history. Born Cassius Clay, he became a champion boxer and changed his name to Muhammad Ali after converting to Islam.

Joe Frazier: Joe Frazier was born into poverty but managed to become an Olympic bronze medalist and heavyweight boxing champion. He famously sparred with Muhammad Ali in 1972 where he lost the title on points.

Larry Holmes: Larry Holmes was another well-known heavyweight champion who had a successful professional career which spanned twenty years.

George Foreman: George Foreman is a former heavyweight world champion and Olympic gold medalist who was well known for his punching power and impressive comebacks.

Mike Tyson: Mike Tyson is probably the most recognizable name on this list because he's one of the most infamous boxers in history thanks to his ferocious fighting style and his biting off Evander Holyfield's ear during a match.

Sonny Liston: Sonny Liston was an intimidating heavyweight champion who retired undefeated, with only six knockouts, after facing Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) for the second time in 1965.

The Best All-time Welterweight Boxers

This list is ranked by the Boxing Insider, which is an organization of boxing journalists from all around the world. The top ten welterweights are:

- Sugar Ray Robinson

- Roberto Durán

- Thomas Hearns

- Harry Greb

- Barney Ross

- Rocky Marciano

- Carlos Monzon

- Ike Williams

- Gene Tunney - Ken Norton - Henry Armstrong.

Conclusion

With boxing becoming more prominent in the media, there are a number of reliable sources to find a list of the best boxers. There are some that are considered the best all-time heavyweight boxers, some of the best all-time light welterweight boxers and many others. No matter what weight class you're in, it is important to know who the best boxers are. Whether you're picking an active boxer or a retired boxer, it's important to know the history of boxing and the best boxers in each weight class. The more you know about boxing and boxing history, the more knowledgeable you'll be about your favorite sport.