Who joins Ali in list of kings of the ring?
FROM JIMMY WILDE IN 1916 TO 21ST CENTURY FLOYD MAYWEATHER, OUR TOP 10 BOXERS OF ALL TIME
N keeping with major sporting events, elite level boxing is on indefinite hiatus because of the global coronavirus pandemic, offering a chance to reflect on the finest fighters to have graced the ring.
Here, the Examiner selects its top-10 boxers of all time.
Probably the best flyweight of all time; certainly the best fighter Britain has ever produced. Nicknamed “The ghost with a hammer in his hands”, the Welshman’s pale and skinny physique belied the power of his punches. He was world champion from 1916 to 1923 and he won an incredible 130 of his 134 decision bouts. Heavyweight champion Gene Tunney - a boxer who deserves an honourable mention in his own right - called Wilde “the greatest fighter I ever saw”. money-orientated nature made him one of the most polarising figures the sport has ever seen. A defensive wizard whose blend of speed, athleticism and footwork proved unsolvable for every one of his foes, ‘Money’ won all 26 of his world title fights across five different weight classes in compiling an immaculate 50-0 professional record.
“The Brown Bomber” ruled the heavyweight roost with dignity and dynamism for almost two decades. He reigned as champion from 1937 to 1949, making 25 defences of his title. He was the first black heavyweight champion since Jack Johnson but was a hero for all Americans. Only one other heavyweight has matched his grace and athleticism in the ring.
Pep fought 242 times and emerged victorious in 230 of those bouts.
His art was in a ring artistry which verged on the balletic, and he once famously won a round without throwing a single punch.
He was world featherweight champion from 1942 to 1950 and regained the title from his great rival Sandy Saddler in 1949. Nicknamed “Will o’ the Wisp”, Pep was one of the finest purveyors of his craft in the sport’s history.
‘Homicide Hank’ was a kamikaze whirl of flying limbs, a brutal puncher with a granite chin to match. In 1939 Armstrong held world titles at featherweight, lightweight and welterweight at the same time. He fought 151 times many of his bouts just days apart and stopped 101 boxers.
The golden boy of the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Leonard starred in boxing’s greatest modern era, his bouts with Roberto Duran,
Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns the stuff of legend. Leonard’s dazzling skills and glamorous persona were such that even a hefty mantle as ‘Sugar Ray’ could have fitted snugly on his shoulders. Leonard won five world titles at five different weights.
Arguably the best lightweight ever, Leonard reigned from 1917 to 1923. He fought 212 times and suffered only four knockout defeats. Leonard went on to challenge Jack Britton for the world welterweight title in 1922 and was on his way to victory before striking his opponent after the bell and earning a disqualification.
Boxing’s first black heavyweight champion, his seven-year reign from 1908 to 1915 was characterised by a vivid lifestyle and a hearty disdain for those who preached white supremacy.
His wins sparked race riots across America and his legacy effectively shut out the hopes of other potential black heavyweight challengers for the next 20 years.
His controversy clouds his immense punching power and ringcraft.
Roberto Duran, Harry Greb, Roy Jones Jr, Manny Pacquiao and Archie Moore.