Boxing

Teddy Atlas Lists His 10 Greatest Boxers Of All Time

The legendary Teddy Atlas dropped his definitive list of the 10 greatest boxers of all time on a recent podcast.

Grant Young

Boxing icon Teddy Atlas.
Boxing icon Teddy Atlas. / IMAGO / Christian Schroedter

Few people in the boxing community are more universally adored and respected than the legendary Teddy Atlas, who had an iconic career as a boxing trainer before transitioning over to becoming an analyst for the sweet science.

Ears perk up whenever Atlas speaks about boxing. And this is why his list of the 10 greatest boxers is all time (which he dropped on an April 10 episode of THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas) is sure to turn some heads.

Below is Atlas' ranking in reverse order.

#10: Roberto Duran

Roberto Duran is a Panamanian former professional boxer who had world championships in the lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight, and middleweight divisions. Duran also reigned as the undisputed and lineal lightweight champion and the lineal welterweight champion at various points in his career.

He competed from 1968 to 2001 and had a 103-16 professional record with 70 KOs.

#9: Sugar Ray Leonard

Sugar Ray Leonard is an American former professional boxer who won world titles in five weight classes. He was also the lineal champion in three different weight classes, along with being the undisputed welterweight world champion at one point.

He competed professionally between 1977 and 1997 and had a professional record of 36-3-1 with 25 KOs

Sugar Ray Leonard
IMAGO / Globe Entertainment

#8: Joe Louis

Joe Louis was an American professional boxer who was the world heavyweight champion from 1937 until 1949. His 25 consecutive title defenses are a record for all weight classes, and he has the longest single reign as champion of any boxer in history, regardless of weight class.

Louis competed from 1934 to 1951 and has a professional record of 68-3 with 54 KOs.

#7: Harry Greb

Harry "The Pittsburgh Windmill" Greb was an American boxer who was the American light heavyweight champion from 1922-1923, and the world middleweight champion from 1923-1926.

His career spanned from 1913 to 1926, and he (allegedly) finished his career with a professional record of 261-18-19 with 49 KOs.

#6: Benny Leonard

Benny Leonard was an American professional boxer who was the world lightweight champion from 1917 to 1925. He fought professionally from 1911 to 1932 and finished his career with a 185-22-9 record with 70 KOs.

#5: Willie Pep

Willie Pep was an American professional boxer who was a two-time world featherweight champion from 1942 to 1950. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

Pep fought professionally from 1940 to 1966 and finished his career with a record of 229-11-1 with 65 KOs.

#4: Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali
IMAGO / Sven Simon

Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer, global cultural icon, and a man who is often called the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. He held the Ring magazine heavyweight title from 1964 to 1970, was the undisputed heavyweight champion from 1974 to 1978, and was the WBA and Ring heavyweight champion from 1978 to 1979.

Ali fought professionally from 1960 to 1981 and finished his career with a 56-5 record with 37 KOs.

#3: Sam Langford

Sam Langford was a Canadian professional boxer who is considered by many to be the greatest boxer not to have won a world title, which is owed to him not receiving world championship opportunities that he was rightfully owed.

Langford fought from 1902 to 1925 and finished his career with a professional record of 210-43-53 with 126 KOs.

#2: Sugar Ray Robinson

Sugar Ray Robinson
IMAGO / Globe Entertainment

Sugar Ray Robinson was an American professional boxer who became the first boxer in history to win a divisional world championship five times and is often considered the greatest boxer of all time.

Robinson fought professionally from 1940 to 1965 and finished his professional career with a record of 174-19-6 with 109 KOs.

#1: Henry Armstrong

Henry Armstrong was an American professional boxer who is the only fighter to ever hold world championships in three divisions. He defended his welterweight title a total of nineteen times.

Armstrong fought from 1931 to 1945 and finished his career with a professional record of 151-21-9 record with 101 KOs.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Boxing, Women’s Basketball, and the New York Mets for On SI. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years, and he thinks it’s time that Canelo Álvarez fights David Benavidez.