BoxRec

While my list is not concrete, I am working on basically watching all available footage on every major fighter that matters of the last 50 years first, and then I'll go backward from there.

Thus far my list would come out like this.

1. Muhammad Ali
2. Manny Pacquiao
3. Joe Louis (yeah, yeah I know he's further back than 50 years, but I watched all available footage of him, and there's a lot)
4. Evander Holyfield
5. George Foreman
6. Naoya Inoue
7. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
8. Sugar Ray Leonard
9. Marvin Hagler
10. Terence Crawford

List subject to change as I watch all available fights of more fighters, but that's how it stands right now.

I can't believe Sweet Dick Willie put Brian Nielsen on the list

Jaywheel wrote: ↑14 Feb 2025, 20:43 Didn’t know nielsen’s mother AND father were forum users

Sweet Dick Willie wrote: ↑20 Feb 2026, 19:31 I can't believe Sweet Dick Willie put Brian Nielsen on the list

I wouldn't put nothing past a guy with a moniker like that

gilgamesh wrote: ↑20 Feb 2026, 19:49

Sweet Dick Willie wrote: ↑20 Feb 2026, 19:31 I can't believe Sweet Dick Willie put Brian Nielsen on the list

I wouldn't put nothing past a guy with a moniker like that

Haha

Are we talking favorite's or greatest ?

I'm talking greatest, but only of the ones whose careers I've watched in their entirety, I honestly figure that's the only kinda list that's worth doing. Any big names that seem like they should be there I likely just haven't gotten around to yet, but the names that are there would be listed in the order I have them.

The guys from the Pre Video tape era like your Harry Greb's and Sam Langford's, Legendary though I have no doubt they were great butit's hard to say just how great in comparison to fighters we can all see and assess with our own eyes.

Fight fans in the 1940's weren't talking about how great the guys from the 1810's were, ya know what I mean? So I'm trying to keep my opinions to matters such as these going forward strictly to fighters I've seen and covered myself as I feel like that's the only proper way you could really appraise this honestly.

I was talking favorites!

In that case my list would be entirely different.

My favorites in real time since following the sport
1. Arturo Gatti
2. Erik Morales
3. Gennady Golovkin
4. Marcos Maidana
5. James Toney
6. Jose Luis Castillo
7. Ruslan Provodnikov
8. Fabio Wardley (my current favorite)
9. Leonard Dorin
10. Deontay Wilder

My all time favorites to watch back have been
1. Bobby Chacon
2. Matthew Saad Muhammad
3. Naseem Hamed
4. George Foreman
5. Roberto Duran
6. Tommy Hearns
7. Julio Cesar Chavez
8. Evander Holyfield
9. Mike Tyson
10. Julian Jackson

No particular order on any of these, just guys all of whom I'd say I'm a big fan of, and whose fights I appreciate a lot. I could easily give you many more who I think just as highly of on the all time list honestly.

gilgamesh wrote: ↑20 Feb 2026, 21:32 In that case my list would be entirely different.

My favorites in real time since following the sport
1. Arturo Gatti
2. Erik Morales
3. Gennady Golovkin
4. Marcos Maidana
5. James Toney
6. Jose Luis Castillo
7. Ruslan Provodnikov
8. Fabio Wardley (my current favorite)
9. Leonard Dorin
10. Deontay Wilder

My all time favorites to watch back have been
1. Bobby Chacon
2. Matthew Saad Muhammad
3. Naseem Hamed
4. George Foreman
5. Roberto Duran
6. Tommy Hearns
7. Julio Cesar Chavez
8. Evander Holyfield
9. Mike Tyson
10. Julian Jackson

No particular order on any of these, just guys all of whom I'd say I'm a big fan of, and whose fights I appreciate a lot. I could easily give you many more who I think just as highly of on the all time list honestly.

Yeah me too. Camacho, Tapia and Lomatsenko are 1, 2 and 3 but the rest varies. How long have you followed the sport?

Since late 2001. I saw a few fights off and on before that, but 2001 was when I got hooked.

Currently:

1. Jai Opetaia
2. Bam Rodriguez
3. Shak Stevenson
4. Artur Beterbiev
5. Dimitri Bivol (I think Beterbiev was better)
6. Bektemir Melikuziev
7. Israil Madrimov (think he beat the goat)
8. Andy Cruz
9. Galal Yafai
10. Richard Torrez Jr (had to add a heavyweight)

Dang, forgot Inoue and Usyk

gilgamesh wrote: ↑20 Feb 2026, 22:11 Since late 2001. I saw a few fights off and on before that, but 2001 was when I got hooked.

Ok

Sweet Dick Willie wrote: ↑20 Feb 2026, 22:12 Currently:

1. Jai Opetaia
2. Bam Rodriguez
3. Shak Stevenson
4. Artur Beterbiev
5. Dimitri Bivol (I think Beterbiev was better)
6. Bektemir Melikuziev
7. Israil Madrimov (think he beat the goat)
8. Andy Cruz
9. Galal Yafai
10. Richard Torrez Jr (had to add a heavyweight)

Torrez is going all the way IMO. He'll be BoxRec #1 @ heavyweight before his career is over.

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑21 Feb 2026, 10:27

Sweet Dick Willie wrote: ↑20 Feb 2026, 22:12 Currently:

1. Jai Opetaia
2. Bam Rodriguez
3. Shak Stevenson
4. Artur Beterbiev
5. Dimitri Bivol (I think Beterbiev was better)
6. Bektemir Melikuziev
7. Israil Madrimov (think he beat the goat)
8. Andy Cruz
9. Galal Yafai
10. Richard Torrez Jr (had to add a heavyweight)

Torrez is going all the way IMO. He'll be BoxRec #1 @ heavyweight before his career is over.

What do you think about the rest of the list?

Sweet Dick Willie wrote: ↑21 Feb 2026, 12:11

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑21 Feb 2026, 10:27

Sweet Dick Willie wrote: ↑20 Feb 2026, 22:12 Currently:

1. Jai Opetaia
2. Bam Rodriguez
3. Shak Stevenson
4. Artur Beterbiev
5. Dimitri Bivol (I think Beterbiev was better)
6. Bektemir Melikuziev
7. Israil Madrimov (think he beat the goat)
8. Andy Cruz
9. Galal Yafai
10. Richard Torrez Jr (had to add a heavyweight)

Torrez is going all the way IMO. He'll be BoxRec #1 @ heavyweight before his career is over.

What do you think about the rest of the list?

Are you ranking the best in the world or your favourites?

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑21 Feb 2026, 12:34

Sweet Dick Willie wrote: ↑21 Feb 2026, 12:11

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑21 Feb 2026, 10:27

Torrez is going all the way IMO. He'll be BoxRec #1 @ heavyweight before his career is over.

What do you think about the rest of the list?

Are you ranking the best in the world or your favourites?

My favorites.

Sweet Dick Willie wrote: ↑21 Feb 2026, 13:19

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑21 Feb 2026, 12:34

Sweet Dick Willie wrote: ↑21 Feb 2026, 12:11
What do you think about the rest of the list?

Are you ranking the best in the world or your favourites?

My favorites.

In that case, I like your list.

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑21 Feb 2026, 14:40

Sweet Dick Willie wrote: ↑21 Feb 2026, 13:19

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑21 Feb 2026, 12:34

Are you ranking the best in the world or your favourites?

My favorites.

In that case, I like your list.

Thanks!

My favorite boxers:
Roberto Duran
Muhammad Ali
Sugar Ray Leonard
Julio Cesar Chavez
Eusebio Pedroza
Bobby Chacon
Manny Pacquiao
Vicente Saldivar
Mike Tyson (That was before 1989. He just came, kicked your azz and kiss you bye bye. No talking. He just kicked your azz!)
Kid Gavilan
Henry Armstrong

Still lying that Leonard is one of your favorite fighters? Wow.

Ambling Alp II wrote: ↑21 Feb 2026, 19:22 Still lying that Leonard is one of your favorite fighters? Wow.

Like I have said, you don't know me.

I know that you are lying when you say that Leonard is one of your favorite fighters.
You rip him almost ever time his name comes up.
You once said that Leonard was not a real fighter. Nobody would ever say that about a fighter that they like.

Ambling Alp II wrote: ↑22 Feb 2026, 16:35 I know that you are lying when you say that Leonard is one of your favorite fighters.
You rip him almost ever time his name comes up.
You once said that Leonard was not a real fighter. Nobody would ever say that about a fighter that they like.

I don't even tend to say sh*t that harsh about fighters I don't like.