Black History Month

In honor of Black History Month which is originally an American holiday we are only recognizing African American / Black American Boxers. Boxers in a difficult time in American history had to battle not only what was in the ring but outside of it facing racism, discrimination, prejudice, death threats, and more. Those boxers in the past paved away for modern and current boxers of today also facing racism and more.

Honorable Mention

Jack Johnson

This list can’t be complete without giving Jack Johnson an honorable mention. He was the first ever Black heavyweight boxer in the world and reigned as the champion from 1908 to 1915. His record was an astonishing 68 wins, 11 losses, 11 draws, and 3 no contests.

Top 10 Best Black Boxers of All Time

10. Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Floyd “Money” Mayweather is not just one of the richest boxers, but one of the richest athletes in the entire world. 

During his career, Mayweather won fifteen world championships from super featherweight to light middleweight, including the Ring magazine title in five different weight classes and the lineal championship in four weight classes. He retired as an undefeated champion, with a record of 50-0.

He is regarded by many as the best defensive boxer of all time, and he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021.

9. Roy Jones Jr.

Roy Jones Junior competed in boxing from 1989 to 2018 and retired with a record of 66 wins and 9 losses.

Jones held multiple world championships in four different weight classes, including titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight. At the height of his career, he was the Unified Retained WBA, WBC, IBF, IBO, WBF, IBA, and The Ring light heavyweight champion.

Roy Jones Junior also made a comeback recently and fought the great Iron Mike Tyson in an exhibition bout.

8. George Foreman

George Foreman was active in the 1970s, which is also called by many the golden age of heavyweight boxing. 

He won a gold medal in the 1968 Olympics and went on to become a two-time heavyweight world champion as a professional. George Foreman had wings over some of the best boxers of his time and became the first man to defeat the then undefeated Joe Fraized to become world champion. Forman also fought Muhamad Ali in one of the biggest boxing events of his time. 

George Foreman retired in 1997 with a record of 76 wins and 5 losses.

7. Joe Fraizer

Joe Frazier, also known as “Smokin’ Joe,” was a professional boxer who was active in the 1970s.

He was known for his incredible power, and pressure fighting style. As an amatuer, he won the gold medal in the 1964 Summer Olympics, and after turning pro, he went on to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Frazier was the first boxer to defeat Muhammad Ali, and he retired in 1981, with a record of 32 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw. 

Frazier retired in 1976, and then came back for a single fight in 1981. He had a record of 32 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw.

6. Evander Holyfield

Evander Holyfield, also known as “The Real Deal,” is a former professional boxer who competed between 1984 to 2011. He is the only boxer to hold undisputed titles in two weight classes and the only 4-time heavyweight world champion. 

Holyfield had wins over some of the best boxers of his time and has defeated multiple fighters on this list as well, including Mike Tyson. Holyfield retired in 2011, with a record of 44 wins, 10 losses, 2 draws, and 1 no-contest.

5. Sugar Ray Leonard

Sugar Ray Leonard is one of the biggest names in Boxing. He competed between 1977 and 1997, retiring with a record of 36 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw.

Throughout his career, he won world titles in five weight divisions and the lineal championship in three different weight classes. He is also the former, undisputed welterweight world champion. He is a two-time Ring magazine fighter of the year and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of fame in 1997.

4. Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson, the youngest heavyweight champion in the world, is one of the biggest stars the world has ever seen.

Tyson competed between 1985 to 2005 and retired with a record of 50 wins and 6 losses. He is a two-time heavyweight world champion, and also held the unified WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring heavyweight titles in 1989.

He is a 2-time Ring magazine fighter of the Year and was inducted into the International Boxing hall of fame in 2011. Tyson even made a comeback in 2021 and had an exhibition fight against Roy Jones Junior.

3. Joe Louis

Joe Louis, The “Brown bomber”, was one of the most impactful boxers of his time. He competed from 1934 to 1951 and retired with a record of 63 wins and 3 losses.

Joe Louis holds the record for the longest reign as a heavyweight world champion. He won the NBA, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles in 1937, and retained them till 1950, staying the champion for over 12 years. He defended his titles 25 times, which is also a standing record.

Louis was named fighter of the year four times by The Ring magazine and was also awarded the congressional gold medal in 1981. He died the same year, at the age of 66.

2. Sugar Ray Robinson

Regarded by many as the greatest boxer of all time, Sugar Ray Robinson is second on our list. 

He competed from 1940 to 1965 and won world titles in two weight classes. He also holds the record for the third-longest win streak in professional boxing, with 91 consecutive wins. Robbinson ended his career with a record of 128 wins, 1 loss and 2 draws with 84  knockouts. He was inducted into the Boxing Hall Of Fame in 1990.

The Ring ranked him as the best pound-for-pound fighter in history, and he was named “welterweight of the century”, “middleweight of the century”, and overall “fighter of the century”. Sugar Ray Robinson passed away in 1989 at the age of 67.

1. Muhammad Ali

At the top of the list, there can be no other than “The Greatest”, Muhammad Ali. 

He won the gold medal at the 1960 Olympics and as a professional, he went on to become the first three-time heavyweight world champion. Ali retired in 1981 with a record of 56-5 with 37 KOs.

To this day, Ali remains the only three-time lineal heavyweight champion. He was named The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year six times. Muhammad Ali was one of the inaugural inductees of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, the year it was formed.

Related Links: 

• Top 10 Negro League Baseball Players of All Time
• Top 10 Black Quarterbacks in NFL History
• Top 10 NHL Black Hockey Players of All Time Rankings
• Top 10 Black MMA Fighters of All Time Rankings