Boxing is one of those sports that you either love with a fiery passion or really don’t care about. Sadly, I’m not a big fan, but don’t get me wrong it’s still fun to read those stats. Knocking people out cold in the first round? Sign me up! Sadly, most of the fights nowadays are boring and last forever to prolong the spectacle and allow the advertisers to sell you more of their crap. What I’m saying is, modern boxing is just a soulless money-making machine… for the most part. I’m sure there are passionate boxers out there, no doubt about it!
Either way, no need to keep you all waiting, so let’s talk about the best of the best, the crème of the crop, the strongest, most agile boxers of all time.
1. Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson is probably the most notorious of all the boxers of this list. That’s because he rocked during the 90s’, and we all love that decade. In terms of KOs his stats are also pretty impressive: overall, he knocked out his opponents 44 times, 12 of which were in the 1st round. Oh and to top it off, his first 19 fights as a professional boxer were all KOs.
2. Roberto Duran
This is the man known and feared for his stone-hard and lightning-fast punches. 103 victories, 70 knock outs. You do the math!
3. Sugar Ray Robinson
At some point, you’ve probably heard characters on TV or in a movie call someone “Sugar Ray”, well, I’m 90% sure this was the Sugar Ray they were referring to. 173 wins with 108 KO’s in the lightweight, welterweight, middleweight and light-heavyweight divisions. This man was all over the place!
4. Joe Louis
Have you heard the legend of the “Brown Bomber”? Joe got this moniker when he smashed a German boxer Max Schmeling in just 124 seconds in 1938. I mean, 52 KO’s out of 66 fights? That’s damn impressive.
5. Jack Dempsey
Even I, a person with zero boxing knowledge, have heard of a Dempsey Roll. I just didn’t know Jack Dempsey was an actual person. Either way Jack was famous for being extremely agile, bobbing and weaving the opponent’s attacks, while punching them, like some superhuman. 56 wins, 44 KOs – not too shabby.
6. Lennox Lewis
It’s been ages since we last heard the name Lennox Lewis. Let’s not forget he beat such champions as Vitali Klitschko, Mike Tyson, and Evander Holyfield among many others. His current and probably final score is 41 wins, with 32 knock outs.
7. Rocky Marciano
Rocky (no, the other Rocky) was ranked the 5th strongest heavyweight champ, and there’s no doubt he deserved it with 43 KOs out of 49 fights.
8. Muhammad Ali
Last but definitely not least – the legendary Muhammad Ali. Three times he wore the champion belt in the heavyweight category, and only lost by the end of his boxing career, which is understandable. 56 fights won, 37 of them ended in KOs. I guess just looking at the numbers is less exciting than actually watching him fly like a butterfly and sting like a bee.
