There’s no easy way to decide which boxers are the best in the world. There are many factors to consider, such as body type, power, defense, and style. Even pound-for-pound is a topic of debate among fans. As boxing legend Terence Crawford has said, pound-for-pound isn’t everything.
Takashi Uchiyama
Takashi Uchiyama is one of the best boxers in the world. He recently defended his world junior lightweight title against Israel Perez and forced him to retire from the ring on a stool in the ninth round. The victory headlined a card featuring three other world title bouts. The event was one of eight world title fights held in Japan in the past two days. The events have become a New Year’s Eve tradition in Japan.
Takashi Uchiyama is a Japanese boxer who made his professional debut in 2005. He is best known for his thunderous power. But he is also a highly schooled athlete with an impressive amateur pedigree. His credentials have earned him a place on any pound-for-pound list. Uchiyama had a 91-22-59 record before turning professional. He also won three consecutive All Japan Japanese Lightweight titles. He also competed at the 2003 World Championships in Bangkok.
Manny Pacquiao
After bursting onto the world boxing scene over a decade ago, Manny Pacquiao captured the attention of boxing fans worldwide with his speed and power. In his illustrious career, he won ten world championships, four of which were lineal titles. His first title was the WBC flyweight title, which he won two weeks before his 20th birthday. He lost the title due to weight ข่าวมวย, but was able to resurface as a junior featherweight and win four more championships.
During his career, Pacquiao has fought against many of the world’s greatest boxers. He is the first Filipino to hold the WBC lightweight title. He has fought many Mexicans, including Juan Manuel Marquez and Naseem Hamed, and has won over former champions Marco Antonio Barrera and Jonny Ta pia.
Oleksandr Usyk
Oleksandr Usyk has risen quickly to the top of world boxing in a very short amount of time. In just 20 professional fights, he has already become a world champion. His first title came in 2016 in a fight where he won by unanimous decision. He was injured during the fight, but it did not affect his performance.
The Ukrainian is 19-0, with 13 knockouts. His recent fight against Anthony Joshua was a knockout, and he’ll be hoping to make that the norm in the heavyweight division.
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield is considered to be the best boxer of the modern era. The Atlanta, Georgia native was not the most powerful puncher or the quickest of hands, but his guts and toughness made up for those shortcomings. He won 44 of his 57 fights, and was only defeated by Mike Tyson and Ric Bowe. Despite his heart condition, he remained in great shape and fought on for years, becoming a true warrior.
Holyfield is 189 cm tall with a reach of 197 cm and fights from the orthodox stance. He has a record of 38-6-2, with 25 knockouts. Holyfield has fought 24 champions, and is still a top contender in the heavyweight division. Holyfield is ranked at #77 on Ring Magazine’s list of 100 greatest punchers of all time, and is the 22nd greatest fighter of the last eighty years.
Samuel Edgar Langford
Samuel Edgar Langford is a legend in the boxing world. He had a professional boxing career spanning over 25 years. He won 99 of his fights by knockout and only suffered 19 defeats. He also won several International Boxing Championships. According to Ring Magazine, he was the seventh-best heavyweight ever. His skills included tremendous footwork and punching power in both hands. He was believed to have fought 500-600 fights throughout his career. He started out at 135 pounds and finished his career at 185 pounds.
He lost his left eye in one of his fights. He went on to fight in Mexico despite his handicap. In 1922, he fought a future middleweight champion, Tiger Flowers. Although he was blind in one eye, his right eye was still functional. During the fight, he was able to knock out his opponent with a lucky right hand punch.
Henry Armstrong
Henry Armstrong is considered the best boxer in the world. He has had 93 professional fights, winning 26 KO’s. He has also held three world titles and is regarded as one of boxing’s greatest pound for pound fighters. He started out as a featherweight and went on to win the featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight championships at the same time. The American boxer was born in Saint Louis, Missouri, but spent most of his life in the sport. His style was one of perpetual motion and his slow heart rate gave him unmatched endurance.
He was considered the best fighter of his generation by many old-timers, and even a 1938 article in the Ring Magazine comparing him to great featherweights of the past is a testament to his greatness.