There are rankings by weight class. There are pound-for-pound rankings. And there are rankings that line up the best fighters in the world from one era to the next.
All are worthwhile, but to add something new and challenging to the last stages of the quarantine conversation, the choice was made to bring a different set of boundaries into play: the alphabet.
Using a fighter’s surname as a guide -- not necessarily the birth surname, but the one he ultimately became best known with – the aim was to determine history’s best at each letter.
Some were easier than others. Some were considerably more difficult. But by the time 26 letters were complete, a list of names had been compiled that inspired a fair bit of confidence.
Take a look and let me know where you think I got it right… and wrong.
A: Muhammad Ali
Record: 56-5 (37 KO)
Titles: Heavyweight
Summary: Forever changed the game at heavyweight from one of ponderous slugging to one of skills and movement. Befuddled Sonny Liston to win his first title in 1964 and regained the throne in 1974 from George Foreman and in 1978 from Leon Spinks. Was calling himself “The Greatest” long before anyone else did, but by the time his career finally ended many agreed with the tag.
B: Carmen Basilio
Record: 56-16-7 (27 KO)
Titles: 147, 160
Summary: Fan favorite from Central New York who’s best known for splitting a pair of 15-round middleweight slugfests with Sugar Ray Robinson, winning the first and losing the second six months later. Fought Robinson after two reigns as champion at welterweight and was ultimately beaten in three more middleweight title bids before retiring in 1961.
C: Julio Cesar Chavez
Record: 107-6-2 (86 KO)
Titles: 130, 135, 140
Summary: Turned pro in 1980 at age 17 and went nearly 14 years before tasting defeat, racking up titles at 130, 135 and 140 pounds along the way. Made his reputation as a murderous body puncher who could endure adversity before his determination paid dividends in the late going. A TKO defeat of Meldrick Taylor in 1990 remains one of the sport’s most controversial stoppages.
D: Roberto Duran
Record: 103-16 (70 KO)
Titles: 135, 147, 154, 160
Summary: Terrorized the lightweight division throughout the 1970s before climbing to welterweight and handing Ray Leonard his first pro loss in 1980. Rebounded from a string of poor performances to stop Davey Moore for a 154-pound belt in 1983 and ultimately met Marvin Hagler (L UD 15) and Thomas Hearns (L TKO 2) before picking up a middleweight belt from Iran Barkley in 1989.
E: Flash Elorde
Record: 89-27-2 (33 KO)
Titles: 130
Summary: Won and held the 130-pound championship for seven years, becoming the division’s first highly regarded champion. Fell short in a pair of tries for the lightweight championship against Carlos Ortiz but maintained a strong following in the Philippines and is among the country’s most beloved all-time athletes.
F: Bob Fitzsimmons
Record: 61-8-4 (57 KO)
Titles: 160, 175, Heavyweight
Summary: The first fighter to ever win titles in three weight classes, “Ruby Robert” was a physical anomaly with thin legs but a broad back and enviable upper-body strength that helped him generate significant punching power. Upset “Gentleman Jim” Corbett to win the heavyweight title with a KO shot to the body that was recorded in history as the “solar plexus punch.”
G: Harry Greb
Record: 261-20-17 (48 KO)
Titles: 160, 175
Summary: Was nicknamed “The Pittsburgh Windmill” and fought in an appropriate style, often simply overwhelming opponents with an incomparable work rate. Held championships at both middleweight and light heavyweight, though he often weighed far less than opponents and also challenged foes at heavyweight. Scored the lone pro win over Gene Tunney.
H: Marvelous Marvin Hagler
Record: 62-3-2 (52 KO)
Titles: 160
Summary: Initially unappreciated and avoided at middleweight, Hagler fought his way to the big stage and ultimately captured the title with a savage defeat of Alan Minter in 1980. He dominated the division for the next seven years, including defeats of Roberto Duran (UD 15) and Thomas Hearns (TKO 3) before losing a razor-thin verdict to Ray Leonard in 1987 and never fighting again.
I: Naoya Inoue
Record: 19-0 (16 KO)
Titles: 108, 115, 118
Summary: He’s less than 20 fights into his career, but if you’re a hardcore fan of the sport there aren’t too many fighters who get you more excited than “The Monster.” Was a champion by his sixth fight and had climbed an additional two ladder rungs by the time the dust had settled on a one-round blowout of Jamie McDonnell in fight No. 16. Probably has a chance to add two more before he’s through.
J: Roy Jones Jr.
Record: 66-9 (47 KO)
Titles: 160, 168, 175, Heavyweight
Summary: Went on far too long into his 40s but in his prime was among the most athletic boxers of any generation. Carried foot speed and punching power through several divisions and became the first ex-middleweight champ since Bob Fitzsimmons to win a heavyweight title upon beating John Ruiz in 2003. Was a pedestrian 18-8 after that night, which was his last truly great performance.
K: Stanley Ketchel
Record: 53-5-5 (48 KO)
Titles: 160
Summary: Among the greatest middleweights of any era, Ketchel was a murderous puncher who also tested his mettle against the best in other divisions. His 1909 match with heavyweight champion Jack Johnson is the stuff of legend, ending when, after suffering a knockdown to the lighter man in the 12th round, Johnson immediately rose and knocked Ketchel cold with a combination.
L: Benny Leonard
Record: 185-22-8 (70 KO)
Titles: 135
Summary: Nearly a seven-year champion at lightweight, Leonard is considered by many to be among the greatest pure boxers of all time. He won 185 fights in his career but scored knockouts in significantly less than half of the victories. Ironically, a challenge for the welterweight championship was foiled when he was disqualified for hitting an opponent while he was down.
M: Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Record: 50-0 (27 KO)
Titles: 130, 135, 140, 147, 154
Summary: The premier pound-for-pound fighter of a generation, Mayweather worked his way on to all-time lists thanks to defensive prowess and one-sided victories over a series of elite foes. Defeated Manny Pacquiao in history’s most lucrative fight two years after nearly shutting out Canelo Alvarez over 12 rounds. Returned for a circus-like defeat of MMA star Conor McGregor in 2017 for win No. 50.
N: Jose Napoles
Record: 81-7 (54 KO)
Titles: 147
Summary: Fought 20 bouts in his native Cuba before fleeing to Mexico when Fidel Castro assumed control in 1961 and banned pro boxing. Won the welterweight title for the first time in 1969 and regained it in 1971 following a loss on cuts to Billy Backus. A middleweight title try ended in a TKO loss to Carlos Monzon in 1974, and Napoles retired after losing the welterweight belt a year later.
O: Ruben Olivares
Record: 89-13-3 (79 KO)
Titles: 118, 126
Summary: Turned pro on his 18th birthday in 1965 and was a stoppage winner in his initial 24 fights before going 10 rounds for the first time in 1967. Defeated Lionel Rose for the bantamweight title in 1969 and then defended, lost and regained his crown in a three-fight series with countryman Chucho Castillo over 12 months in 1970-71. Added featherweight titles in 1974 and 1975.
P: Manny Pacquiao
Record: 62-7-2 (39 KO)
Titles: 112, 122, 130, 135, 140, 147, 154
Summary: The most prolific weight-climbing belt collector in history, Pacquiao won his first championship at flyweight as a teenager and is still relevant today as a 41-year-old title claimant at welterweight – with recent rumors suggesting he may next take on a middleweight. Lost the most lucrative fight in history to rival Floyd Mayweather but is certain to be remembered as an all-time great.
Q: Dwight Muhammad Qawi
Record: 41-11-1 (25 KO)
Titles: 175, 200
Summary: Emerged from a New Jersey prison to make a name for himself as the “Camden Buzzsaw.” Defeated popular champion Matthew Saad Muhammad to win a light heavyweight title and beat him in a rematch before losing a unification bout with Michael Spinks. Rose to a fledgling cruiserweight division to win a title two years later and defended once before losing a pair of fights to Evander Holyfield.
R: Sugar Ray Robinson
Record: 173-19-6 (108 KO)
Titles: 147, 160
Summary: The pick of many as the best fighter who ever lived. Mixed athleticism and violence as well as it’s ever been done with sublime boxing skills and one-punch knockout power. Won the welterweight title in his 76th pro fight and ultimately relinquished it before capturing the middleweight championship on five separate occasions.
S: Salvador Sanchez
Record: 44-1-1 (32 KO)
Titles: 126
Summary: A Mexican legend whose career was cut short by a fatal car crash at age 23. Won the featherweight title from Hall of Famer Danny Lopez in 1980 and defended it against him four months later. Beat rising 122-pound champion Wilfredo Gomez in a 1981 superfight and stopped future champ Azumah Nelson in his final fight in 1982, just three weeks before his death.
T: Gene Tunney
Record: 80-1-4 (48 KO)
Titles: 175, Heavyweight
Summary: Though he’s probably best known for two wins over heavyweight Jack Dempsey -- including the “Long Count” in Chicago in 1927 -- the stylish Tunney actually spent most of his career as a light heavyweight and had five fights with Harry Greb. He beat Greb three times, drew with him in one and lost the other fight, his lone defeat as a professional.
U: Oleksandr Usyk
Record: 17-0 (13 KO)
Titles: 200
Summary: The letter U isn’t swarming with all-time greats, but Usyk is another guy with fewer than 20 fights who’s made quite an impression. He emerged from the 2012 Olympics with a gold medal and instantly translated that into professional KOs. He went the distance for the first time – and won his first title – in his 10th fight, and cleaned the cruiserweights out through 2018 before rising to heavyweight.
V: Pancho Villa
Record: 90-8-4 (22 KO)
Titles: 112
Summary: The first Filipino boxing champion, Villa assumed ownership of the flyweight title in 1923 with a seventh-round KO of Jimmy Wilde at the Polo Grounds in New York. He went 23-1-1 in his next 25 fights before a non-title decision loss to Jimmy McLarnin on July 4, 1925. Villa fought shortly after having a tooth extracted and died 10 days later after developing an infection.
W: Pernell Whitaker
Record: 40-4-1 (17 KO)
Titles: 135, 140, 147
Summary: Turned pro after winning Olympic gold in Los Angeles in 1984 and won his first 15 fights before a disputed loss to Jose Luis Ramirez in 1988. Picked up a championship a year later and beat Ramirez in a rematch before winning belts at 140 and 147. Known primarily for defensive wizardry and was 40-1 before losing three times and failing a drug test (to void a win) in his last four fights.
X: Ray Ximenez
Record: 18-2 (4 KO)
Titles: None
Summary: OK, let’s face it. There simply aren’t a lot of people -- let alone fighters -- with a surname that begins with the alphabet’s third-from-last letter. So we’ll concede that a 27-year-old featherweight from Dallas who’s only beaten five foes with a winning record could be construed as a stretch. Won his first 13 fights as a pro before losing two of the last seven while raising his level of opposition.
Y: Teddy Yarosz
Record: 107-18-3 (17 KO)
Titles: 160
Summary: Not the most celebrated fighter among the middleweights -- or among the Pittsburgh natives -- but among the most prolific winners in either gathering. Won the 160-pound title from Vince Dundee in 1933 and reigned for two years. Had a three-fight series with fellow Pittsburgher Billy Conn, winning once, and also fought Archie Moore, Jimmy Bivins and Ezzard Charles, among others.
Z: Carlos Zarate
Record: 66-4 (63 KO)
Titles: 118
Summary: Among the best punchers in boxing history, with all but three of his 66 victories coming inside the distance -- including all 10 of his wins in bantamweight title fights. Won his title in 1976 and defended nine times through 1979. Failed in three bids to win a title at 122 pounds, including the final two fights of an otherwise successful comeback after a seven-year hiatus from 1979 to 1986.
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This week’s title-fight schedule:
No title fights scheduled.
Last week's picks: None
2020 picks record: 14-3 (82.3 percent)
Overall picks record: 1,130-368 (75.4 percent)
NOTE: Fights previewed are only those involving a sanctioning body's full-fledged title-holder – no interim, diamond, silver, etc. Fights for WBA "world championships" are only included if no "super champion" exists in the weight class.
Lyle Fitzsimmons has covered professional boxing since 1995 and written a weekly column for Boxing Scene since 2008. He is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Reach him at fitzbitz@msn.com or follow him on Twitter – @fitzbitz.
