Andreas HaleSep 3, 2025, 08:05 AM ET
CloseAndreas Hale is a combat sports reporter at ESPN. Andreas covers MMA, boxing and pro wrestling. In Andreas’ free time, he plays video games, obsesses over music and is a White Sox and 49ers fan. He is also a host for Sirius XM’s Fight Nation. Before joining ESPN, Andreas was a senior writer at DAZN and Sporting News. He started his career as a music journalist for outlets including HipHopDX, The Grammys and Jay-Z’s Life+Times. He is also an NAACP Image Award-nominated filmmaker as a producer for the animated short film “Bridges” in 2024.
Two of the best fighters of this generation meet on Sept. 13 when undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez meets junior middleweight champion Terence Crawford at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (Netflix, 9 p.m. ET).
That upcoming megafight, labeled by some as “the fight of the century,” has prompted ESPN to put together a list of the best 25 fighters to step into the ring since 2000, and see where Canelo and Crawford land.
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Of the 17 retired fighters on our list, 14 are in the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the other three — Gennadiy Golovkin, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Tyson Fury — will join them when eligible. Manny Pacquiao entered a small group of fighters who have fought for a world title after being inducted into the IBHOF when he fought WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in July. The rest of the list below includes many undisputed current champions.
With such a wealth of talent, narrowing down the top 25 was no easy task, but our panel of Andreas Hale, Mark Kriegel, Nick Parkinson, Bernardo Osuna and Andres Ferrari gave it their best shot. From Floyd Mayweather to Oleksandr Usyk, Canelo to Crawford, here’s our ranking of the century’s best.
1. Floyd Mayweather
Floyd Mayweather, left, defeated Oscar De La Hoya in 2007 to become junior middleweight champion. AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian
Key accomplishments this century: 28-0, 10 KOs, from 2000 to 2017; five-division world champion; longtime pound-for-pound No. 1; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021.
“Money” Mayweather is easily the best boxer of the 2000s. Yes, he was always after the biggest fight purses available, making him the reason why many of today’s fighters protect the “0” on their record. But the suggestion that Mayweather avoided difficult challenges is easily debunked by the fact that he has knocked off five fighters on this list (Manny Pacquiao, Canelo, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez and Miguel Cotto). The combination of incredible ring IQ, impenetrable defense, sublime footwork, wicked counterpunching and U.S. Navy SEAL-level sniper accuracy made him practically impossible to beat, as evidenced by his absurd 50-0 overall record with 27 KOs and world titles in five weight classes. His transformation from “Pretty Boy” to “Money” positioned Mayweather as the world’s highest-paid athlete in 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2018, according to Forbes, while cementing him as a mainstay in pound-for-pound rankings from 2005 to 2015. — Hale
2. Manny Pacquiao
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SC Featured – Manny Pacquiao: The Roots
As the world awaits his upcoming bout against Floyd Mayweather, SC Featured takes a look at where Manny Pacquiao’s career began and his meaning to the people of the Philippines.
Key accomplishments this century: 35-6-3, 20 KOs, from 2000 to 2025; eight-division world champion; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2025.
Pacquiao was unknown when he first fought in the United States in 2001, but he became boxing’s only eight-weight world champion. He won the flyweight title (112 pounds) in 1998 and, by 2010, conquered his eighth weight division with a junior middleweight (154 pounds) world title. His all-attack, buzzsaw style, with punches thrown from all angles, overwhelmed boxing greats such as Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto. “PacMan” (62-8-3, 39 KOs overall) recovered from getting viciously knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012 to win six more welterweight title fights by 2019. Pacquiao, who started his pro career at 16 years old, is still fighting at 46. He ended four years in retirement and came close to beating his own record of being the oldest welterweight world champion when he fought to a majority draw against Mario Barrios in July. — Parkinson
3. Bernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins, left, knocked out Felix Trinidad in the 12th round of their middleweight championship unification fight at New York’s Madison Square Garden in September 2001. Al Bello/ALLSPORT
Key accomplishments this century: 19-6-1, 1 NC, 5 KOs, from 2000 to 2016; oldest world champion in boxing history at age 49; made 10 of his 20 consecutive middleweight title defenses; two-division world champion; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020.
Whoever said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks never encountered Hopkins inside the squared circle. After entering the 2000s at age 35 with a record of 36-2-1, Hopkins tore through the early part of the decade, establishing himself as one of the greatest middleweights of all time by adding to a streak that became a record 20 title defenses. His upset of Felix “Tito” Trinidad in 2001 firmly entrenched Hopkins as a name in boxing, and his body shot knockout of Oscar De La Hoya in 2004 made him the undisputed champion at 160 pounds. But he was far from finished. He defeated Jean Pascal for the light heavyweight title in 2011 to make him the oldest world champion in boxing at age 46, and at 49, he knocked off WBA light heavyweight champion Beibut Shumenov. “The Alien” possessed surreal conditioning and remarkably high IQ even after reaching an age that is supposed to be past a fighter’s prime, cementing himself as an all-time great. — Hale
4. Oleksandr Usyk
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How Oleksandr Usyk became undisputed heavyweight champion again
Take a look at the numbers behind Oleksandr Usyk’s victory over Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium.
Key accomplishments: 23-0, 14 KOs, between 2013 and 2025; current undisputed heavyweight champion; previously undisputed at heavyweight and cruiserweight.
Usyk, 38, has twice beaten one of the best heavyweights of his era, Tyson Fury, and earned undisputed championship status three times (twice at heavyweight, once at cruiserweight). After winning Olympic gold in 2012, Usyk made six defenses as cruiserweight champion from 2016 to 2018 and became the first undisputed cruiserweight champion in the four-belt era. Then he stepped up to heavyweight, where he won a title for the first time in 2021 and has made five title defenses since then. He has beaten former champions Fury and Anthony Joshua twice each to erase any doubt as to who should be considered the best heavyweight of the current generation. His obliteration of Daniel Dubois, whom he knocked out in five rounds in July, was a career-defining moment for Usyk. He is the best heavyweight since the prime of Lennox Lewis during the late 1990s. — Parkinson
5. Canelo Alvarez
Canelo Alvarez, right, ended his trilogy with Gennadiy Golovkin with 2 victories and 1 draw. Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images
Key accomplishments: 63-2-2, 39 KOs, between 2005 and 2025; four-division world champion; currently (and only) undisputed super middleweight champion.
An early-career loss to Mayweather at age 23 didn’t stop Canelo from accomplishing greatness. The second highest-ranked active fighter on this list, Canelo, 35, can improve his position depending on how his fight against Terence Crawford goes. The current and only undisputed super middleweight champion has held world titles in four weight classes by knocking off a who’s who of opponents throughout his career. Canelo truly cemented himself as one of the greatest boxers of this era in his trilogy with Golovkin, going 2-0-1 against the hard-hitting middleweight. Although he fell short against Dmitry Bivol in his bid to become a light heavyweight champion in 2022, Canelo and his iron chin have held the title of face of boxing since Mayweather’s retirement in 2017. The hunter will become the hunted on Sept. 13 when he defends his titles against Crawford, but Canelo’s status as one of this century’s greatest fighters is firmly in place. — Hale
6. Andre Ward
Andre Ward, retired unbeaten from boxing following consecutive victories over Sergey Kovalev. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Key accomplishments: 32-0, 16 KOs, from 2004 to 2017; two-weight world champion; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021.
Ward retired in 2017 at just 33 years of age with an unblemished record after unifying world titles at super middleweight and light heavyweight. Ward won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics and as a professional, retired as ESPN’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter. His best wins were a decision over Carl Froch in the Super Six World Boxing Classic finals in 2011 and an eighth-round stoppage win over Sergey Kovalev in 2017 in a rematch, after Ward had won the first fight controversially seven months earlier. Ward was an intelligent fighter, an accomplished technician with a great jab that enabled him to handle heavy punchers such as Froch and Kovalev. He is arguably the best super middleweight ever. — Parkinson
7. Terence Crawford
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Crawford stops Porter in 10th to retain WBO welterweight title
Terence “Bud” Crawford retained his WBO title with a TKO of Shawn Porter in Las Vegas.
Key accomplishments: 41-0, 31 KOs, from 2008 to 2025; four-weight world champion, undisputed at welterweight and junior welterweight; current junior middleweight champion.
Crawford quietly debuted in 2008 without the hype that some of his peers received, and he has used that as motivation to torment his opponents over the next two decades. Crawford’s one-sided demolition of Errol Spence Jr. in 2023 made him the first male boxer to become an undisputed champion in two weight classes (welterweight and junior welterweight) during the four-belt era. On Sept. 13, Crawford will look to become an undisputed champion in a third division when he moves up to 168 pounds to challenge Canelo Alvarez. His unbreakable will to win and wicked finishing prowess have made Crawford one of the best fighters of this generation. For a fighter who started his career at 130 pounds, the possibility of knocking off Canelo, a much larger all-time great, gives Crawford the opportunity to solidify his spot. — Hale
8. Juan Manuel Marquez
Juan Manuel Marquez, right, knocked out Manny Pacquiao with a well-timed short right hand in their fourth fight in December 2012. John Gurzinski/AFP via Getty Images
Key accomplishments this century: 26-5-1, 17 KOs, from 2000 to 2014; four-weight world champion; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020.
Marquez delivered one of the most memorable and stunning knockouts in recent years when he nailed the great Pacquiao to the canvas in the sixth round of their 2012 bout. The pair fought four times; after a draw, Pacquiao won two fights before Marquez’s right hand brought a shocking finish to their final encounter. Marquez (56-7-1, 40 KOs overall) had been in trouble in Round 5 but displayed the toughness that defined his career to rebound and finish Pacquiao. “El Dinamita” won titles in four weight classes (featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight) and beat such fighters as Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Diaz and Joel Casamayor. — Parkinson
9. Roy Jones Jr.
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Jones Jr. uses brutal combo for TKO win
Roy Jones Jr. levels Bobby Gunn with a combination late in the seventh round and the referee calls a stop to the fight early in the eighth, giving Jones his 65th career victory.
Key accomplishments this century: 26-9, 14 KOs, from 2000 to 2023; four-division world champion; longtime pound-for-pound No. 1; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2022.
Jones is undeniably one of boxing’s most gifted athletes. And if he had competed during the social media era, he would likely be the most viral boxer of all time. Unfortunately, in terms of this list, his best years were during the 1990s. However, Jones still managed to have significant success in the early 2000s as he joined Bob Fitzsimmons as the only boxers to capture world titles at middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight when he jumped two weight divisions to beat John Ruiz for the WBA heavyweight title in 2003. Jones (66-10, 47 KOs overall) returned to light heavyweight eight months later and notched his final significant win, a majority decision over Antonio Tarver that unified titles. But the fluctuation in weight ravaged his body, and Jones was never the same, going 17-9 during the rest of his career after starting 49-1. Still, the latter half of his career shouldn’t discredit just how spectacular a fighter “Captain Hook” was. — Hale
10. Naoya Inoue
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Naoya Inoue overpowers Ramon Cardenas with 8th-round TKO
After getting knocked down early, Naoya Inoue overpowers Ramon Cardenas and earns a TKO win in the eighth round to retain his undisputed junior featherweight championship.
Key accomplishments: 30-0, 27 KOs, from 2012 to 2025; four-weight world champion, undisputed in two weight divisions; current undisputed junior featherweight champion.
“The Monster” is among the best fighters in the world, currently No. 2 in ESPN’s pound-for-pound rankings and the reigning undisputed junior featherweight champion. Inoue, 32, possesses speed, power and skillful footwork that opens up a variety of angles for him to land punches. He has achieved undisputed status at two weight classes after unifying all four bantamweight belts in 2022. He’s also won titles in four divisions and made eight bantamweight world title defenses from 2018 to 2022, seven at junior bantamweight from 2014 to 2018 and one at junior flyweight in 2014. He announced himself at junior featherweight in style when he demolished Stephen Fulton in eight rounds in July 2023. The best days of the unbeaten Inoue could well be ahead of him, with a potential match-up against bantamweight No. 1 and Japanese rival Junto Nakatani in 2026. — Parkinson
11. Gennadiy Golovkin
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Triple G’s KO power
Sport Science explores how Gennady Golovkin’s punishing power punches originate from his hips.
Key accomplishments: 42-2-1, 37 KOs, from 2006 to 2022; two-time unified champion; shares the record of 20 consecutive middleweight title defenses with Hopkins.
The combination of sublime power and a granite chin made Golovkin a mainstay on pound-for-pound lists from 2015 to 2020. “GGG” recorded 23 consecutive knockout wins from 2008 to 2016 and tied Hopkins’ record for most middleweight title defenses (20) in May 2018, before losing a majority decision to Canelo four months later. Although he came up short in his high-profile trilogy with Canelo (0-2-1), a case can be made that Golovkin won at least one of their encounters. The Kazakh fighter left the sport having never been knocked down in 45 fights as a pro and 350 as an amateur, securing his place as having one of the most durable chins in boxing history. — Hale
12. Joe Calzaghe
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Calzaghe reflects on his career defining fight
Visiting the Calzaghe gym in Newport, Joe reflected on his match up against Mikkel Kessler and what it was like to fight in the Millennium Stadium.
Key accomplishments this century: 19-0, 9 KOs, from 2000 to 2008; longest reigning super middleweight champion.
Calzaghe retired in 2009 with a 46-fight unbeaten record after a career mostly spent at super middleweight. He was boxing’s third-longest-reigning world champion (10 years, 11 months). Calzaghe (46-0, 32 KOs overall) complained about being avoided before he outpointed Jeff Lacy and Sakio Bika in 2006 and then Mikkel Kessler in 2007, all in title unification fights. He enjoyed a glorious finale to his career, including a unanimous decision over the previously undefeated Kessler to successfully defend his WBO super middleweight title for a record 21st time and claim Kessler’s WBA and WBC belts. After that, Calzaghe’s hand speed was too much for Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. in decision wins at light heavyweight in the U.S. He is arguably Britain’s best boxer in memory. — Parkinson
13. Erik Morales
Key accomplishments this century: 17-9, 7 KOs, from 2000 to 2012; first fighter born in Mexico to win championships in four weight classes; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2018.
Morales set the stage for his inclusion on this list with an epic and bitter trilogy with fellow Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera from 2000 to 2004. Although Morales (52-9, 36 KOs overall) lost two of those three bouts, he spent the early 2000s tearing through the opposition. His ruthless aggression and precise punching overwhelmed opponents. “El Terrible” was one of the few fighters able to halt the bullet train ascent of Manny Pacquiao by outpointing him in their 2005 encounter. A whirlwind of violence that shifted between stone-cold brawler and ring tactician at a moment’s notice, Morales is one of Mexico’s finest. — Hale
14. Vasiliy Lomachenko
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The best of Vasiliy Lomachenko
Check out the best moments from Vasiliy Lomachenko’s boxing career.
Key accomplishments: 18-3, 12 KOs, from 2013 to 2025; three-weight world champion; won first world title in just his third pro fight.
One of the greatest amateur boxers of all time amassed an incredible record of 396-1 with two Olympic gold medals before making his professional debut in 2013. Rather than build his record up facing underwhelming opposition, Lomachenko was thrown into the fire immediately. He challenged for a world title in only his second fight but fell short in a controversial split decision to Orlando Salido in March 2014. But “Hi-Tech” made good on his second effort less than four months later, toppling Gary Russell Jr. in his third fight to capture featherweight gold. In just 21 fights, Lomachenko held world championships in three weight classes and ascended to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings with a blistering run from 2016 to 2018 in which he earned the nickname “No Mas-Chenko” by forcing four of his five opponents (Nicholas Walters, Jason Sosa, Miguel Marriaga and Guillermo Rigondeaux) to quit on the stool between rounds. Lomachenko faced tough matchups his entire career, but his brilliant footwork, cat-like reflexes and overwhelming speed made him one of the most talented fighters to ever step into the ring. Lomachenko decided to call it a career at age 37 and will surely be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. — Hale
15. Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya, right, defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by fourth-round KO in June 1996 to win the WBC junior welterweight world title. John Gurzinski/Getty Images
Key accomplishments this century: 8-5, 5 KOs, from 2000 to 2008; won world championships in two of his overall six weight divisions; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014.
From 2000 until his career ended in 2008, De La Hoya lost five times, compared to a single defeat in the first half of a professional career that started in 1992. But despite the setbacks, De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs overall) was boxing’s biggest star as he generated approximately $700 million in pay-per-view income. He was entertaining with a vicious left hook. The “Golden Boy” from Los Angeles won titles in six weight classes overall, two in this century. He also became (and still is) a leading promoter after setting up Golden Boy Promotions in 2002. — Parkinson
16. Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez
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‘Chocolatito’ wins by TKO in final round
Roman Gonzalez stops Rober Barrera in the 10th round in “Chocolatito’s” first fight since 2022.
Key accomplishments: 52-4, 42 KOs, from 2005 to 2024; four-weight world champion.
Good things come in small packages, and the fighter affectionately known as “Chocolatito” brought attention to the smaller weight classes with his crowd-pleasing aggression and combination punching. Gonzalez is the first and only boxer out of Nicaragua to hold titles in four weight classes (strawweight, junior flyweight, flyweight and junior bantamweight), surpassing his legendary mentor and idol Alexis Arguello, a three-division champ. From his debut in 2005 to 2016, “Chocolatito” tore through the opposition, amassing a record of 46-0 with 38 wins coming inside the distance. From 2015 to 2017, Gonzalez was recognized as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and erased the notion that the smaller weight classes weren’t exciting. With his only losses coming against a bigger Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and a pair of controversial defeats to Juan Francisco Estrada, Gonzalez remains a threat to return to championship status before he retires. — Hale
17. Tyson Fury
Key accomplishments: 34-2-1, 24 KOs, from 2008 to 2024; two-time heavyweight champion.
Fury ended the long reign of Wladimir Klitschko with a brilliant box-and-move master class to win the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles in 2015. Fury never defended the belts due to alcohol abuse, drugs and depression. He returned to the ring in 2018 and, at the end of the year, held renowned puncher Deontay Wilder to a draw. Fury stopped Wilder in Round 7 of a 2020 rematch and a year later knocked him out in Round 11 to become the No. 1 heavyweight in the world. Comfortable defenses against Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora followed, but disappointingly, a clash with fellow Englishman Anthony Joshua has not happened. Fury has lost his past two fights to Usyk, and the 37-year-old declared after the second defeat that he was retired. — Parkinson
18. Miguel Cotto
Key accomplishments: 41-6, 33 KOs, from 2006 to 2017; four-weight world champion; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2022.
The first Puerto Rican boxer to win world titles in four weight classes (junior welterweight, welterweight, junior Middleweight, middleweight), Cotto was a formidable force known for his powerful left hook. Cotto boasts an outstanding portfolio of opponents that rivals the best in the sport. From November 2002 to July 2008, Cotto went 20-0 with 17 knockouts with wins over Shane Mosley, Zab Judah and Paulie Malignaggi, among others, while holding a welterweight title for four years. His brutal stoppage loss to Antonio Margarito in 2008 ended his undefeated record which was shrouded by controversy due to his opponent’s subsequent suspension for illegal hand wraps. Cotto avenged the loss in dominant fashion in 2011 and upset Sergio Martinez with a 10th-round stoppage to win the WBC middleweight title in 2014. Cotto, one of only two fighters (Shane Mosley is the other) to share the ring with Pacquiao, Mayweather and Canelo, retired in 2017. — Hale
19. Vitali Klitschko
Vitali Klitschko, left, retired at the end of a 13-fight winning streak following a fourth-round TKO win over Mahmoud Charr in September 2012. Photo credit SERGEI ILNITSKY/AFP/GettyImages
Key accomplishments this century: 18-2, 14 KOs, from 2000 to 2012; three-time heavyweight champion; recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2022 ESPYS; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2018.
The century started inauspiciously for Klitschko: He quit on his stool due to a shoulder injury in a fight against Chris Byrd in 2000. Then, in 2003, his face was cut to shreds after he stepped in on late notice to challenge world champion Lennox Lewis. “Dr. Ironfist” recovered from the Lewis loss to win the WBC heavyweight title but announced his retirement in 2005 due to injury. Three years later, Vitali (45-2, 41 KOs overall) resumed his reign and — along with brother Wladimir, the WBA, IBF and WBO champion — dominated the heavyweight division until Vitali’s ninth and final title defense at the age of 40 in 2012. Wladimir reigned for over nine years as champion, but Vitali was considered heavier-handed with a less cautious style and finished his career with a 15-2 record in world title fights. — Parkinson
20. Marco Antonio Barrera
Marco Antonio Barrera, right, defeated Prince Nassem Hamed by unanimous decision in April 2001 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Al Bello/Getty Images
Key accomplishments this century: 18-5, 8 KOs, from 2000 to 2011; three-weight world champion; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017.
Barrera’s first fight this century ended controversially when he lost a split decision to his great Mexican rival Erik Morales. But with that defeat — one of the best fights in boxing history — Barrera became boxing royalty and a series of significant wins followed, including an unanimous decision win over “Prince” Naseem Hamed in 2001. In humbling Hamed, Barrera was considered the king at featherweight. Previously, he had two reigns as WBO junior featherweight champion (1995-1996, eight defenses; 1998-2000, five defenses) before his 2002 win over Morales in a rematch earned him the WBC featherweight title. Barrera (67-7, 44 KOs overall) rebounded from a Round 11 TKO loss to Manny Pacquiao in 2003 to win a trilogy fight with Morales in 2004, when a majority decision crowned him WBC junior lightweight champion. — Parkinson
21. Katie Taylor
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Taylor beats Serrano for third time to complete trilogy
Katie Taylor wins by majority decision to defeat Amanda Serrano for a third time and retain her title.
Key accomplishments: 25-1, 6 KOs, from 2016 to 2025; two-weight undisputed champion; current undisputed champion at junior welterweight.
Taylor is largely responsible for raising the profile of women’s boxing. After winning gold at the 2012 London Olympics, the first time women’s boxing was part of the Games, Taylor turned pro in 2016 and won her first world championship a year later. Immensely popular in Ireland, Taylor won her first 22 fights and became the undisputed lightweight champion in 2019 before taking her first and only loss as a pro to Chantelle Cameron in her bid to become undisputed in a second weight class in 2023. Taylor went 3-0 in her historic rivalry with Amanda Serrano, which broke records and saw the two women headline New York’s Madison Square Garden on two occasions. At 39, Taylor is coming to the end of her career, but “The Bray Bomber” is still chasing history before she clocks out. — Hale
22. Wladimir Klitschko
Key accomplishments this century: 33-4, 25 KOs, from 2000 to 2017; two-time heavyweight champion; second-longest-reigning heavyweight champion; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021.
The 1996 Olympic gold medallist recovered from three KO losses to embark on the second-longest heavyweight reign in history, behind only Joe Louis. Klitschko’s jab-and-grab strategy was impregnable at times during his nine-and-a-half-year reign, during which he made 18 title defenses as unified world champion (2006-2015), with his best wins coming against David Haye, Alexander Povetkin and Jean Marc Mormeck. Wladimir (64-5, 54 KOs overall) then lost the WBA, IBF and WBO belts to Fury in a major upset in 2015. He returned two years later at the age of 41 to put up a valiant effort in trying to regain the belts and floored Joshua before getting KO’d in Round 11 in ESPN’s 2017 fight of the year. He also made five defenses as WBO champion (2000-2003), competing in a total of 29 world title fights. — Parkinson
23. Claressa Shields
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Claressa Shields’ powerful journey in and out of the ring
Claressa Shields details her difficult upbringing and how it led her to her main-event match vs. Savannah Marshall.
Key accomplishments: 17-0, 3 KOs, from 2016 to 2025; five-weight champion, and boxing’s only undisputed champion in three divisions.
Shields is the most decorated athlete on this list, male or female. Two Olympic gold medals (2012 and 2016), 18 world championships across five weight classes and the only fighter to be undisputed in three weight classes during the four-belt era (heavyweight, junior middleweight and middleweight). The only thing that is standing in her way from being higher on this list is the lack of top-tier opponents or a noteworthy rival. However, as Roy Jones Jr. once said in his song “Y’all Must’ve Forgot”: “They got the nerve to say I ain’t fight nobody, I just make ’em look like nobody!” At the still remarkably young age of 30, Shields has time to build on her legacy. The question that remains is whether someone will emerge to challenge her greatness. — Hale
24. Ronald “Winky” Wright
Former junior middleweight champion Ronald “Winky” Wright was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2018. Ed Mulholland/WireImage
Key accomplishments this century: 12-3-1, 1 KO, from 2000 to 2012; undisputed junior middleweight champion; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021.
“Winky” Wright, a masterful defensive southpaw, developed into a pound-for-pound top-10 fighter after years of traveling around the world to develop his craft and get opportunities. In his second reign as champion, from 2001 and 2004, Wright made six defenses of the 154-pound title. Wright outpointed Shane Mosley to become the undisputed junior middleweight champion in 2004 and remained undisputed by winning a rematch later that year. He stepped up to middleweight for a career-best payday when he beat Felix Trinidad and then drew with Jermain Taylor in a title shot, before finishing his career with an overall record of 51-6-1 with 25 KOs. — Parkinson
25. Timothy Bradley Jr.
A Philippines newspaper cover following Timothy Bradley’s upset win over Manny Pacquiao in June 2012. Photo credit JAY DIRECTO/AFP/GettyImages
Key accomplishments: 33-2-1, 1 NC, 13 KOs, from 2004 to 2016; two-weight champion; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2023.
Bradley received a great deal of criticism for the controversial nature of his win over Pacquiao in 2012 that ended the seven-year undefeated streak of “PacMan,” but that shouldn’t negate the accomplishments of the tough-as-nails two-division world champion. There was never anything flashy about Bradley, but his will to win and resiliency were unrivaled. Bradley emerged as a force when he traveled to Nottingham, England, in 2008 and upset Junior Witter as a massive underdog to win the WBC junior welterweight title. Bradley went on to knock off several world champions, including Kendall Holt and Devon Alexander, before beating Pacquiao. He followed that win with an absolute slugfest in beating Ruslan Provodnikov in 2013 and earned a decision over Juan Manuel Marquez to cement his place as one of this generation’s greats. Although Pacquiao would avenge his loss by beating Bradley in the trilogy 2-1, “Desert Storm” earned his induction into the Hall of Fame. — Hale
Fighters outside of the top 25 that also got votes: Dmitry Bivol, “Sugar” Shane Mosley, Amanda Serrano, Artur Beterbiev.