Why they rank here
Pep won more professional fights than any world champion in history, finishing roughly 229-11-1 with 65 knockouts across 241 bouts, and is the standard-bearer for pure defensive artistry. Nicknamed Will o' the Wisp, the two-time featherweight champion was so elusive that legend holds he once won a round without throwing a punch, evading, feinting and pivoting his opponent into missing everything. He opened his career 62-0 before his first loss and reeled off multiple long winning streaks, including a return to the top after surviving a 1947 plane crash that doctors thought would end his career. His four-fight rivalry with Sandy Saddler, whom he beat once in a masterclass before losing three rougher rematches, defined the featherweight division of the 1940s and 1950s. For sheer volume of victories and the highest expression of hit-and-don't-get-hit boxing, Pep has no equal.
Career profile
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Head-to-head
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