Sugar Ray Robinson
Mike Tyson
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Sugar Ray Robinson leads 2 of 2 categories. Our all-time ranking places Sugar Ray Robinson at #1 and Mike Tyson at #11.
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The case for Sugar Ray Robinson
Robinson is the fighter the phrase pound-for-pound was invented to describe, and The Ring's choice as the greatest of all time. He compiled a record of roughly 173-19-6 with 108 knockouts across 200 professional bouts and 25 years, and for a stretch was untouchable: he won his first 40 fights and was unbeaten for 91 consecutive bouts between 1943 and 1951. He held the welterweight crown, then won the middleweight title five separate times, the last at 37, beating Hall of Famers like Jake LaMotta, whom he defeated five times in six meetings, Kid Gavilan, Carmen Basilio and Gene Fullmer. His blend of one-punch power in either hand, hand speed, footwork and finishing instinct set the template every all-around great is measured against. Even in decline he was dangerous, and his combination of volume, dominance and artistry over a quarter century has never been matched.
The case for Mike Tyson
At his peak the most terrifying force boxing has seen, Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history at 20 years and 4 months, winning the WBC title in 1986 and unifying all three belts to reign as undisputed champion by 1987. Trained in Cus D'Amato's peek-a-boo style, he fused a shorter man's crouch and head movement with explosive one-punch power in both hands, blitzing the division and demolishing Michael Spinks in 91 seconds in 1988. His record finished 50-6 with 44 knockouts. The shocking 1990 upset by Buster Douglas, a prison term, and the 1997 disqualification for biting Evander Holyfield fractured what might have been an all-time-great career into a merely great and unforgettable one. But at his best, roughly 1986 to 1989, few heavyweights in history project the aura of inevitability Tyson did, and none matched his blend of speed, power and intimidation.