The light heavyweight division has been home to some of the greatest boxers to grace the sport.
Seen as the gateway to move up to the ultimate division, heavyweight, defining what makes the perfect boxer at 175 pounds is a debate that could rumble on for hours.
Some names are dead certs to be included in the list whilst others certainly require more pause for thought.
Only 10 can make the list at the end of the day and there are names familiar to all, including the likes of Artur Beterbiev and Ezzard Charles.
So, with that, here are the 10 best light heavyweight boxers of all time.
10 – Roy Jones Jr (66-10, 47 KOs)
Starting with the most controversial name on the list. Argue amongst yourselves if you think Roy Jones Jr should be higher or even considered for this list.
His time in the light heavyweight division between 1996-2003 was a tough time for the weight class but what works in Jones Jr’s favor is his unbeaten spell in that seven-year period.
He’s marked down for never becoming lineal champion and did back out of a fight against rival Darius Michaelczewski, but, any top 10 list would feel a lot emptier without Jones Jr.
9 – Jimmy Bivins (86-25-1, 31 KOs)
Jimmy Bavins was never given the chance to fight for a world championship – hence why he sits here in ninth – but his career saw him face an array of champions.
The likes of Archie Moore – who may or may not feature later on – was one of the 11 champions he faced in his career. Bavins beat eight of them and also won four fights against boxing Hall of Famers.
His prime spell came between the years 1942-1946 where he was able to defeat names such as Moore.
8 – Maxie Rosenbloom (210-38-26, 23 NDs, 2 NCs, 19 KOs)
Don’t be fooled by that knockout-to-win ratio.
Sure, 19 KO’s in 210 wins doesn’t look glamorous, but it does show what a brilliant boxer Maxie Rosenbloom was.
A granite chin and excellent defense restricted him to just two stoppages in 299 fights and given that Rosenbloom would fight, on average, 18 times a year, his efforts can only be applauded.
He won the world title in 1930 and before conceding it 107 fights later.
7 – Bob Foster (56-8-1, 46 KOs)
‘The Sheriff’ had one of the deadliest left hooks in boxing and has earned himself a reputation as best single-shot knockout artist in the history of the light heavyweight division.
Nobody has defended the title more times (14) than Bob Foster after his KO victory against Dick Tiger in 1968.
Seven of his eight losses game at higher weight categories and Foster is a boxer that many should watch and learn from.
6 – Tommy Loughran (94-23-9, 45 NDs, 1 NC, 17 KOs)
It’s hard to think of a better boxer when it came to the art of defense. His time in the light heavyweight crown saw him win in 1927 and then gave up the title two years later to concentrate on the heavyweight prize.
Tommy Loughran was a Ring Magazine of Year fighter in 1929 and 1931 and to record almost 100 career wins is a ridiculous stat.
5 – Gene Tunney (61-1-1, 19 NDs, 1 NC, 45 KOs)
Skilled, powerful and high-profile victories – losing once in your career is no mean feat by any standards.
For example, look at Tyson Fury. Regarded as one of the best heavyweights of all time yet has lost twice.
Gene Tunney got revenge on the man who handed him his only defeat, Harry Greb, as well as earning victories against the likes of Battling Levinsky, Loughran, and Tommy Gibbons.
Tunney never won a light heavyweight championship though, which is why he is number five on the list.
4 – Michael Spinks (31-1, 21 KOs)
Wins against Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes are what Michael Spinks is remembered for, but, his light heavyweight record deserves it’s moment in the spotlight.
Spinks is is undeniably the last true champion of the glory years of the light heavyweight division.
Just 14 fights into his professional career he beat Yaqui Lopez and then Marvin Johnson two fights later.
Over 50 per cent of his fights were won via knockout and Spinks made history by becoming the first light heavyweight champ to win the heavyweight title.
3 – Artur Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs)
Beterbiev is the current number one in the light heavyweight division and could well end his career in top spot.
The Russian-Canadian has an astonishing 95.24 per cent knockout-to-win ratio. His only fight that went the distance was his close fought win against Dmitry Bivol in 2024.
Callum Smith and Anthony Yarde are two of the names who couldn’t stop him and whilst there’s been talk of Beterbiev moving up to heavyweight, he has nothing to prove to anyone and is one of boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighters of all time.
- READ MORE: Who is Artur Beterbiev? Meet the heavy-hitting light-heavyweight who will face Dmitry Bivol
2 – Ezzard Charles (89-25-1, 51 KOs)
Some would claim putting a boxer as talented as Ezzard Charles at number two is a cardinal sin. However, he only misses out on top spot because he never won or challenged for the light heavyweight championship.
Despite this, Charles spent the majority of his years in top spot, beating Joey Maxim and Bivins, as well as Moore before stepping up to take the vacant heavyweight crown.
1 – Archie Moore (184-24-10, 1 NC, 130 KOs)
Nobody has more knockouts in the history of the sport. 130 is a remarkable feat for any boxer and although he didn’t win a title until he turned 39, stats like that cannot be bettered.
“The Old Mongoose” also faced names such as Muhammad Ali in his career and was responsible for training George Foreman in his early days.
There was more to Moore than just his knockout record and the fact he was able to remain at the top of his game for so long is testament to his talent.