The Heavyweight division in boxing is always in the spotlight, being the most exciting and electric weight class in the sport.
The heavier the fighters, the bigger the punching power, allowing for huge knockouts that the fans pay to see in the boxing ring.
Over the years, the sport’s biggest stars have come from the heavyweight division, with the likes of Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson becoming global superstars due to their exploits in the ring.
With some fantastic fighters coming from all corners of the world in the past century, we’ve ranked the best Heavyweight boxers of all time, including a recently retired world champion and one of the most beloved sportspeople of all time.
- READ MORE – Muhammad Ali followed his win over Joe Frazier with an opponent he was unable to intimidate
10. Tyson Fury
For a man of his size and weight, the way Tyson Fury moves around the ring is a sight to behold. Despite being 6 feet 9, he danced around the ring like a man half his size with an ability rarely seen in the heavyweight division.
“The Gypsy King” coupled his incredible size with an even bigger heart, never knowing when he is done when in the boxing ring.
Fury’s recovery from a 12th-round knockdown against Deontay Wilder was an incredible moment in boxing history and showcased the incredible drive and refusal to quit from the former world champion.
The English fighter is a two-time world champion, having vacated his initial belt due to mental health struggles, before returning to the ring and conquering the world once again. It is an inspirational story that proves the incredible ability and heart of Fury, which is why he is one of the all-time greats.
9. Oleksandr Usyk
Since making the jump from Cruiserweight to Heavyweight, Oleksandr Usyk has proved himself to be one of the toughest fighters in any division.
The two-weight undisputed champion has fought just 7 times at Heavyweight, but has beaten all of the top fighters in the world and in impressive fashion.
Since making the jump to Heavyweight, Usyk beat Anthony Joshua twice, becoming the undisputed Heavyweight champion in the process.
The Ukrainian followed that up with a win over Daniel Dubois, before his back-to-back victories over Fury sent the Briton into retirement. His incredible technical boxing skills are unmatched and look unbeatable even as he moves closer to the end of his career.
8. Evander Holyfield
Due to his incredible heart and resilience, Evander Holyfield is considered one of the best Heavyweight and Cruiserweight boxers of all time.
“The Real Deal” had a relentless fighting spirit and toughness that is rarely seen, being able to absorb an inordinate amount of punishment and keep attacking his opponent.
This led Holyfield to become a two-weight champion and is the only four-time world heavyweight champion in the sport’s history, a feat even Ali failed to achieve.
Despite his incredible career in boxing, Holyfield is remembered mostly for the actions of one of his rivals. Tyson bit off Holyfield’s ear during their controversial second bout in 1997.
That horrendous assault has somewhat overshadowed his career, although it is hard to admit that Holyfield is not an all-time great heavyweight.
Holyfield won his final world title at 47, an extraordinary age to be the top fighter in the world. However, he was an extraordinary man who more than deserves a spot on this list.
7. Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier was the embodiment of grit, heart, and relentless pressure, with one of the most dangerous left hooks ever seen in the ring.
“Smokin’ Joe” won Gold at the 1964 Olympics before turning professional and ascending to the very top of the sport.
The power puncher made history in 1971, as Frazier beat Ali in the “Fight of the Century” that etched his name into boxing history.
Frazier’s trilogy with Ali exploded boxing’s popularity, and he ended his career as a former Undisputed Champion and 32 wins to his name.
6. Larry Holmes
Nobody in history managed to step into the ring with two all-time greats from different eras, apart from Larry Holmes.
The former World Heavyweight champion is the only man to fight both Ali and Tyson in his career, proving his toughness and longevity in boxing.
| Record (W-L-D) | (T)KO |
| 65-6-0 | 44-1 |
Holmes defeated Ali in 1980, dominating the former champion in a completely one-sided fight.
8 years later, Holmes lost to Tyson in similar circumstances, and he looked past his best when he was knocked out for the first time in his career by “Iron Mike”.
Despite this loss, Holmes continued fighting until he was 52. Holmes beat Butterbean in his last fight, going out on a victory after 71 incredible fights with only 6 losses.
5. George Foreman
When a legend like Holyfield calls you the hardest puncher he’s ever faced, you know that George Foreman is a fighter not to be trifled with.
After winning a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics, Foreman turned professional and quickly made a name for himself as one of the toughest heavyweights around.
After just three years, he was the number one ranked heavyweight in the country and first in line for a world title shot against Joe Frazier.
Foreman beat Frazier in 1973 to become the world champion, ending “Smokin’ Joe’s” reign with a second-round knockout in one of the most iconic moments in boxing history.
He remained undefeated, achieving an incredible 40-0 record, until a loss to Ali in the famous “Rumble in the Jungle“. Despite this loss, Foreman continued to fight and became the oldest Heavyweight champion in history, holding the title at the age of 46 at the end of his incredible Heavyweight career.
4. Lennox Lewis
British boxing icon Lennox Lewis may not have retired undefeated, but he avenged every loss he ever took by the end of his incredible Heavyweight career.
Lewis combined power, technique, and intelligence in a way that very few Heavyweights have ever done. His mind was incredibly sharp for a man who stood at 6 feet 5 inches with an 84-inch reach, which is what made him so dangerous in the ring.
He avenged early losses to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, as well as a later loss to Hasim Rahman, but it is the fighters he didn’t lose to that are more impressive.
Some of the names Lewis beat in the ring include Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Frank Bruno, and Vitali Klitschko, to name but a few of his 41 victories.
Lewis retired in 2003, still the Heavyweight champion and with no more questions to be asked of him. He was an Olympic gold medalist, a three-time world champion, and with just three defeats to his name, one of the most successful Heavyweight boxers of all time.
3. Mike Tyson
Despite the numerous controversies in his life and career, Tyson is undoubtedly one of the greatest boxers to ever compete in the heavyweight division.
Nobody in boxing has been so terrifying and efficiently effective as Tyson in his prime. He made his name on quick, brutal knockouts, with 44 KO’s making up his 50 victories in the ring.
| Record (W-L-D) | (T)KO |
| 50-7-2 | 44-5 |
He was the youngest man to become world champion at 22 and fully earned the nickname “The Baddest Man on the Planet”.
In his prime, Tyson suffered a shock defeat to the little-known Buster Douglas, ending his first world title reign. He bounced back after a stint in prison to become a two-time champion in 1996 and cemented Tyson as an all-time great in the sport.
2. Joe Louis
“The Brown Bomber” wasn’t just a champion in boxing – he was the greatest champion the Heavyweight division has ever seen.
Joe Louis broke records after his 1937 world title win. He went on an incredible, dominant run, defending the title 25 times in a 12-year stretch, boasting more consecutive title defenses than any boxer, in any weight class.
He also became a key figure in the anti-Nazism movement in the US in the 1930s. Louis’s shock defeat to the German Max Schmeling made huge headlines in 1936, while the rematch two years later ended in a first-round knockout to put Louis and the US back on top.
He only lost three fights in his career, the last one coming against an undefeated legend in Rocky Marciano. Marciano knocked out Louis in an incredible fight that signaled the end of the great champion’s career in boxing.
1. Muhammad Ali
Who else could be ranked the top Heavyweight boxer of all time than the man who transcended the sport, Muhammad Ali?
Born Cassius Clay, Ali is known by many as “The Greatest”, which should tell you all you need to know about the fighter.
He became world champion at the age of 22, and his reign only ended when Ali was found guilty of avoiding the draft, as he opposed the Vietnam War.
Despite missing four years at his physical peak, Ali returned to the ring in 1970 to once again become the World champion two more times, although his popularity went beyond just title belts.
Inspired by the trash-talking professional wrestler Gorgeous George, Ali would delight in using his tongue as his main weapon instead of his fists. His mind games were legendary, and he sold his fights with incredible charm and witty rhymes.
With events like “Rumble in the Jungle” and “Thrilla in Manila“, Ali knew how to sell his fights before going on to win them in impressive fashion. He “floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee”, as his famous rhyme explained how he was light on his feet but dangerous when his gloves finally connected.
Despite a disappointing end to his career, Ali is still regarded as the greatest Heavyweight boxer of all time. He is seen as an American hero and was given the honor of lighting the Olympic flame at the Atlanta Games in 1994.