Mayweather, Ali, Pacquiao, Tyson, Usyk: Who’s the greatest pound-for-pound boxer in history?

Boxing provides us with an incredibly hard debate of who is the greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all time, with people all having their own opinion, giving us a contrast of shouts for the greatest of all time, or even just for a generation.

This can often be split up into weight divisions as it is much harder to compare fighters across different divisions with them not being able to compete.

Ring Magazine keep an up to date list of their version of the pound-for-pound GOAT across all divisions and then individual lists for specific divisions as well.

One thing that is difficult to do however is compare fighters from different eras of boxing as the sport has changed drastically from the days of the likes of Muhammad Ali and co.

Thankfully for us, World Boxing News have decided on who is the best pound-for-pound fighter from 1970 all the way through to the present day.

In the 70s, the list comprised of Jose Napoles, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Muhammad Ali and Robert Duran, with Ali and Duran being deemed the best on multiple occasions throughout the decade.

Moving into the 1980s, Sugar Ray Leaonard, Marvin Hagler and Mike Tyson were seen as the pound-for-pound greatest, with Tyson holding the title for around four years in total over two stints.

Pernell Whitaker was the only person to hold the title twice during the 90s according to the list, with Julio Cesar Chavez, Riddick Bowe, Evander Holyfied, Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad also taking the coveted title.

Entering the millennium, Trinidad’s stint as the pound-for-pound greatest in the world ended, with Bernard Hopkins taking over midway through 2001. Roy Jones Jr, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao were also deemed as the greatest pound-for-pound fighter