Past greats of a pound-for-pound list usually named “Sugar” Ray Robinson, the welterweight and middleweight champion, as the best. His record of 174-19-6 with 109 stoppages doesn’t tell it all since, like too many great boxers, they “stay around too long!”
Robinson was better at welterweight than middleweight. In his welterweight start he won his first 41 bouts before losing to future middleweight champion Jake “Bronx Bull” LaMotta, 30-5-2, after having defeated him in October of 1942. Three weeks after losing for the first time he defeated LaMotta in their third meeting. LaMotta had some sixteen pounds on him.
Robinson won the vacant welterweight titles defeating Tommy Bell, 39-10-3, at Madison Square Garden, in December of 1946.
Later he defeated such boxers like Kid Gavilan, 53-6-2. Next, he defeated Steve Belloise, 90-10-3. In a rematch having fought to a draw previously he defeated Jose Basora, 77-14-6, in a Pennsylvania State middleweight title bout.
Robinson was 129-1-2 when he lost to Randy Turpin, 40-2-1, in London, only to defeat him two months later at Madison Square Garden, New York. When he lost to Paul Pender, 35-5-2, you knew it was all over for him.
Second on the list is Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, 149-21-10, a winner at featherweight, welterweight and lightweight.
At featherweight, he defeated Petey Sarron 107-22-13. At welterweight, Barney Ross, 74-3-3. At lightweight, defeated Lou Ambers, 75-5-7.
Third Muhammad “The Greatest” Ali, 56-5, with 37 stoppages, was a three-time world heavyweight champion and former Olympic Gold Medalist.
Fourth Joe “The Brown Bomber” Louis, 66-3, with 52 stoppages. He had a heavyweight record 25 defenses.
Fifth Willie “Will o’ the Wisp” Pep, 229-11-1, former world featherweight champion.
Sixth middleweight champion Harry “Pittsburgh Windmill” Greb, 108-9-3, with 49 stoppages. The only one to defeat at light heavy, who later became heavyweight champion, Gene “The Fighting Marine” Tunney, 65-1-1. Greb also fought with one eye.
Seventh is five division world champion “Sugar” Ray Leonard, 36-3-1 with 25 stoppages. He had wins over Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns, Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran, “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler and Wilfred Benitez.
Eighth is three-division champion Julio “J.C.” Cesar Chavez, 107-6-2 with 85 stoppages. He was 89-0-1 when he lost for the first time to Frankie “The Surgeon” Randall. He avenged that loss in their next fight
Ninth is six-division world champion Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao, 62-8-2 with 39 stoppages. He had wins over Oscar “Golden Boy” De La Hoya, draw with Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker, “Sugar” Shane Mosley, Tim Bradley, Jr, Erik Morales, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto.
Tenth is Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr., 50-0 with 27 stoppages. He had wins over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, “Sugar” Shane Mosley, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.
Current pound-for-pound boxers first is five-division world champion and super bantamweight champion Naoya “The Monster” Inoue, 26-0 with 23 stoppages. Wins over Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, Jason “Mayhem” Moloney, Emanuel Rodriguez.
Second is three division world champion welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford, 40-0 with 31 stoppages. He defeated Yuriorkis Gamboa, Ricky Burns, Thomas Dulorme, Shawn Porter, Kell Brook and Amir Khan.
Third is Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 60-2-2 with 39 stoppages. He has wins over Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin, Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo, Julio “J.C.” Cesar Chavez, Miguel Cotto, Amir Kahn, and Liam Smith.
Fourth is Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury, 34-0-1 with 24 stoppages. He has wins over Derek “War” Chisora and Dillian Whyte and two over Deontay Wilder.
Fifth is Oleksandr Usyk, 21-0 with 14 stoppages. He was the unified cruiser champion and had wins over Daniel “Dynamite” Dubois, two over Anthony “AJ” Joshua, Derek “War” Chisora, Marco Huck, Mairis Briedis, Murat Gassiev, and Tony Bellow.
Sixth is WBC, WBO, and IBF Light Heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev, 20-0 with twenty stoppages. He has wins over Callum Smith, Anthony Yarde, Joe Smith, Jr. and Marcus Browne.
Seventh is WBA and IBO Light Heavyweight champion Dmitrii Bivol, 22-0 with 11 stoppages. He has wins over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and Jean Pascal.
Eighth is WBO World Super Featherweight champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete, 38-1-1 with 31 stoppages. He has wins over Oscar Valdez, Joet Gonzalez and Isaac Dogboe.
Ninth is IBF Welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis, 31-0-1nc with 28 stoppages. He has wins over Sergey Lipinets, Thomas Dulorme, Custio Clayton, Karen Chukhadzhian, and Roiman Villa.
The tenth is David Benavidez, 28-0, with 24 stoppages. He has wins over Caleb Plant, David Lemieux, and Ronald Ellis.