Most people have heard of legendary boxer Muhammed Ali, but how about Willie Pep? These 10 winningest boxers of all time had both the star power and endurance to last through round after round after round of brutality in the ring. Check them (and their impressive) records out below!
Number Nine: Julio Cesar Chavez – 108-6-2. Julio Cesar Chavez is considered to be Mexico’s greatest boxer of all time. His career, which lasted 25 years, culminated in five championships in three different divisions and an impressive record of 108 wins, six losses and two draws.
Number Eight: Tony Canzoneri – 137-24-10. Born in Slidell, Louisiana, Tony Canzoneri was just 5’4″, but he was mighty. Over the course of his career, Canzoneri won five world titles and now has a permanent place in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Number Seven: Sandy Saddler – 144-16-2. Seventh on our list is Joseph “Sandy” Saddler, who ended an impressive 103 of his 144 wins with a knockout. Though Saddler did earn a reputation as one of the dirtier fighters, he is still widely respected and is one of the only boxers to have a winning record against Willie Pep (featured later on this list).
Number Six: Henry Armstrong – 151-21-9. Born in Mississippi, Henry Armstrong won the World Featherweight championship in 1937, just six years after his first fight. He earned the nickname “Hurricane Hank” for his relentless fighting style.
Number Five: Sam Langford – 167-38-37-3. Though many consider Sam Langford less deserving of a spot on this list then Henry Armstrong, in terms of total wins, Sam Langford beats him out. Langford was heavily devoted to the art of boxing and continued on even though he was nearly blind.
Number Four: Ted “Kid” Lewis – 173-30-14. Born Gershon Mendeloff, he embraced the name “Kid Lewis” after joining the London Judean Athletic Club. Lewis eventually won the world Welterweight Championship and has a spot in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Number Three: Sugar Ray Robinson – 175-19-6-2. With 175 total wins, Sugar Ray Robinson earns the third spot on our list of the 10 winningest boxers of all time. Before Robinson even started his career, he had a record of 85-0 in amateur boxing, including 40 first round knockouts.
Number Two: Archie Moore – 183-24-10-1. Known as “The Old Mongoose,” Archie Moore had a long, successful career. He has the most knockouts in recorded boxing history (131), despite the fact that he didn’t even fight for a title until he was 39. Moore is the only boxer ever to have fought both Muhammad Ali and Rocky Marciano.
Number One: Willie Pep – 229-11-1. Finally, with 229 wins, Willie Pep is the winningest boxer of all time. Born in Middletown, Connecticut, Pep is known by many as the best Featherweight boxer ever in recorded history, and he even survived a plane crash in 1947 and continued to fight. He retired at 43 and was married six times.
