Teddy Atlas has given named his top ten all-time greatest boxers, placing heavyweight icon Muhammad Ali at number four.
Ali became the first man to win the world heavyweight championship on three seperate occasions, and beat the likes of George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Sonny Liston and Floyd Patterson. Outside of the ropes, he was a cultural behemoth and helped shape the future of civil rights.
Though there is little doubt that the man formerly known as Cassius Clay is the one who transcended boxing to the greatest degree, many feel there are fighters in the history books who were, pound-for-pound, more talented. That includes Atlas, who gave Ali the 4th spot in his all-time list.
At number three, Atlas placed Sam Langford, who, though denied a world title shot due to racial barriers, carved out a legacy as one of the most feared punchers of the early 20th century. He fought across nearly every weight class and historians argue that Langford’s skill, durability, and knockout power place him among the greatest boxers never to win a world title.
For the second best of all time, Atlas names Sugar Ray Robinson, who dazzled the boxing world with a blend of speed, power, and showmanship that set the gold standard for future champions. Robinson was the first fighter to win the world middleweight title five times and is widely hailed as the pound-for-pound greatest.
The number one spot is awarded to Henry Armstrong, whose relentless style and astonishing stamina carried him to an unprecedented feat: holding the featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight world championships simultaneously in 1938.
