To begin with, ranking the top boxers of all-time is a very difficult task. The list of boxers reviewed over the last month of research, span over approximately 150 years, and all weight-classes.
By spanning such long periods of time and such large differences between each fighter, it becomes somewhat of a tedious task to decipher the differences amongst them.
Each of the men on the initial list of 30 fighters is unique in their own way and possessed skills wildly different from each other.
To rank each of these extremely talented fighters, they have been ranked within six different categories to truly grasp the effects each fighter had on both the sport and the culture. This is not a list strictly upon the most skilled or talented fighters, but rather many different aspects such as their global recognition, dominance over periods of time, and even their specific characteristics that gave them a competitive edge. In turn, they are given a score out of 60 and ranked accordingly.
Access to the google spreadsheet is at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gvDNpcZ_dKOADBR9SxOvsYnfTPORraIoUww-YD9Djaw/edit?usp=sharing
The specific scores are ranked in the following categories:
- Dominance (D)
- Recognition (R)
- Level of Competition (C)
- Ability and Skill (S)
- Achievements (A)
- Competitive Edge (E)
Beginning from number 10…
#10 – Archie Moore, 10 (D), 8 (R), 8 (C), 8 (S), 10 (A), 9 (E) = Total: 53
In tenth place, we have Archie Moore. Fighting 220 bouts, while winning 186 of them, Moore had a long-spanning career. Over the course of almost three decades, “The Old Mongoose” was an instigator. He fought an average of about once a month, and his life was showered with mystery. He ate food behind curtains to hide his dieting and he never even gave a completely straight answer as to his birthdate. Aside from his mysterious life, his story is a success story. In the story of “The Tortoise and the Hare”, Moore was certainly the tortoise. Never even fighting a title fight until he was 39 (or 36 depending on who you believe), Moore essentially had to guilt and scare the then champion – Joey Maxim – into fighting him. Using a letter-writing campaign, Moore changed Maxim’s mind and scheduled the fight. Winning by unanimous decision in 15 rounds, Moore joked that because of Maxim’s demands for the fight he made just $800 for the fight.
After defending his title four times, he aimed his sights on the undefeated champion – Rocky Marciano. Where Moore was far more technical, to the degree that his form can be attributed to altering the fighting styles of today, Marciano was built on sheer power. A heavy puncher, Marciano was dropped in just the second round of their fight. Unfortunately for Moore, Marciano was ten years younger and still had some gas in the engine. At the end of the eighth round, the ref asked Moore to stop the fight, but Moore was reluctant. He was knocked out in the next round.
Further into his career, Moore fought a young Cassius Clay (Muhammed Ali) at the age of 49. He was knocked out in the fourth round. Moore was the only fighter to fight both boxing legends, Marciano and Ali.
Archie Moore was somewhat of a folk hero. He played on the idea that he was a people’s champion, a regular man doing extraordinary things. Yet despite his figure, less so of a boxer, more like one of the average man, he continued to fight hundreds of bouts. He even holds the record of most knockouts by a single fighter all time at 131.
Moore was a true success story and a long-time fighter who displayed good fighting character. Over the course of three decades, he continued to win fights until the age of 50. Within his final 30 fights, he only to one man – Muhammed Ali. He completely changed the sport in terms of technicality and form and brought a relatable champion to the forefront. He was an old man amongst young fighters and became champion. That is truly amazing in its own right, and his longevity is a key reason that he is the tenth best fighter of all time.
