Ranking Light heavyweight boxers is a tricky job to do. They are not heavy enough to be classed as heavyweight boxers or cruiser weights or not light enough to be classed as middleweight.
However there have been many talented and accomplished boxers who are both very skillful and proficient. Light heavyweights do have the speed and agility as well as the knockout power and skill making them great boxers.
We are going to list the top 5 greatest light heavyweight boxers of all time.
5. Matthew Saad Muhammad (49-16-3, 35 KO)
Matthew Saad Muhammad was born a christian but was inspired by Muhammad Ali’s conversion to Islam and converted to Islam himself.
He was the light heavy weight champion in 1979 and beat various oppnonents throughout his career such as Yaqui Lopez, John Conteh and Murray Sutherland.
Saad Muhammad had heart, a good chin and a certain resilience to him making him a define addition to one of the greatest light heavyweight boxers of all time. His vision was also deteriorating towards the latter part of his career.
After his boxing career he did take part in MMA and had a professional fight in Japan however this bout proved to be unsuccessful for him and he did lose in the first round.
4. Michael Spinks (31-1, 21 KO)
Spinks was an exceptional boxer only losing one fight throughout his whole career. That was when he moved up to the heavyweight division and lost to Mike Tyson.
During his career he beat many boxers in the light heavyweight division including Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Eddie Davis and Marvin Johnson.
Michael Spinks was the only boxer to remain undefeated in the light heavyweight division. This cements Spinks’ place as one of the greatest light heavyweight boxers of all time.
3. Ezzard Charles (93-25-1, 52 KO)
Ezzard Charles fought in middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. He won the heavyweight title but never won the light heavyweight career. He fought Archie Moore thrice and beat him all three times.
Ezzard fought a boxer named Sam Baroudi and knocked him out in the tenth round. Baroudi later died because of injuries suffered in the fight. Because of this Ezzard almost hung up his gloves and stopped boxing but after a while carried on boxing.
2. Gene Tunney (65-1-1, 48 KO)
Tunney held the light heavyweight twice in the 1920s. He beat many opponents such as Harry Greb, Jack Dempsey and Tommy Gibbons. Gene was known to be a strategic boxer and boxed with his brain instead of just punching.
He also had great power and rather quick footwork making him an overall great boxer. Gene Tunney definitely deserves his place in the list of greatest light heavyweight boxers of all time
1. Roy Jones Junior (65-9, 47 KO)
Roy Jones Jr was an exceptional boxer who won titles at 4 weight classes including middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. He is the only boxer in history to start his career as a light middleweight and become heavyweight champion.
He was known for his fast punching speed, movement and defense. Notable wins include Mike McCallum and Montell Griffin.
There are quite a few boxers who never made the cut and quite a few
There is our list of the greatest light heavyweight boxers of all time. We hope you enjoyed the list. If you think we missed any boxer from the list or don’t agree with us, let us know in the comments.
