The Best Boxers of the Century: Canelo, Crawford, and Ring Legends
On September 13th, two of the best boxers of this generation will face each other in an epic fight: the undisputed super middleweight champion, Canelo Álvarez, against the super lightweight champion, Terence Crawford, at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. This event, which some have already called “the fight of the century”, has motivated Alofoke Deportes to create a list with the 25 best boxers who have stepped into the ring since the year 2000, evaluating where Canelo and Crawford are located in this elite ranking.
Of the 17 retired boxers on this list, 14 are in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The remaining three, Gennadiy Golovkin, Vasiliy Lomachenko, and Tyson Fury, will join when they are eligible. Manny Pacquiao, after his induction into the Hall of Fame, joined a select group of boxers who have contested a world title after this honor. The list includes numerous undisputed champions and prominent figures in current boxing.
The task of selecting the top 25 was not easy given the large amount of talent available. However, our panel of experts, composed of Andreas Hale, Mark Kriegel, Nick Parkinson, Bernardo Osuna, and Andres Ferrari, did their best. From Floyd Mayweather to Oleksandr Usyk, passing through Canelo and Crawford, here is the ranking of the best of the century.
1. Floyd Mayweather
Floyd Mayweather, a la izquierda, derrotó a Oscar De La Hoya en 2007 para convertirse en campeón superwelter.Key achievements of the century: 28-0, 10 KOs from 2000 to 2017; world champion in five divisions; number 1 pound for pound for a long time; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021.
Mayweather is undeniably the best boxer of the 2000s. Although he sought the biggest purses, which influenced many current boxers to protect their undefeated record, his ability to beat great rivals like Manny Pacquiao, Canelo, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Márquez, and Miguel Cotto, demonstrates his worth. His intelligence in the ring, impenetrable defense, sublime footwork, relentless counterattack, and surgical precision made him almost unbeatable, with an overall record of 50-0, 27 KOs and world titles in five weight categories. His transformation from “Pretty Boy” to “Money” made him the world’s highest-paid athlete in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2018, according to Forbes, and kept him in the pound-for-pound rankings from 2005 to 2015. Although retired since 2017, Mayweather remains a major attraction in boxing.
Key achievements of the century: 35-6-3, 20 KOs from 2000 to 2025; world champion in eight divisions; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2025.
Pacquiao, who began his professional career at 16, became the only world champion in eight weight divisions. His aggressive style, with punches from all angles, overwhelmed legends like Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Oscar De La Hoya, and Miguel Cotto. “PacMan” (62-8-3, 39 KOs overall) recovered from a brutal knockout against Juan Manuel Márquez in 2012 to win six more fights for the welterweight title until 2019. Pacquiao, at 46, is still active and was close to breaking his own record as the longest-reigning welterweight world champion when he drew against Mario Barrios in July.
Key achievements of the century: 19-6-1, 1 NC, 5 KOs from 2000 to 2016; longest-reigning world champion in boxing history at 49 years old; defended 10 of his 20 consecutive middleweight title defenses; world champion in two divisions; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020.
Hopkins, with a record of 36-2-1 at the beginning of the 2000s, established himself as one of the best middleweights of all time, setting a record of 20 title defenses. His victory over Felix “Tito” Trinidad in 2001 cemented him in boxing, and his knockout of Oscar De La Hoya in 2004 made him undisputed champion at 160 pounds. Hopkins, at 46 years old, became the oldest world champion by defeating Jean Pascal for the light heavyweight title in 2011. At 49, he defeated WBA light heavyweight champion Beibut Shumenov. “The Alien” possessed exceptional physical condition and a remarkably high IQ, establishing himself as an all-time great.
Key achievements: 23-0, 14 KOs between 2013 and 2025; current undisputed heavyweight champion; previously undisputed at cruiserweight and heavyweight.
Usyk, 38, has defeated Tyson Fury twice, and has achieved undisputed champion status on three occasions (two at heavyweight and one at cruiserweight). After winning Olympic gold in 2012, Usyk defended his cruiserweight title six times from 2016 to 2018 and became the first undisputed cruiserweight champion in the four-belt era. He then moved up to heavyweight, where he won his first title in 2021 and has made five defenses since then. His victories over Fury and Anthony Joshua erased any doubt about who should be considered the best heavyweight of the generation. His victory over Daniel Dubois, in July, was a defining moment in his career. Usyk is the best heavyweight since the era of Lennox Lewis in the late 1990s.
Key achievements: 63-2-2, 39 KOs between 2005 and 2025; world champion in four divisions; currently (and only) undisputed super middleweight champion.
An early defeat to Mayweather at age 23 didn’t stop Canelo from achieving greatness. The second-highest ranked active boxer on this list, 35-year-old Canelo, can improve his position depending on his fight against Terence Crawford. The current and only undisputed super middleweight champion has held world titles in four weight classes, defeating a series of major opponents throughout his career. Canelo cemented himself as one of the best boxers of this era in his trilogy with Golovkin, with a 2-0-1 record against the tough middleweight puncher. Although he fell to Dmitry Bivol in his attempt to become a light heavyweight champion in 2022, Canelo and his iron jaw have held the title of face of boxing since Mayweather’s retirement in 2017. The hunter will become the prey on September 13th when he defends his titles against Crawford, but Canelo’s status as one of the best boxers of this century is firmly established.
Key achievements: 32-0, 16 KOs from 2004 to 2017; world champion in two weight categories; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021.
Ward retired in 2017 at the age of 33 with an undefeated record after unifying world titles at super middleweight and light heavyweight. He won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics and, as a professional, retired as ESPN’s number 1 pound-for-pound boxer. His best victories were a decision over Carl Froch in the final of the Super Six World Boxing Classic in 2011 and an eighth-round technical knockout victory over Sergey Kovalev in 2017 in a rematch, after Ward controversially won the first fight seven months earlier. Ward was an intelligent boxer, an accomplished technician with a great jab that allowed him to handle heavy hitters like Froch and Kovalev. He is arguably the best super middleweight in history.
Key achievements: 41-0, 31 KOs from 2008 to 2025; world champion in four weight categories, undisputed at welterweight and super lightweight; current super middleweight champion.
Crawford discreetly debuted in 2008 without the expectation of some of his contemporaries, and has used that as motivation to torment his opponents for the following two decades. His one-sided demolition of Errol Spence Jr. in 2023 made him the first male boxer to become undisputed champion in two weight categories (welterweight and super lightweight) during the four-belt era. On September 13, Crawford will seek to become undisputed champion in a third division when he goes up to 168 pounds to challenge Canelo Álvarez. His unwavering will to win and his fierce finishing ability have made Crawford one of the best boxers of this generation. For a boxer who began his career at 130 pounds, the possibility of defeating Canelo, an all-time great much bigger, gives Crawford the opportunity to solidify his place.
Key achievements of the century: 26-5-1, 17 KOs from 2000 to 2014; world champion in four weight categories; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020.
Márquez delivered one of the most memorable and surprising knockouts of recent years when he knocked down the great Pacquiao in the sixth round of their 2012 fight. The pair fought four times; after a draw, Pacquiao won two fights before Márquez’s right hand put a shocking end to their last encounter. Márquez (56-7-1, 40 KOs overall) had been in trouble in round 5, but demonstrated the toughness that defined his career to recover and finish Pacquiao. “El Dinamita” won titles in four weight categories (featherweight, super lightweight, lightweight and super lightweight) and defeated boxers such as Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Díaz and Joel Casamayor.
Key achievements of the century: 26-9, 14 KOs from 2000 to 2023; four-division world champion; long-time pound-for-pound number 1; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2022.
Jones is undeniably one of boxing’s most gifted athletes. Had he competed during the social media era, he would likely be the most viral boxer of all time. Unfortunately, in terms of this list, his best years were during the 1990s. However, Jones still managed to have significant success in the early 2000s, as he joined Bob Fitzsimmons as the only boxers to capture world titles at middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight when he jumped two weight divisions to beat John Ruiz for the WBA heavyweight title in 2003. Jones (66-10, 47 KOs overall) returned to light heavyweight eight months later and achieved his last significant victory, a majority decision over Antonio Tarver that unified the titles. But the weight fluctuation devastated his body, and Jones was never the same, with a 17-9 record for the rest of his career after starting 49-1. Still, the latter half of his career shouldn’t discredit how spectacular “Captain Hook” was.
Key achievements: 30-0, 27 KOs from 2012 to 2025; world champion in four weight categories, undisputed in two weight divisions; current undisputed super featherweight champion.
“The Monster” is one of the best boxers in the world, currently number 2 in the pound-for-pound rankings of ESPN and the current undisputed super featherweight champion. Inoue, 32 years old, possesses speed, power, and skillful footwork that allows him to throw punches from a variety of angles. He has achieved undisputed status in two weight categories after unifying the four bantamweight belts in 2022. He has also won titles in four divisions and made eight defenses of the bantamweight world title from 2018 to 2022, seven in super bantamweight from 2014 to 2018, and one in light flyweight in 2014. He presented himself in super featherweight with style when he demolished Stephen Fulton in eight rounds in July 2023. The best days of the undefeated Inoue could be yet to come, with a possible matchup against the number 1 bantamweight and Japanese rival Junto Nakatani in 2026.
Key achievements: 42-2-1, 37 KOs from 2006 to 2022; two-time unified champion; shares the record of 20 consecutive middleweight title defenses with Hopkins.
The combination of sublime power and a granite jaw made Golovkin a regular on pound-for-pound lists from 2015 to 2020. “GGG” recorded 23 consecutive knockout victories from 2008 to 2016 and equaled Hopkins’ record for most middleweight title defenses (20) in May 2018, before losing a majority decision to Canelo four months later. Although he fell short in his high-profile trilogy with Canelo (0-2-1), it can be argued that Golovkin won at least one of their encounters. The Kazakh boxer left the sport without having been knocked down in 45 professional and 350 amateur fights, securing his place as one of the most durable jaws in boxing history.
Key achievements of the century: 19-0, 9 KOs from 2000 to 2008; longest reigning super middleweight champion.
Calzaghe retired in 2009 with an undefeated record of 46 fights after a career primarily at super middleweight. He was boxing’s third-longest reigning world champion (10 years and 11 months). Calzaghe (46-0, 32 KOs overall) complained of being avoided before overcoming Jeff Lacy and Sakio Bika in 2006 and then Mikkel Kessler in 2007, all in title unification fights. He enjoyed a glorious end to his career, including a unanimous decision over the undefeated Kessler to successfully defend his WBO super middleweight title for the twenty-first time and claim Kessler’s WBA and WBC belts. After that, Calzaghe’s hand speed was too much for Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. in decision victories at light heavyweight in the United States. He is arguably Britain’s greatest boxer in memory.
Key achievements of the century: 17-9, 7 KOs from 2000 to 2012; first Mexican-born boxer to win championships in four weight classes; inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2018.
Morales set the stage for his inclusion on this list with an epic and bitter trilogy with his Mexican compatriot Marco Antonio Barrera from 2000 to 2004. Although Morales (52-9, 36 KOs overall) lost two of those three fights, he spent the early 2000s sweeping away the opposition. His ruthless aggression and precise punches overwhelmed his opponents. “El Terrible” was one of the few boxers capable of stopping Manny Pacquiao’s meteoric rise by defeating him in their 2005 encounter. A whirlwind of violence that switched between a cold-blooded fighter and a ring tactician at any moment, Morales is one of Mexico’s best.
Key achievements: 18-3, 12 KOs from 2013 to 2025; world champion in three weight categories; won his first world title in only his third professional fight.
One of the best amateur boxers of all time amassed an incredible record of 396-1 with two Olympic gold medals before making his professional debut in 2013. Instead of building his record by facing mediocre opposition, Lomachenko was thrown into the fire immediately. He challenged for a world title in only his second fight, but fell short in a controversial split decision against Orlando Salido in March 2014. But “Hi-Tech” delivered on his second effort less than four months later, defeating Gary Russell Jr. in his third fight to capture featherweight gold. In just 21 fights, Lomachenko held world championships in three weight classes and ascended to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings with a dizzying run from 2016 to 2018 in which he earned the nickname “No Mas-Chenko” by forcing four of his five opponents (Nicholas Walters, Jason Sosa, Miguel Marriaga, and Guillermo Rigondeaux) to quit in the corner between rounds. Lomachenko faced tough fights throughout his career, but his brilliant footwork, feline reflexes, and overwhelming speed made him one of the most talented boxers to ever step into the ring. Lomachenko decided to retire at 37 and will surely be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
