From Amateur Fighters to World Champions: The Greatest Boxers of All Time

Joe Frazier - 32 Wins, 4 Losses, 27 Knockouts

Joe Frazier, also known as 'Smokin' Joe', had a signature fighting strategy: he stayed low and patiently prowled his opponent in the ring. Frazier would hunch his shoulders and wait for the perfect moment to strike with his legendary left hook. The strategy earned Frazier a staggering 32 wins, of which 27 were knockouts.

Throughout his career, Smokin' Joe was known for his rivalry with the great Muhammad Ali. The two were complete opposites - Ali was an intellectual, a poet of sorts (“float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”), while Frazier was the quintessential blue-collar working man.

Mike Tyson - 50 Wins, 6 Losses, 44 Knockouts

The legendary Mike Tyson may be soft-spoken in his everyday life, but in the ring, he's an unrivaled warrior. Many of Tyson's rivals have said that "Iron Mike" was one of the most intimidating fighters to go up against, remarking that even his stare was frightening enough.

'Iron Mike' was almost superhuman when he went into the ring. With 50 wins, out of which 44 were knockouts, many of his contemporaries have admitted they'd rather not fight him. Ironically, there was one man out there that managed to frighten Tyson himself. And that was his coach, Cus D'Amato. "I was petrified whenever he was around", Tyson remarked more than once.

Carlos Monzón - 87 wins, 3 Losses, 59 Knockouts

Carlos Monzón was an Argentinian boxing legend; he was known for his calculated attacks, a strategy that left his opponents lying flat on the ring. Unfortunately, Monzón's aggressiveness and intensity in the ring was also very much present in his personal life.

Much like a rockstar, Monzón was one of the most famous people in Argentina in the 1970s, and he could always be counted on to have a supermodel or movie star on his arm. However, Monzón never neglected his passion, and in 1990 he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, with the honorary title of one of the best fighters in any weight class.

George Foreman - 76 Wins, 5 Losses, 68 Knockouts

If you never had the privilege of watching the legendary George Foreman on the ring, you'll surely recognize him from his countless commercial appearances or the famous George Foreman grill. It seems Foreman took his father's words very seriously, as he's often remarked"...my father told me when I was young that if you learn to sell, you will never starve.”

But many don't know that before becoming a famous media personality, Foreman was one of the best boxers of all time. Foreman, otherwise known as "Big George", became a heavyweight champion in 1977, right before retiring. But that wasn't the end of it. "Big George" returned to the ring in 1994, at age 45, to defeat the 26-year-old Michael Moorer. The beautiful knockout turned him into the oldest heavyweight champion in the history of boxing.

Benny Leonard - 85 wins, 1 Loss, 69 Knockouts

Benjamin Leiner, commonly known as Benny Leonard, is considered by many to be one of the best pound-for-pound lightweights in history. Leonard was already a better boxer than most by the age of 15, and a short six years later, he won the World Lightweight Championship. A title that would be his for the next seven years.

Leonard was adored by fans and critics alike. One of the most famous boxing historians of all time, Gilbert Odd, once said, “Leonard was coolness itself in the ring, finishing off a beaten opponent with cold fury, recovering quickly when hurt and talking himself out of trouble.”

Tony Canzoneri - 137 Wins, 24 Losses, 44 Knockouts

In a true rags to riches story, Tony Canzoneri grew up in a very poor family in Louisiana, helping out the family by shining shoes as a kid. But when he turned 16, Canzoneri decided to turn his fate around and lied about his age to enter a boxing competition. The rest, as they say, is history.

Not only did Canzoneri become one of the best fighters in the ring, he was one of the only boxers in history to compete in world championships at four different weights. He won three of them, and became the first ever boxer to win the lightweight title twice. Not only that, he also set a record for the fastest knockout ever in a lightweight championship - 66 seconds. His unfortunate opponent was Al Singer.

Henry Armstrong - 152 Wins, 21 Losses, 101 Knockouts

In boxing, holding even a single world championship title is already hard enough. The amount of training, discipline and sacrifice needed is beyond comprehension for anyone not involved in the sport. Henry Armstrong held three championship titles, at the same time.

Armstrong made boxing history by becoming the only professional boxer to this day to hold the three weight titles at the same time; in the featherweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. And they were definitely well-deserve. The young boxer had to fight to keep his lightweight title 19 different times in only three years.

Willie Pep - 229 Wins, 11 Losses, 65 Knockouts

Guglielmo Papaleo, known to the public as the legendary Willie Pep, was a true force of nature when it came to boxing. Pep set boxing records that were unprecedented - 1,956 boxing rounds, 229 wins, 65 knockouts and two championship titles in the featherweight division. There's even a legend that tells of Willie Pep winning a fight without throwing a single punch.

Of course, many have questioned the truth behind the legend. However, it was well-known that Pep always took very good care of his hands, and was even quoted once saying “If he starts hurting me, I’ll have to get him out of there. But I never try to knock guys out because it busts up my hands.” Even if it's just a legend, the statistics are impressive enough.

Joe Gans - 145 Wins, 10 Losses, 100 Knockouts

Even though Joe Gans was one of the best boxers of his time, he still had to deal with an incredible amount of discrimination from the public, fellow boxers and fight organizers alike. Unfortunately, being an African-American in the 1900s was extremely difficult, and even after becoming a professional, Gans still got threats from promoters saying they would keep him from fighting if he didn't let his white opponents win.

But despite the countless hardships and injustices Gans faced, he fought tooth and nail to get to the top, and he made it. At only 28 years old, he knocked out Frank Erne in just one round, winning the lightweight championship title. Gans's skill was so great that people began to call him the "Old Master".

Sam Langford - 214 Wins, 44 Losses, 138 Knockouts

Samuel Langford, also known as the 'Boston Bonecrusher', was a Canadian boxer who's career peaked in the 1900s. Even though Langford is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, he faced terrible discrimination because of the color of his skin. Due to the rampant racism of the time, Langford was even denied the chance to content for the world heavyweight title. But that didn't stop him.

Sam was known for being versatile and quick on the ring, but unfortunately, his dream was cut short when he started having eye problems. But even then, Langford refused to quit and kept on fighting, making sure he was always close to his opponents so he could see them, and often using the ring ropes as a guide for his movements. As years passed, fans and critics held him in such high regard that they even started a fund so Langford could retire comfortably.

Jack Dempsey - 62 Wins, 8 Losses, 51 Knockouts

A Colorado native, Jack Dempsey had a signature strategy - he was always on the defensive. Dempsey was known for remaining in a crouch position and bobbing from side to side as he hit his adversary with short, fast, and knockout blows. This skill is what made Dempsey a heavyweight boxing champion for seven consecutive years.

The American boxing star retired with honors and even became a referee in the ring in his later years. But once the U.S. went to WWII, Dempsey stopped boxing entirely and served as a lieutenant in the Coast Guard. He was a fighter to be reckoned with, and even in his later years, with more than 70 years of age, he told reporters he had been able to knockout two muggers who tried to rob him!

Jimmy Wilde - 131 Wins, 3 Losses, 99 Knockouts

Even though he was only in the ring for a short seven years, Welsh boxer Jimmy Wilde still racked up some impressive statistics. Wilde was a world flyweight champion, fighting a total of 143 professional fights, of which he won 131, and dealt 99 knockouts. He became known for beating the American and European flyweight champions of the time.

Before becoming a professional, Wilde fought in many amateur fights, known as "booth" fights. These fights had Wilde boxing against fighters that were often much bigger than him, but that didn't deter him. In fact, he quickly proved his worth when he constantly kept beating fighters that could be up to a dozen pounds heavier.

Jack Johnson - 73 Wins, 13 Losses, 40 Knockouts

Jack Johnson made history when he became the first African-American to compete for a world heavyweight championship title. Not only did Johnson compete, he won. This was an unparalleled accomplishment for any man, but for an African-American in 1908 that was born to parents who had survived slavery, it was unimaginable. Johnson was revered, and with good reason.

To add even more joy to this hero story, former heavyweight champion James Jeffries swore to make a comeback and beat Johnson, his rage motivated by racist newspapers and commentators. Johnson, who was a happily retired alfalfa farmer by then, accepted the challenge and fought Jeffries in 1910. The epic fight ended with Jeffries surrendering in order to avoid a knockout, saying “I couldn’t have hit him. No, I couldn’t have reached him in 1,000 years.”

Gene Tunney - 65 Wins, 1 Loss, 48 Knockouts

Irish-American boxer Gene Tunney was a former marine who served during WWI. Tunney claims to have been inspired by former president Teddy Roosevelt to become a boxer. He claimed Roosevelt was the one who inspired him to become physically fit. What made Tunney unique was his fighting strategy - he would take his time to study his adversary on the ring, find their weakness, and strike when they least expected it.

This method of fighting is what helped him succeed. Nicknamed "The Fighting Marine", Tunney defeated famous boxer Jack Dempsey in 1926, winning the world heavyweight championship title. A year later, in a rematch fight that would become Tunney's most famous, called the 'Long Count Fight', he was knocked down by Dempsey, only to get up right before the referee counted to ten. Minutes after getting up, Tunney beat Dempsey in a fight that could only be compared to a scene from a Hollywood movie.

Harry Greb - 261 Wins, 17 Losses, 48 Knockouts

Better known by his nickname "The Pittsburgh Windmill", Harry Greb was famous for his fighting technique. He threw constant punches at his adversaries until they were knocked out. Thanks to this unparalleled skill, Greb won the world middleweight champion title, which he would hold onto for three straight years.

Greb was famous for more than his exceptional boxing skills, he was also a known party animal and womanizer. He was often seen at the pub instead of the gym, as he preferred the wild lifestyle to training and dieting. Whenever he was asked how he managed to stay fit for his fights, Greb said his high number of matches, which were over 400, were what kept him in shape throughout the years.

Rocky Marciano - 49 Wins, 0 Losses, 43 Knockouts

The legendary Rocky Marciano started fighting when he was still a soldier at the end of WWII. Marciano first got into the ring as a representative of his unit in amateur boxing fights organized by the U.S. Army. In 1946, he won the Amateur Armed Forces Boxing Tournament, and a year later, Marciano had already become a professional.

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The Massachusetts native went on to win an extraordinary 49 consecutive fights against many opponents, without a single loss. One of Marciano's most epic moments happened in 1952, after the pro boxer defeated Jersey Joe Walcott and won the world heavyweight championship. Perhaps Rocky Marciano is most revered for being one of the few boxers in history who has never been defeated.

Roberto Durán - 103 Wins, 16 Losses, 70 Knockouts

Panamanian-born Roberto Durán was known for being feared by his opponents. Even the great Joe Frazier, who fought against Muhammad Ali countless times, said that when he went into the ring to fight Durán, the only man he could compare him to was "Charles Manson". Without a doubt, Durán was an extremely intimidating fighter, often saying about himself, “I was Mike Tyson before Mike Tyson came along. Fighters would take one look at me and crap their pants.”

Even though he arrived to the United States knowing barely any English, that didn't stop Durán from trash talking his adversaries until mentally breaking them. The Panamanian legend went down in history for winning world championships in a number of weight classes; welterweight, junior-middleweight, lightweight and middleweight champion.

Julio César Chávez - 107 Wins, 6 Losses, 86 Knockouts

Julio César Chávez is known as one of Mexico's most famous sports figures. In a career that spanned 25 years, from 1980 to 2005, Chávez  left a great footprint in the boxing world and was considered by many to be the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the history of boxing.

During his incredible career, Chávez held the title of junior lightweight champion from 1984 to 1988, before he moved up to the welterweight division. In Chávez's most infamous fight, in 1990, he won the International Boxing Federation's welterweight title after knocking out Meldrick Taylor, with only twelve seconds remaining in the fight.

Sugar Ray Leonard - 36 Wins, 3 Losses, 25 Knockouts

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone that doesn't know who Sugar Ray Leonard is. A living legend, Leonard wasn't even interested in becoming a professional fighter at first; he was an Olympic athlete that won a gold medal in the 1976 Montreal games, and that was enough for him. Until serious family problems came along.

In an attempt to earn some money, Leonard went into the ring and started to pursue a professional boxing career. In 1979, Sugar Ray Leonard took home the World Boxing Council’s welterweight championship title, and went on to fight in 40 matches over a period of five years. He won 36 of them, more than half of which were by knockout.

Archie Moore - 199 Wins, 8 Losses, 145 Knockouts

One of the most beloved and charismatic boxers of all time, Archie Moore was as feared by his opponents as he was loved by critics and fans. Nicknamed "Old Mongoose", Moore was so feared by other fighters that he was basically forced to fight in the heavyweight division, since no lightweight or middleweight boxers wanted to fight him.

Moore became the world heavyweight champion when he was 39 years old, after defeating the famous Joey Maxim after fifteen rounds. He held onto the title for the next ten years, until he was defeated by the great Muhammad Ali, at 49 years of age.

Joe Louis - 50 Wins, 3 Losses, 43 Knockouts

The famous Joe Louis was known for his distinctive and incredibly strong knockout punch. Almost always effective, it was the move he used in 43 of his fights, which happened between 1934 and 1949. During a very successful boxing career, Louis went down in history as the longest reigning heavyweight champion, after holding the title for twelve years.

Unfortunately, Louis's promising career came to a halt by the beginning of WWII, after he enlisted in the army in 1942. Being African-American, Louis was sent to a segregated unit in the Army, which ironically, was the same unit that baseball icon Jackie Robinson was in.

Sugar Ray Robinson - 128 Wins, 2 Losses, 84 Knockouts

Even though some boxing analysts and critics may disagree, Sugar Ray Robinson is considered by countless experts to be the best fighter to have ever lived. Robinson started off in amateur fighting competitions using his given name, Walker Smith, and won 89 consecutive fights, not losing even once.

Once Robinson got in the big leagues and started a professional boxing career, nothing could stop him. He went on to win 40 fights, one after the other, until he was finally defeated by the "raging Bull", the infamous Jake LaMotta. Robinson was champion of the welterweight division from 1946 to 1951, and then a five-time middleweight champion, from 1951 to 1960.

Muhammad Ali - 56 Wins, 5 Losses, 37 Knockouts

Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay, was and will forever be a beloved figure for people all around the world. Ali was one of the best boxers to ever step in the ring, but he was also a dedicated activist and philanthropist, and a true social icon of his time. The great Muhammad Ali was already winning gold medals in 1960, but it wasn't until his epic defeat of the infamous Sonny Liston in 1964 that he became the heavyweight champion of the world. But many don't know the fateful incident that got Ali interested in boxing in the first place.

When he was a young boy, Ali's bike was stolen, and he reported it to a police officer named Joe Martin. He told the officer that he wanted to beat up whoever had stolen it, to which Martin said, "Well, you better learn to fight before you start challenging people.” As it turns out, Martin trained boxers at a local gym on his spare time. The rest, as they say, is history. Ali went on to become one of the best fighters in history, and a cry was heard around the world when he passed away in 2o16, at 74 years old.

Manny Pacquiao - 57 Wins, 6 Losses, 38 Knockouts

Better known as "Pac-Man", the Philippines-born Manny Pacquiao began his illustrious boxing career in 1995. Pacquiao is the only boxer in history to ever win 12 titles in eight different divisions. And as if that weren't enough, he went on to break another record when he defeated Keith Thurman in July 2019, becoming the oldest world welterweight champion in the history of boxing, at 41 years old.

Considered one of the best fighters of all time, the "Pac-Man" was declared Fighter of the Decade by the BWAA in 2000. He is also very involved in politics, serving in the Philippine House of Representatives in 2010, and in the Senate in 2016.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. - 50 Wins, 0 Losses, 27 Knockouts

Floyd Mayweather was boxing since before he could speak. As a child, Mayweather would train with his dad at the local gym, punching speed bags soon after learning to walk. By 1998, he'd won his first championship title in the featherweight division, merely two years after starting a professional boxing career.

Mayweather was just getting started, as he went on to win another three championship titles, each in a different weight division. Every time Mayweather had a scheduled fight, arenas would sell out in a matter of hours. In fact, Mayweather fought Manny Pacquiao in 2015, in what became the most viewed fight in the history of boxing. The fight was viewed by more than 4.6 million people, and Mayweather won.

Bernard Hopkins - 55 Wins, 8 Losses, 2 Knockouts

Considered by many to be one of the best fighters of modern times, Bernard Hopkins is one of those true inspiring tales of someone that came from nothing, and got everything. Before winning several world championships in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, Hopkins was a dishwasher in a restaurant in Atlantic City, New Jersey. That's how he made a living while pursuing his true passion. And it was all worth it.

Known as "The Executioner", Hopkins fought with a killer combination of speed and precision that left his opponents without a chance. What was even more astounding is that he continued to fight nearly into his 50's, with the same impeccable technique. Hopkins retired with honors in December 2016.

Marcel Cerdan - 110 Wins, 4 Losses, 65 Knockouts

Considered to be France's greatest boxers, Marcel Cerdan captivated the attention of his fans with his impeccable record, his unmatched skills and his characteristic ruggedness. Cerdan was born in North Africa in 1916, which meant he was in his twenties when WWII broke out, losing over a year of his best fighting years after being drafted. This stifled what would have otherwise been a legendary career.

However, Cerdan still managed to become a champion in his own right. Just a year after the end of WWII, in 1946, Cerdan was boxing at the famous Madison Square Garden in New York, in front of hundreds of adoring fans. Unfortunately, the French fighters life was cut short after a tragic plane crash took his life in 1949, when on his way to the United States from Europe.

Ezzard Charles - 95 Wins, 25 Losses, 52 Knockouts

Ezzard Charles, aka "The Cincinnati Cobra", was regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxer since the great Sugar Ray Robinson. Charles truly worked his way up the ladder, fighting in different weight divisions until finally reaching the heavyweight class. His big moment came in June 22, 1949, when Charles became won the world heavyweight champion title.

Even though many critics believed Charles was up there with boxing greats like Joe Louis, there were still skeptics, one of them being the former boxing champion Gene Tunney. But alas, Charles had the last laugh when in September of 1950 he earned his place as one of history's boxing legends after beating Joe Louis himself in an epic match.  Few boxers had ever managed to beat Louis.

Terry McGovern - 60 Wins, 4 Losses, 45 Knockouts

With a nickname like "Terrible Terry", American boxing pro Terry McGovern had certainly cemented a fearful reputation in the ring. McGovern held both the World Bantamweight and Featherweight Championship titles, and after fighting to keep the latter five times in a row, he established himself as a fearsome contender.

Unfortunately, after falling ill from a visit to a WWI embarkation port in Long Island, McGovern died at the young age of 37, cutting his career tragically short. More than eight decades later, in 2003, he was declared one of the '100 Greatest Punchers of All Time' by Ring Magazine. McGovern is still considered to have been one of the best boxers in history by many critics.

Jose Napoles - 81 Wins, 7 Losses, 54 Knockouts

Cuban-born Jose Napoles had a long streak of victories against many local opponents who were renowned Cuban boxing champions. Right when Napoles was about to skyrocket as a professional Cuban boxer, Pesident Fidel Castro decided to ban professional boxing in the country in 1961. Napoles had no choice but to leave his home country and find success elsewhere.

Napoles moved to Mexico and fought tooth and nail inside the ring, working his way up from featherweight, to welterweight, and finally, welterweight champion. On top of his strength and dedication, Napoles was extremely smooth in the ring, so much so that fans started calling him "mantequilla", which means "butter".

Emile Griffith - 85 Wins, 24 Losses, 23 Knockouts

Before becoming one of the best boxers in the sport's history, Emile Griffith never even thought of fighting professionally. As it turns out, Griffith was working in a hat factory when he was young and one day, because of a heatwave, he took off his shirt. His boss happened to be there and after seeing his build, offered to start training him. Although he probably never imagined his protege would go on to become a world champion in three different weight divisions.

Without a doubt, the highlight of Griffith's career was in a title match in 1962. His opponent Benny Paret began publicly taunting Griffith for being gay, and instead of replying, Griffith saved his rage for the ring, and knocked Paret out.

Anthony Joshua - 23 Wins, 1 Loss, 21 Knockouts

British boxer Anthony Joshua is revered for being a two-time unified heavyweight champion, which means he has the heavyweight champion title across all the four major boxing organizations, simultaneously. As if that weren't enough, Joshua won a gold medal for his country in the 2012 London Olympics.

Joshua was named the world's best active heavyweight champion by BoxRec website in December 2019, and later that same month, he demanded a fight with American heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, through a letter on The Guardian, in order to prove he is truly the world champion.

Deontay Wilder - 42 Wins, 0 Losses, 41 Knockouts

Deontay Wilder is an American boxing legend who has won 98 percent of his fights by knockout. The fact that he has never lost a fight is testament itself that Wilder is a force to be reckoned with. His flawless record and unparalleled skill earned him the nickname "The Bronze Bomber", an ode to the legendary Joe Louis, aka "The Brown Bomber".

Wilder has held the World Boxing Council's heavyweight title since 2015, and as if that weren't accomplishment enough, he's also an Olympic medalist. But perhaps what made Wilder stand out is the fact that his victory marked the first time an American won the heavyweight world championship in nine years.

Canelo Alvarez - 53 Wins, 1 Loss, 36 Knockouts

Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez has only lost one fight in his entire career, and has taken the championship title for almost every weight class he's competed in. After becoming champion in the middleweight, light middleweight, super middleweight and heavyweight divisions, Alvarez was ranked by BoxRec website as one of the world's best active pound-for-pound boxers.

What makes Alvarez so unique is his impeccable technique in the ring - he exploits even the smallest opening against his adversary while avoiding hits simply by moving constantly instead of blocking. Alvarez is also known for being a formidable counter and body puncher.

Roy Jones Jr. - 66 Wins, 9 Losses, 47 Knockouts

Roy Jones Jr. broke a record in August of 2019, after having the highest number of wins in the unified light heavyweight division. Jones won the Best Boxer ESPY Award three times, in 1996, 200 and 2003.

Jones is also the only professional boxer in history to start as a junior middleweight fighter and proceed to win a heavyweight championship title. He was named Fighter of the Decade in the 1990s by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Larry Holmes - 69 Wins, 6 Losses, 44 Knockouts

With a professional boxing career that lasted almost thirty years, Larry Holmes, otherwise known as "The Easton Assassin", held the world heavyweight championship title for seven and a half years. What's more, Holmes was the great Muhammad Ali's former sparring partner.

Sports writer Don Steinberg said that Holmes' left punch was “one of the great weapons in sports history”. The legendary Holmes was properly honored in 2008 after being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Pernell Whitaker - 40 Wins, 4 Losses, 17 Knockouts

Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker was an American four-weight world champion that also won a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics. This jump-started his professional boxing career, and five years later, Whitaker became the lightweight champion of the world.

Whitaker passed away in July 2019, and joining the entire world's mourning, Gary Jacobs, a former opponent who fought Whitaker said, “If you want to learn boxing, watch his fights. His ringcraft was just incredible. People talk about great fighters, particularly at lightweight with men like Roberto Durán and Floyd Mayweather, but I think that he was the best of the lot.”

Juan Manuel Márquez - 56 Wins, 7 Losses, 40 Knockouts

Mexican-born boxer Juan Manuel Márquez became the third Mexican boxer in history to win the world championship title across four different weight classes. He had a remarkable career that spanned from 1993 to 2014, and was famous for his speed and technique.

Marquez won nine world championships, among them the World Boxing Organization, World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation featherweight titles from 2003 to 2007. He also became the junior welterweight champion from 2012 to 2013. long after he retired, Marquez came back to shock his fans when he announced he was returning to the ring, but this time, as a boxing promoter.

Floyd Patterson - 55 Wins, 8 Losses, 40 Knockouts

Floyd Patterson went down in history at the young age of 21 when, in 1956, he became the first ever boxer to win the heavyweight championship of the world. A mere four years later, Patterson broke another record by becoming the first heavyweight champion to win back his title after being defeated, after knocking out Swedish fighter, Ingemar Johansson.

Fellow boxer Ricky Hatton paid his respects to Patterson after his death in 2006, saying, “Floyd was a gentleman and really polite and that is exactly what being a champion is all about. I should imagine a lot of boxing hearts have been broken today.”

Marvelous Marvin Hagler - 62 Wins, 3 Losses, 52 Knockouts

American boxing professional Marvelous Marvin Hagler is a nationwide legend. Not only was he the undisputed champion of the world in the middleweight division for seven straight years, "Marvelous" was also named the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) Fighter of the Year in 1985, and The Ring Fighter of the Year in 1983.

The Ring wrote about Hagler, "...he was a breathtaking hurting machine at his best, a very good, aggressive boxer with tremendous punching power and one of the best chins of all time,”. In 1993, "Marvelous" was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.