10 of the best boxers of all time

Boxing is one of the world's oldest sports. Combatants have competed throughout history, but who are the best to ever do it?

Though rulesets have varied over the centuries, the basic idea of having two competitors engage with only punches allowed has existed in some form or another as long as civilization. Ancient Egyptians boxed as did the Greeks who made it an Olympic sport back in 688 BC. This of course is long before the Queensbury rules were ever codified in 1867, introducing elements making the sport resemble what modern audiences see like rounds and gloves.

Considering this sort of history, ranking the best boxers of all time comes with several nuances. Rulesets, circumstances, and the athletic pedigree of the era are all things to keep in mind when making such a list. For this particular entry, fighters with verifiable records who fought or currently still compete under the Queensbury rules will be included.

Other factors weighing into each entry are amateur and professional records, championships, accomplishments, weight classes, and overall dominance for whatever era the competitor represents.

These 10 boxers are some of the pound-for-pound greatest pugilists to ever practice the sweet science.