The Ring's website team, writers and editors, rank the 25 greatest fighters in America's 250-year history.

Longevity, long-term dominance in a class, taking risks by moving up and succeeding bigger opponents, strength of era, etc. The context of wins and losses matter, too, so cherrypicking or having names of past-their-prime greats on your conquered list isn't enough.

It's not an easy task, but I'd like to make all apologies to Sandy Saddler, who sadly didn't make the cut despite his 104 KOs in 145 wins and beating the breaks off all-time great Willie Pep — who is ranked here — multiple times.

Recency bias is a thing, but you won't see much of that in our list. But it's not perfect by any means. What list is?

Like the five fights we want to see before the end of 2026 — not a list about the fights we think that are most popular among casuals or will be made but what the staff finds personally the most intriguing — there are so many other options that are valid, too.

Who did we miss, forget or rank incorrectly?

A machine who rose to junior welterweight champion, “The Hawk” had an engine and punched with unrelenting power like few others. His dominance of Alexis Arguello cemented his status but he needed more names to take a chance by fighting him. They didn’t, and for good reason.

“Smokin’ Joe” didn’t last long at the top, but he was heavyweight champion in the greatest era with a historic, signature victory over Muhammad Ali. In just about any other era, his reign lasts significantly longer.

The most dominant middleweight of his era, making 19 consecutive successful title defenses to become undisputed and moving up to light heavyweight where he became the linear champion.

Disrespected and often underrated because he followed Muhammad Ali. He lacked the same flair, but Holmes had one of the most lethal jabs the heavyweights had ever seen. From 1978-85, he cleaned out the division. That he didn’t have a Frazier or Foreman as a foil wasn’t Holmes’ fault.

A granite chin and anvils in both gloves, “Big George” was heavyweight champion twice, including at 45.

The king of the cruiserweights, where he dominated, “The Real Deal” solidified his place with two victories over Mike Tyson, one over George Foreman and another over Riddick Bowe in the midst of three heavyweight championship reigns.

Below heavyweight, carried the most crippling right hand ever thrown. An underrated boxer with a jab stronger than a lot of fighters own power shots. Lost his two biggest fights vs. Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler.

Never clearly lost a fight until Felix Trinidad at the end of his career while battling drug addiction. Dominant at 135, 140 and 147 where he was world champion. A young, prime Oscar De La Hoya could barely lay a glove on him in winning a hotly disputed decision.

As unconventional as fighters come but he had no peer at 160, 168 and 175. Moved up to win a portion of the heavyweight title and would be higher on this list had he taken more risks and succeeded.

A masterful boxer which was uncommon in his time among heavyweights, he sent Jack Dempsey into retirement by beating him twice and retired himself as heavyweight champion. His only loss is to all-time great Harry Greb and he avenged it multiple times.

Whatever he lacked in KO power he made up for with defense. Opponents couldn’t lay a glove on the most dominant featherweight of his time who had unparalleled footwork. No one will ever match his victory total, either.

Don’t be deceived by the Ls. Thirteen came as he fought solely for financial reasons. The Cincinnati Cobra is regarded by many as the greatest light heavyweight ever though he never won the title at 175 and was a natural middleweight. Conceding 14 pounds to Jersey Joe Walcott, however, he won the heavyweight crown. Giving up 34 pounds, he beat Joe Louis. He also beat legend Archie Moore.

The first New Yorker to win a world championship, “The Ghetto Wizard” dominated at lightweight. His slick boxing style and movement allowed him to retire in his prime at 28 unscathed, until financial difficulties from the Great Depression led to him returning seven years later.

A perfect combination of offense and defense, the five-division world champion could flow effortlessly between the two. He can lead and counterpunch, work behind his jab or stay in the trenches and rarely take clean punches himself.

The first Black heavyweight champion is enough to land him here, but he also was dominant during his run. His butchering of Jim Jeffries shattered all of the superiority claims and excuses given about Black fighters not being worthy opponents.

A phenomenal technician with crippling power moving up from middleweight to heavyweight, winning the world title at middle and light heavy. He came within a whisker of beating Rocky Marciano, who he dropped and badly hurt.

It’s difficult to argue with perfection. His heavyweight era wasn’t anything specia,l but he beat the best available, an aged Joe Louis and pulled out heart-stoppers when he was behind on the cards vs. Jersey Joe Walcott and on the verge of being stopped by Ezzard Charles.

His thirst for violence made him an attraction like none other in his era. He gave birth to the million-dollar gate and the tales of the beating he gave to the much bigger Jess Willard to win the heavyweight title are horrific.

Arguably the greatest middleweight of the last 50 years, there was no more intimidating force with his power, toughness, technique, switching-hitting ability and unbreakable chin. One of the few who had no weaknesses.

An aggressive style, “The Pittsburgh Windmill” fought between welterweight and heavyweight. His list of opponents is a Who’s Who of Hall of Famers, beating 16 of the 17 he faced. That includes future heavyweight champion Gene Tunney, who Greb battered almost senseless at light heavyweight.

The volume is lacking compared with many on this list, but it was how he performed against other greats — Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler — that impacts his placement. The bigger the stage, a sweeter “Sugar.”

He holds a record that it can safely be declared will never be broken. “Homicide Hank” held titles in three different classes simultaneously when there were only eight — feather, light and welter.

Greatness also includes what someone did for the sport — influence and understanding the times in which they competed — and that’s a big part of Louis’ allure. By today’s standards he’d be a cruiserweight. His right hand and the goodwill were equally powerful, and especially needed during this country’s war with Nazi Germany.

In his prime, it’s difficult to find another heavyweight who was better. He had many flaws (hands low, vulnerable to left hooks) but had the reflexes and the toughness to overcome it. “The Greatest” shined when the lights were brightest during the golden heavyweight era.

As the late legendary boxing historian Bert Sugar mused about the welterweight and middleweight champion: “The most faultless fighter ever. Period. End of paragraph.” And he didn’t exaggerate. Proof that having a clean sheet isn’t required to be regarded as the best.

Just missed the cut (in order of votes): Michael Spinks, Oscar De La Hoya, Terence Crawford, James Toney, Mike Tyson, Bob Foster.