robinson is definitely the best. jones doesn't even belong in the top 10. bob foster would easly have knocked out roy. archie moore would have won a unanamous decision, much too slick for jones. the other four belong. in the top 10 should be eder jofre, hank armstrong and tyson. just because a guy is terrible as a human doesn't mean he wasn't a great fighter. robinson was a wonderful fighter but a lousy human. foster by the way gave away 41 pounds to ali, and still took the great ali 15 rounds.

Greatest boxer? My criteria is pound for pound; my vote is for Rocky Marciano. Then Joe Louis, then Ali, and then Hagler. For Marciano, he had to fight guys like Jersey Joe and he still retired never being beat in 10 years as heavy weight champion.

I could support the pound-for-pound argument, if one could quantify what is being measured in that criterian. The smaller fighters had speed which helped them generate power as opposed their inferior opponents who didn't have the same knock-out power. The heavyweights had size which resulted in their power. Ali had both! Top that with his ring savvy, and you have skill-for-skill the greatest boxer. In addition, Ali had no equal defensively, except maybe Joe Frazier. Finally, boxing is a spectacle, and no-one ever heard of closed-circuit broadcast of a fight until Ali's classic matchups. Ali wins -- hands down.

Rocky Marciano. He never lost and fought everyone around.

Marciano undefeated

Marciano beat everyone that showed up while having the shortest reach in heavyweight history.  Also the toughest pound for pound.  When Ali and Rocky filmed the '69 computer fight, Ali always addressed him as "champ".   An honest sign of respect.

Mike Tyson, Catskill, NY. goodnight

Rocky Marciano... not only was he undefeated, but his 6 fights that weren't KO's were unanimous decisions.

Rocky Marciano must be on any list in the top 5. The only undefeated champion in an era of great boxers and fighters

I would have to say Iron Mike. When Cus was alive and by his side he was unstoppable. When Cus died so did Iron Mike.

no julio cesar chavez. am suprised no mexican boxers are on this list

Like Tiger using Jack as a model and the mark of excellence in his sport, Ali did the same with Sugar Ray Robinson in boxing. Both took the sport to another level inside and outside of the sport arena. Ali's unprecedented presence on a world stage and his accomplisments in the rings, in my opinion, makes him the "greatest of all time."

Sugar Ray Robinson was clearly the best "pound for pound" boxer of all time. Then it's Ali. It's fun to talk about who was better, Ali in his prime OR Tyson in his prime. BUT all things considered, Ali wins. Opponents (Ali fought in the heyday of boxing with better boxers in the division at the time), strategy (Ali would have analyzed weaknesses in Tyson and found a way to intimidate the intimidator), tactics (Ali was multidemential in both offense and defense, all his opponents admit he was the most difficult to hit in his prime...e.g. cleveland williams fight) style vs style (matador vs bull...matador usually wins), stamina (tyson never went into the later rounds in his prime...if a boxer could avoid being hit, this simple dynamic drastically tips favor, Ali was an expert at pushing to later rounds), etc.

How about Roberto Duran and Alexis Arguello?

Robinson, Ali and Loius are no brainers, with Robinson and Ali a judgment call on #1.  Jones and Hagler - though great - are the debatable ones.  Easy argument can be made for Marciano to take one of those spots - undefeated heavyweight in an era of strong fighters that took on all comers - how can he not be on the list?

Then that fifth spot - oh my.  Tyson?  A monster yes - but who did he really fight? Not his fault, mind you - but who?  Tomato cans, for the most part.

Fifth is a toss up for me - Hagler, Jones, Duran, Ray Leondard, Chavez, Jack Johnson - lots of possibilities.

I think it's a crying shame that we're listing the 5 Greatest Boxers of All Time and Peter McNeely is not on the list.  How could anyone forget what The Hurricane has done for this great sport?

Rocky Marcianno

Rocky Marciano, Mike Tyson, and Sweetpea Whitaker.

Marciano (Never Lost) and Sugar Ray has to be in the top 5. I think Ali was more mouth than a real skilled boxer.

The best has to be Ali. People forget that he did not fight in his prime because he would not report for duty in the Army. Have all those other fighters that peole think are the best and have them not fight for 4 years. He was big, he was fast, and he was pretty.