Boxing's Five Most Skilled Fighters Since 1985

Unfortunately, very little news of interest has emerged so far this week in the world of boxing.

Considering the relative dearth of recent activity in The Sweet Science, I decided to rank the five most skilled boxers to enter the ring over the course of the past quarter-century.

It is imperative that I emphasize the word “skilled.”

The forthcoming list is not comprised of the most accomplished or decorated pugilists since 1985.

Rather, I ultimately nominated the five fighters below based strictly on their physical gifts and their overall pugilistic capabilities.

1) “Sugar” Ray Leonard

Leonard (36-3-1, 25 KOs), named Fighter of the Decade for the 1980s by Ring Magazine , captured world titles at multiple weight classes.

Leonard managed to defeat legendary fighters Wilfred Benitez (53-8-1, 31 KOs), Thomas Hearns (61-5-1, 48 KOs), Roberto Duran (103-16, 70 KOs), and Marvin Hagler (62-3-2, 52 KOs).

Leonard, the winner of the gold medal as a light welterweight at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, possessed blinding speed and deft agility in the ring.

Furthermore, Leonard was a deceptively powerful puncher who could badly hurt an opponent with one solid shot.

“Leonard was a great fighter,” said promoter Rich Cappiello from Brockton. “But, above all, he was a tremendously gifted athlete.”

“Sugar” Ray, who was rightfully inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997, is the most skilled boxer since Reagan’s second term.

2) Roy Jones, Jr.

Jones (54-6, 40 KOs) has seemingly been on a mission for the past seven years to tarnish his once brilliant legacy.

Jones was named Fighter of the Decade for the 1990s by the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He has been shellacked by a host of marginal fighters since his career peaked in 2003, when he defeated WBA heavyweight champion John Ruiz (44-8-1-1, 30 KOs) by unanimous decision.

Prior to Jones’ descent, he was a chiseled physical specimen with incredible quickness and power.

Many critics claim that Jones never had a defining victory in his career and that he never defeated any elite opponents.

In actuality, Jones was a sensationally talented pugilist who, at his peak, could have beaten any fighter, from any era.

3) Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs), the winner of six championships in five separate weight classes, is a very polarizing figure, both inside and outside of the ring.

Many onlookers believe that he sidesteps dangerous contenders like Evander Holyfield avoids condoms.

Other Mayweather detractors loathe his defensive-minded mentality.

Nevertheless, despite his litany of faultfinders, Mayweather is a skilled boxing marvel.

“Pretty Boy,” the winner of the bronze medal in the featherweight division at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, is elusive and speedy, and he often makes his adversaries look simply foolish.

Mayweather will never be a universally beloved figure in the sport of boxing.

Still, Mayweather and his incredible talents deserve to be respected and recognized.

4) Mike Tyson

Before he became a cannibalistic, convicted rapist, Tyson (52-6, 46 KOs) was an incredibly gifted boxer.

Tyson, the youngest man to ever win the WBC, WBA, and IBF world heavyweight titles, combined ferocious power with extraordinarily rapid reflexes and quickness to become a dominating prizefighter.

Tyson employed a peek-a-boo defensive style that enabled him to deftly dodge his adversary’s punches while he awaited his chance to explode offensively.

There is a widespread belief that Tyson won the bulk of his matches by intimidation alone.

Such a perception is unfair and inaccurate.

Before he squandered his talents, Mike Tyson was one of the most phenomenal forces to ever grace the ring.

At his pinnacle, Tyson could have knocked out any fighter ever on a given evening.

5) Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), the first fighter to capture seven world titles in seven different divisions, is currently rated by Ring Magazine as the No. 1, pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

Pacquiao has long been regarded as one of the best boxers in the sport.

However, his recent demolitions of solid scrappers Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs), Ricky Hatton (45-2, 32 KOs), and Oscar De La Hoya (39-6, 30 KOs) have elevated his status to a newfound superiority.

“The Fighting Pride of the Philippines” is scheduled to battle Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs) March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

Another overwhelming performance by Pacquiao in “The Lone Star State” will only further heighten his iconic reputation.

Pacquiao has been blessed with every necessary tool to become an outstanding prizefighter, and he has aptly utilized those abilities.

*Needless to say, this article is predicated off of my opinion.

I look forward to the thoughts and feedback of my readers.

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