Top 10 Greatest Cricketers of All Time

10. Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram (born 3 June 1966) is a former Pakistani cricketer.  Akram is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of cricket. He holds the world record for most wickets in List A cricket with 881 and is second only to Sri Lankan off-spin bowler, Muttiah Muralitharan in terms of ODI wickets with 502. He is considered to be one of the founders and perhaps the finest exponent of reverse swing bowling. Akram had a very special talent to move the ball both ways in one delivery which is called “double swing of Wasim Akram”. No one in cricket history has done it so far. He is Currently The Brand Ambassador alongside Ramiz Raja and Director of PSL Franchise Team Islamabad United (PSL).

9. Shane Warne

Shane Keith Warne (born 13 September 1969) is an Australian former international cricketer, widely regarded as one of the best bowlers in the history of the game. In 2000, he was selected by a panel of cricket experts as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, the only specialist bowler selected in the quintet and the only one still playing at the time. Warne played his first Test match in 1992, and took over 1000 international wickets (in Tests and One-Day Internationals), second to this milestone after Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan.In 2007, Cricket Australia and Sri Lanka Cricket decided to name the Australia- Sri Lanka Test cricket series, Warne–Muralidaran Trophy in honour of Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.

8. Brian Lara

Brian Charles Lara (born 2 May 1969) is a former Trinidadian international cricket player.

He is widely acknowledged as one of the supreme batsman of his era, and one of the finest ever to have graced the game. He holds several cricketing records, including the record for the highest individual score in first-class cricket, with 501 not out. Lara also holds the record for the highest individual score in a test innings after scoring 400 not out against England at Antigua in 2004. He is the only batsman to have ever scored a hundred, a double century, a triple century, a quadruple century and a quintuple century in first class games over the course of a senior career. Lara has played some of his best innings in recent years. Wisden published a top 100 list in July 2001, a distillation of the best performances from 1,552 Tests, 54,494 innings and 29,730 bowling performances. Three innings by Lara were placed in the top 15 (the most for any batsman in that range)

7. Muthiah Muralitharan

Deshabandu Muttiah Muralitharan (born 17 April 1972) is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002. He retired from Test cricket in 2010, registering his 800th and final wicket on 22 July 2010 from his final ball in his last Test match. Muralitharan took the wicket of Gautam Gambhir on 5 February 2009 in Colombo to surpass Wasim Akram’s ODI record of 501 wickets. He became the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket when he overtook the previous record-holder Shane Warne on 3 December 2007.

6. Jacque Kallis

Jacques Kallis (born 16 October 1975) is a former South African cricketer and the current coach of Kolkata Knight Riders.

Kallis is regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders ever. As of 2013 he was the only cricketer in the history of the game to score more than 11,000 runs and 250 wickets in both one-day and Test match cricket. From October to December 2007 he scored five centuries in four Test Matches; with his century in the second innings of the third test against India in January 2011, his 40th in all, he moved past Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest scorer of Test centuries, behind only Sachin Tendulkar with 51.

5. Imran Khan

Imran Khan Niazi (born 5 October 1952) better known as Imran Khan is a Pakistani politician, former cricketer, philanthropist, cricket commentator and former chancellor of the University of Bradford.

He was Pakistan’s most successful cricket captain, leading his country to victory at the 1992 Cricket World Cup, playing for the Pakistani cricket team from 1971 to 1992, and serving as its captain intermittently throughout 1982–1992. With 3807 runs and 362 wickets in Test cricket, he is one of eight world cricketers to have achieved an ‘All-rounder’s Triple’ in Test matches. On 14 July 2010, Khan was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

4. Vivians Richard

Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards (born 7 March 1952), known as Viv Richards, is a former West Indian cricketer.

He is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, especially in the ODI format of the game. Richards was voted one of the five Cricketers of the Century in 2000, by a 100-member panel of experts, along with Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Jack Hobbs and Shane Warne. In February 2002, Richards was judged by Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack to have played the best ODI innings of all time. In December 2002, he was chosen by Wisden as the greatest ODI batsman of all time, as well as the third greatest Test batsman of all time, after Sir Don Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar. Well deserved Best Cricketer in ODI history.

3. Gary Sobers

Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers (born 28 July 1936), also known as Gary or Garry Sobers, is a former cricketer who played for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974, and is widely considered to be cricket's greatest all-rounder.

Originally playing mainly as a bowler, he was soon promoted up the batting order. Against Pakistan in 1958, Sobers scored his maiden Test century, progressing to 365 not out and establishing a new record for the highest individual score in an innings, which was not broken until Brian Lara scored 375 in 1994. he is surly one of the finest Crickete of all time.

2. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (born 24 April 1973) is a former Indian cricketer and captain, widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time.

In 2002, Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack ranked him the second greatest Test batsman of all time, behind Don Bradman, and the second greatest one-day-international (ODI) batsman of all time, behind Viv Richards. Tendulkar was a part of the 2011 Cricket World Cup winning Indian team in the later part of his career. Almost Every Batting Record Belong To Sechin Tendulkar.

Tendulkar has consistently done well in Cricket World Cups. He highest run scorer of the 1996 Cricket World Cup with a total of 523 runs and also of the 2003 Cricket World Cup with 673 runs. After his century against England during group stages of 2011 Cricket World Cup, he became the player to hit most number of centuries in Cricket World Cups with six centuries and the first player to score 2000 runs in World Cup cricket.

1. Sir Don Bradman

Sir Donald George "Don" Bradman (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest Test batsman of all time. Bradman’s career Test batting average of 99.94 is often cited as statistically the greatest achievement by any sportsman in any major sport. During a 20-year playing career, Bradman consistently scored at a level that made him, in the words of former Australia captain Bill Woodfull, “worth three batsmen to Australia”.

PLAYERS LIKE RAHUL DRAVID, ADAM GICHRIST, KUMAR SANGAKARA, RICKEY PONTING AND DHONI DESERVED TO BE MENTIONED IN ALL TIME GREATEST LIST.

The 10 Biggest Doping Scandals In Sport!

10. Justin Gatlin

Justin Gatlin (born February 10, 1982) is an American sprinter, who is an Olympic gold medalist in the 100-meter dash. His 100m personal best is 9.74 seconds. He is a twice World indoor champion in the 60-meter dash.

Twice banned for testing positive before returning to sprinting and running faster than ever. The US sprinter almost beat Usain Bolt at this year’s World Championships.

9. Floyd Landis

Floyd Landis (born October 14, 1975) is a retired American professional road racing cyclist. Landis at first appeared to be the winner of the2006 Tour de France, before testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. 

Landis was considered the biggest drugs cheat in cycling until his predecessor as Tour de France champion, Lance Armstrong, was finally exposed. The 2006 Tour winner tested positive for an unusually high ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone and was banned for two years.

8. The Mitchell Report

 The Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball, informally known as the "Mitchell Report," is the result of former DemocraticUnited States Senator from Maine George J. Mitchell's 21-month investigation into the use of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone(HGH) in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Former United States Senator George Mitchell’s inquiry into widespread drug-taking in Major League Baseball found that during the random testing period in 2003, up to 7 per cent of players tested positive for steroid use. In all, 89 former and current MLB players - including legends such as Barry Bonds - were named in the report.

7. The Festina affair

The Festina affair was a series of doping scandals, doping investigations and confessions by riders to doping that occurred during and after the1998 Tour de France. The affair began when a large haul of doping products was found in a car of the Festina cycling team just before the start of the race.

The discovery of a cache of doping products in the possession of Bruno Roussel's Festina cycling team during the 1998 Tour de France was the first great drugs scandal of modern cycling. The affair led to the formation of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

6. Operacion Puerto

Operación Puerto (Operation Mountain Pass) is the code name of a Spanish Police operation against the doping network of DoctorEufemiano Fuentes, started in May 2006, which resulted in a scandal that involved several of the world's most famous cyclists at the time.

Already a huge doping scandal - the name was bestowed on the case by Spanish police who were targeting the doping ring of doctor Eufemiano Fuentes (pictured) - this could yet be the most explosive ever if an appeal against the destruction of blood bags by a Spanish judge is upheld. Cyclists named in the case included Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich and Alberto Contador (the latter was ultimately cleared of involvement in the affair by the Spanish courts), and there are suggestions many other high-profile sportspeople could be implicated.

5. The BALCO scandal

The BALCO scandal is a scandal involving the use of banned, performance-enhancing substances by professional athletes. 

Britain’s Dwain Chambers (pictured), Olympic sprint champion Marion Jones and baseball great Barry Bonds were among those found to have been customers of the steroid-producing Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative.

4. Diego Maradona

Diego Armando Maradona (born 30 October 1960) is a retired Argentine professional footballer. He has served as a manager and coach at other clubs as well as the national team of Argentina. Many in the sport, including football writers, former players, current players and football fans, regard Maradona as the greatest football player of all time.

From the mid-1980s until 2004 Diego Maradona was addicted to cocaine. He allegedly began using the drug in Barcelona in 1983. By the time he was playing for Napoli he had a regular addiction, which began to interfere with his ability to play football. Over the years following his retirement his health seriously deteriorated. On 4 January 2000, while vacationing in Punta del Este, Uruguay, Maradona had to be rushed to the emergency room of a local clinic. In a press conference, doctors stated that it was detected heart muscle damage due to "an underlying health issue". It was later known that traces of cocaine were found in his blood and Maradona had to explain the circumstances to the police.

One of the greatest footballers of all time was kicked out of the 1994 World Cup after testing positive for ephedrine.

3. Ben Johnson

Benjamin Sinclair "Ben" Johnson, (born December 30, 1961) is a Jamaican-born Canadian former sprinter, who won two Olympicbronze medals and an Olympic gold medal, which was later rescinded. He set consecutive 100 metres world records at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics and the 1988 Summer Olympics, but he was disqualified for doping, losing the Olympic title and both records.

The most reviled drugs cheat in athletics. The Canadian was found to have taken steroids to win the 1988 Olympic 100 metres title in a world-record time of 9.79secs. Ultimately, six of the eight finalists from that race tested positive for banned drugs or were implicated in a doping scandal in their careers.

2. Lance Armstrong

Lance Edward Armstrong (born September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road racing cyclist. He is the 1993 Elite Men's Road Race World Champion, and he had won the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005, but was stripped of his Tour de France victories in 2012 after a protracted doping scandal.

Prior to the current scandal engulfing athletics, the revelation by the US Anti-Doping Agency that Armstrong had cheated his way to all seven of his Tour de France titles was the most shocking doping story in sport. Also involved unproven - and vehemently denied - allegations of a cover-up involving cycling's world governing body.

Armstrong continued to deny the use of illegal performance-enhancing drugs for four more years, describing himself as the most tested athlete in the world. From his return to cycling in the fall of 2008 through March 2009, Armstrong claims to have submitted to 24 unannounced drug tests by various anti-doping authorities.

1. Athletics doping cover-up

 Bigger than anything that has come before due to senior figures in the sport - including former IAAF president Lamine Diack - being charged with criminal offences after allegedly taking of bribes from Russian athletes, who were found to be part of a state-sponsored doping programme that "sabotaged" London 2012. Russia became the first country suspended for drugs offences.

"Lamine Diack was responsible for organizing and enabling the conspiracy and corruption that took place in the IAAF. He sanctioned and appears to have had personal knowledge of the fraud and the extortion of athletes carried out by the actions of the informal illegitimate governance structure he put in place."

Martin Crowe dies aged 53 after battle with cancer

Martin Crowe, the former New Zealand captain, writer, broadcaster and mentor, has died in Auckland at the age of 53.

Crowe had suffered from lymphoma since 2012, and withdrew from public life in his final months.

"It is with heavy hearts that the family of Martin Crowe, MBE advise his death," his family said in a statement.

"Diagnosed in September 2014 with terminal double hit lymphoma he passed away peacefully today, Thursday 3rd March in Auckland surrounded by family.

"The family request privacy at this time."

Widely considered the finest batsman in New Zealand cricket's history, Crowe debuted against Australia aged 19 in 1982, and quickly established a reputation as the most meticulous of batsmen, his technique widely admired.

In all he would tally a New Zealand record 17 Test centuries, including an innings of 299 against Sri Lanka in Wellington that also stood as the national record until Brendon McCullum overtook it, also at the Basin Reserve.

Arguably Crowe's finest month was his inventive and inspirational leadership of New Zealand during the 1992 World Cup, when he took an unfancied side to the top of the competition table before a narrow defeat to eventual champions Pakistan in the semi-final at Eden Park. This performance confounded many, not least the co-hosts Australia who were completely overshadowed by Crowe's tactics and skill during the opening match of the tournament.

Knee problems were to curtail Crowe thereafter, and he retired from the game in 1995, aged only 33. His post-playing life was to be equally rich and constructive.

He worked often as a television commentator, and was also visionary in his invention of a third format for the game, Cricket Max, that served as a precursor to Twenty20.

In 2011, Crowe made the bold decision to attempt a return to cricket at the age of 48, turning out for his local club side Cornwall with a view to playing again for Auckland. He was to be curtailed not by slowed reflexes but a series of soft tissue injuries.

Most valuably he served as a mentor for several members of the New Zealand side, notably Ross Taylor. After his replacement as captain by McCullum in 2012, Taylor leaned heavily upon Crowe as he rebuilt his confidence and career, going on to play brilliantly for a Test double century against in Perth last year, the highest ever score by a visiting batsman in Australia. Michael Clarke, the former Australia captain, was another friend.

Crowe's influence was also seen in his writing, much of which appeared on ESPNcricinfo, where his advocacy of a more personable era of player behaviour was taken up by McCullum's team. At the end of the recent Australia series, McCullum noted to team-mates that "we got our soul back", and Crowe's influence in this is not to be underestimated.

Despite worsening health as he sought numerous remedies to his lymphoma, Crowe was a welcome presence at last year's World Cup, where he watched McCullum's team go one better than the 1992 team by making the final. Crowe was presented with ICC Hall of Fame status during the pool game between New Zealand and Australia in Auckland, and was also present for the final.

One of his last public appearances would take place in April, when he delivered a typically articulate and heartfelt tribute to the retiring Daniel Vettori.

Crowe is survived by his second wife Lorraine Downes, daughter Emma and step-children Hilton and Jasmine. Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.

source : ESPNcricinfo

8 Most Incredible Female Boxers Of All Time

Women entering the ring go back to the 18th century, and the first reported American bout occurred in 1876 in New York. Women's boxing first appeared in the Olympic Games at a demonstration bout in 1904. Its revival was pioneered by the Swedish Amateur Boxing Association, which sanctioned events for women in 1988

The International Boxing Association (amateur) accepted new rules for Women's Boxing at the end of the 20th century and approved the first European Cup for Women in 1999 and the first World Championship for women in 2001.

Today, female boxers are gaining momentum within the ring and are making a name for themselves around the world. Among the many outstanding female boxers throughout history, these are the eight best female boxers of all time.

8. Laila Ali

Laila Amaria Ali (born December 30, 1977) is a retired undefeated American professional boxer. She is the daughter of retired heavyweight boxing legend Muhammad Ali with his third wife, Veronica Porsche Ali. Laila is the eighth of her father's nine children and his youngest daughter.

Laila Ali, was born December 30, 1977, in Miami Beach, Florida, the daughter of boxer Muhammad Ali and his third wife, Veronica Porsche Ali. Ali was a manicurist at age 16. She graduated from California's Santa Monica College with a business degree. She owned her own nail salon before she began boxing.

Ali began boxing when she was 18 years old, after having first noticed women's boxing when watching a Christy Martin fight. She first publicized her decision to become a professional boxer in a Good Morning America interview with Diane Sawyer. When she first told her father, Muhammad Ali, that she was planning to box professionally, he was unhappy about her entering such a dangerous profession. However, Laila assured him she would be fighting women, not men, and she had his genetics.

7. Mia St. John

Mia Rosales St. John (born June 24, 1967) is a Mexican-American professional boxer and former World Boxing Council (WBC) champion in the super welterweight division. She is also the IBA and IFBA lightweight champion. She is also a model, businesswoman, and taekwondo champion.

At the age of 29, St. John decided to become a professional boxer. In her first bout on February 14, 1997, she knocked out Angelica Villain in 54 seconds of the first round and earning her the nickname "The Knockout."

During her career Mia St. John fought a record 60 matches. She won 47 matches, 18 by knockout.

6. Christy Martin

Martin was born in Mullens, West Virginia with the name Christy Salters.

Martin is said to be “the most successful and prominent female boxer in the United States” and the person who “legitimized” women’s participation in the sport of boxing. She began her career fighting in “Tough woman” contests and won three consecutive titles. She then began training with boxing coach, Jim Martin, who became her husband in 1991. On Tuesday, November 23, 2010, Martin was shot and stabbed by her husband.

Martin started her professional boxing career at the age of 21 with a six round loss to Angela Buchanan in 1989. With a full career of 57 fights, Martin won a total of 49. More impressive than her number of wins was the 31 of her 49 wins that came as a result of knockouts.

5. Ann Wolfe

Ann Wolfe (born January 17, 1971) is an American female boxer who held world titles in four different weight classes simultaneously. Wolfe is regarded by many within the sport as the hardest puncher and best fighter in the history of women's boxing. She's also a personal trainer and coach of several professional boxers, including currently high-ranking junior-middleweight contender James Kirkland.Wolfe made her professional debut by beating Brenda Lee Bell by a four round decision.

Her first and only career loss came four fights later, when she was knocked out in three rounds by veteran and future world champion Valerie Mahfood. Anne Wolfe is best known for her Tyson like fighting style and hard punching abilities. In fact, her victory over Vonda Ward is considered one of the greatest “one punch knockouts in the history of women’s boxing”. Wolfe’s historic Vonda Ward knockout wasn’t the only time Wolf won by KO. Of her 26 pro boxing fights, Wolfe knocked out 16 of her opponents.

4. Regina Halmich

Regina Halmich (born 22 November 1976) is a female boxer from Germany. Halmich is among the most successful female boxers of all time, and helped popularise female boxing in Europe.

Halmich was German champion in kickboxing as an amateur in 1992, 1993 and 1994, a year in which she also earned the European title.

As a professional, she has boxed in the Jr. Flyweight, Flyweight, Jr. Bantamweight, Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions. During her 13 years in the ring, she fought 56 times and won 54 fights.

3. Ronda Rousey

Ronda Jean Rousey born February 1, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist, judoka, and actress. She is the former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion, as well as the last Strike force Women's Bantamweight Champion. She has won eleven of her fights in the first round, nine of them by arm bar. Rousey was the first U.S. woman to earn an Olympic medal in judo (Bronze) at the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008. Rousey trains under Gokor Chivichyan of the Hayastan MMA Academy, and Edmond Tarverdyan of the Glendale Fighting Club. In 2015, she was the third most searched person on Google.

In November 2012, the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced that Rousey had become the first female fighter to sign with the UFC. UFC President Dana White officially announced at the UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Diaz pre-fight press conference that Rousey was the first UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion.

She is undefeated in her career winning 11 of her 11 matches.

2. Lucia Rijker

Lucia Frederica Rijker (born December 6, 1967) is a Dutch professional female boxer, kickboxer, andactress. Rijker has been dubbed by the press and opponents "The Most Dangerous Woman in the World". She win 36 six match out of 37 in which 25 by knockout.

In 2006 Rijker stated that although not retired as a professional boxer, she would only consider one more fight - a bout with Laila Ali.

1. Cecilia Braekhus

Cecilia Carmen Linda Brækhus (born 28 September 1981) is a Norwegian professional boxer and a former kick boxer. She is currently the undisputed world welterweight champion, and the first woman in the world to hold the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO titles simultaneously

In 2009, when the Norwegian boxer entered the professional boxing circuit she started claiming titles right from the start. First the WBC World Championship, the WBA female welterweight title, the WBO title in 2010, and the World Professional Boxing Federation title after knocking out Mikaela Lauren in the 7th round.

Braekhus has fought against some of the toughest female boxers in the world, including Mia St John in 2013, and won. Her continual boxing success has made her the first woman in the world to hold the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO titles simultaneously.

WBA, WBC, WBO and WPBF Champion Cecilia Brækhus is awarded as "Female Boxer of the Year 2010" by German boxing magazine Box Sport.

BOXING: The Top 10 Greatest Fighters of All Time

10) Prince Naseem Hamed

Naseem Hamed also known as Prince Naseem;(born 12 February 1974) is a former British professional boxerfrom Sheffield, England. He is the former WBO, WBC, IBF, IBO and Lineal featherweight champion, and European bantamweight champion.

Hamed was known for his unconventional boxing antics and spectacular ring entrances which have included entering the ring via a Chevrolet, a flying carpet, a lift, and a palanquin; re-enacting the video of Michael Jackson's Thriller; and wearing a Halloween mask. He was also known for his front somersault over the top rope into the ring.

He’s had several books written about him, video games in his name as well as a gym in England named in his honor including high praise from boxing greats such as George Foreman and Emmanuel Stewart.

Prince Naseem was also responsible for bringing attention back to the lower weight classes for which he can still be thanked today.

9) Larry Holmes

Larry Holmes (born November 3, 1949) is an American former professional boxer. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname, the "Easton Assassin".

Holmes won his first 48 professional bouts, including victories over Earnie Shavers, Ken Norton, Muhammad Ali, Mike Weaver, Gerry Cooney, Tim Witherspoon, Carl Williams and Marvis Frazier, and fell one short of matching Rocky Marciano's career record of 49–0 when he lost to Michael Spinks in 1985. Holmes retired after losing a rematch to Spinks, but made repeated comebacks, and was unsuccessful in three further attempts (against Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Oliver McCall) to regain the title, the last in 1995. Holmes fought for the final time in 2002 and ended with a career record of 69–6. He is frequently ranked as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time and has been inducted into both the International Boxing Hall of Fame and World Boxing Hall of Fame.

8) Julio Cesar Chavez

Julio César Chávez González (July 12, 1962), also known as Julio César Chávez Sr., is a Mexican former professional boxer. He is considered by acclamation as the greatest Mexican fighter of all time and one of the best boxers of all time.

Chávez was known for his outstanding punching power, devastating body attack, remarkably strong chin and the relentless stalking of his opponents. He ranks #24 on ESPN's list of "50 Greatest Boxers of All Time". On December 7, 2010, he was inducted in the prestigious International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. He is the father of prospect Omar Chávez and former middleweight champion Julio César Chávez, Jr.

After his retirement in 2005, Chavez has spent most of his time working with his son, Julio Cesar Chavez  Jr., who is in my opinion just as much of a fighter as his father was. He even avenged his father’s loss to Grover Wiley in a third-round knockout in 2007 at Madison Square Garden.

7) Lennox Lewis

Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE (born 2 September 1965) is a retired boxer and the last undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship. As an amateur he won gold representing Canada at the 1988 Olympic Games after defeating future heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe in the final. Lewis is regarded by many as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, and as also the greatest British fighter of all time.

Lewis was a top-five world heavyweight. He defeated former WBA heavyweight champion Mike Weaver, 1984 Olympic Gold medalist Tyrell Biggs, former world cruiserweight title holders Glenn McCrory and Osvaldo Ocasio, and journeymen Levi Billups and Mike Dixon.

Lewis, along with Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield, is one of the only fighters to have won the heavyweight championship three times.

6) George Foreman 

 George Edward "Big George" Foreman (born January 10, 1949), is an American former professional boxer. In his boxing career he was a two-time world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist. Outside the sport he went on to become an ordained minister, author and entrepreneur.

Foreman has fought wars in the ring from his first and only knockout during his fight with Muhammad Ali labeled “The Rumble in the Jungle.” And who can forget the sunshine showdown in 1973 with Foreman dominating Frazier winning by TKO in HBO Boxing’s first ever broadcast.

Foreman who admitted to being a troubled youth defeated many top ranked fighters well after his prime. George has continued to be a part of the boxing scene and through his entrepreneurial endeavors, has earned over $100 million in sales of his George Foreman grill.

Remember that number the next time you want to poke jokes at one of the greatest fighters to ever grace the ring.

5) Rocky Marciano

Rocky Marciano (born Rocco Francis Marchegiano; September 1, 1923 – August 31, 1969) was an American professional boxerwho held the world heavyweight title from September 23, 1952 to April 27, 1956. Marciano went undefeated in his career and defended his title six times, against Jersey Joe Walcott, Roland La Starza, Ezzard Charles (twice), Don Cockell, and Archie Moore. Marciano had a short, blazing career usually accustomed to pressure fighters.

Known for his relentless style, incredible stamina, and an iron chin, Marciano has been ranked by many boxing historians as one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time.[1] He was also known for his ferocious punching power for a man of just 190 pounds; his knockout percentage of 87.75 is one of the highest in heavyweight history.

Marciano won three more fights by knockout and then he met Ted Lowry (58–48–9). Marciano kept his winning streak alive by beating Lowry by unanimous decision. Four more knockout wins followed, including a five-rounder on December 19, 1949, with Phil Muscato (56–20–0), an experienced heavyweight from Buffalo, New York, and the first "name fighter" Marciano would face. Three weeks after that fight, Marciano beat Carmine Vingo (16–1–0) by a fifth round knockout in New York that almost killed Vingo.

4) Manny Pacquiao 

Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, ( born December 17, 1978), is a Filipino world champion professional boxer. At 32 he was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives. He has also been involved inbasketball, acting, and singing.

He was only 14 when he moved to Manila, for a while living on the streets until he began boxing. Before turning 16, Manny would have an amateur record of 64 wins and 4 losses. By the time he began training for his bout with Antonio Barrera, Freddie Roach was already on the job molding Manny, who would go on to become the pound-for-pound champion of the world.

Manny stunned boxing fans handing Barrera a technical knockout in the 11th round, something no one had ever done. Present day, Manny has accomplished what no other fighter in the history of the sport has, eight belts in eight separate divisions.

And as of 2010, he’s also a congressman in district of Sarangani, in the Philippines. Apart from these accomplishments, Manny has does things in the ring I’ve never seen anyone else in the sport even attempt much less put into action, circling left or right throwing combinations of up to four even seven punches with one step. Not bad for a kid from the slums, huh?

3) Sugar Ray Robinson

Sugar Ray Robinson (born Walker Smith Jr.; May 3, 1921 – April 12, 1989) was an American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

Renowned for his flamboyant lifestyle outside the ring, Robinson is credited with being the originator of the modern sports "entourage". After his boxing career ended, Robinson attempted a career as an entertainer, but it was not successful, and he struggled financially until his death in 1989. In 2006, he was featured on a commemorative stamp by the United States Postal Service.

Robinson was powerful with both arms, movingly swiftly with ease. He has been praised by Ring magazine as the best pound-for-pound fighter of all time and the best boxer in history by ESPN.

2) Muhammad Ali 

Muhammad Ali  (born January 17, 1942) is an American former professional boxer, generally considered among the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport. A controversial and polarizing figure during his early career, Ali is now highly regarded for the skills he displayed in the ring plus the values he exemplified outside of it: religious freedom, racial justice and the triumph of principle over expedience.[3][4] He is one of the most recognized sports figures of the past 100 years, crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated and "Sports Personality of the Century" by the BBC.

Of his later career, Arthur Mercante said: "Ali knew all the tricks. He was the best fighter I ever saw in terms of clinching. Not only did he use it to rest, but he was big and strong and knew how to lean on opponents and push and shove and pull to tire them out. Ali was so smart. Most guys are just in there fighting, but Ali had a sense of everything that was happening, almost as though he was sitting at ringside analyzing the fight while he fought it."

Ali is generally considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time by boxing commentators and historians. Ring Magazine, a prominent boxing magazine, named him number 1 in a 1998 ranking of greatest heavyweights from all eras.

Ali was named the second greatest fighter in boxing history by ESPN.com behind only welterweight and middleweight great Sugar Ray Robinson. In December 2007, ESPN listed Ali second in its choice of the greatest heavyweights of all time, behind Joe Louis.

The Associated Press voted Ali the No. 1 heavyweight of the 20th century in 1999.

His talent in the ring is a mystery to no one. Ali had an unorthodox style, fast hands and body movement that was graceful like the sound of opera. Some of these movements would later become boxing lingo used to describe certain actions like the rope a dope and Ali shuffle.

1) Jack Johnson

  

John Arthur "Jack" Johnson (March 31, 1878 – June 10, 1946), nicknamed the Galveston Giant was an American boxer, who—at the height of the Jim Crow era—became the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion (1908–1915). Johnson was faced with much controversy when he was charged with violating the Mann Act in 1912, even though there was an obvious lack of evidence and the charge was largely racially based. In a documentary about his life, Ken Burns notes that "for more than thirteen years, Jack Johnson was the most famous and the most notorious African-American on Earth".

In the world of boxing, no one was tougher than Jack Johnson.

He was only 12 when he decided to venture into the fighting world, and 45 rounds a night was the usual as Johnson fought tactically when others didn’t.

Throughout his career Johnson began to build a unique fighting style of his own, which was not customary to boxing during this time. Though Jack would typically strike first, he would fight defensively, waiting for his opponents to tire out, while becoming more aggressive as the rounds went on. He often fought to punish his opponents through the rounds rather than knocking them out, and would continuously dodge their punches. He would then quickly strike back with a blow of his own. Jack often made his fights look effortless, and as if he had much more to offer, but when pushed he could also display some powerful moves and punches. There are films of his fights in which he can be seen holding up his opponent, who otherwise might have fallen, until he recovered

Johnson’s color made him a public enemy as America looked for a “great white hope” to defeat him. Johnson's win over James Jeffries on July 4, 1910 caused riots and celebrations giving African Americans a feeling of empowerment in an era plagued by violence and bigotry.