- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1977–2006
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 92.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
GOAT Rank · 17
Greatest Boxing athletes of the 1970s
This ranking uses verified career records and GOAT Rank's published model. Every listed athlete clears the data eligibility threshold.
#AthleteGOAT Score
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1973–2002
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 90.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1974–1989
- Country
- 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 92.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1979–2008
- Country
- 🇬🇭 Ghana
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1977–1997
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 93.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1973–1990
- Country
- 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1970–1988
- Country
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1974–1981
- Country
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1973–1987
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1973–1990
- Country
- 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 72.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1976–1984
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 72.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1971–1989
- Country
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1972–1988
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1977–1988
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 72.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1976–1990
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 68.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1971–1995
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 68.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Boxing
- Career
- 1975–1982
- Country
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 56.0
| # | Athlete | Sport | Country | Career | GOAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Thomas Hearns | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1977–2006 | 91.4 |
| 9 | Larry Holmes | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1973–2002 | 91.4 |
| 27 | Wilfredo Gómez | Boxing | 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 1974–1989 | 89.5 |
| 42 | Azumah Nelson | Boxing | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 1979–2008 | 88.4 |
| 45 | Sugar Ray Leonard | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1977–1997 | 88.2 |
| 89 | Wilfredo Benítez | Boxing | 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 1973–1990 | 86.3 |
| 97 | Carlos Zárate | Boxing | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 1970–1988 | 86.1 |
| 108 | Yoko Gushiken | Boxing | 🇯🇵 Japan | 1974–1981 | 85.8 |
| 115 | Marvelous Marvin Hagler | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1973–1987 | 85.4 |
| 126 | Wilfred Benítez | Boxing | 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 1973–1990 | 85.2 |
| 133 | Jeff Chandler | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1976–1984 | 85 |
| 135 | Pipino Cuevas | Boxing | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 1971–1989 | 84.9 |
| 151 | Bobby Chacon | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1972–1988 | 84 |
| 171 | Michael Spinks | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1977–1988 | 83.1 |
| 201 | Aaron Pryor | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1976–1990 | 81.5 |
| 223 | Ron Lyle | Boxing | 🇺🇸 United States | 1971–1995 | 79 |
| 224 | Salvador Sánchez | Boxing | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 1975–1982 | 78.8 |
Compare the leaders
Thomas Hearns vs Larry HolmesRead the full methodology
Sport lists use the raw In-Sport GOAT Score. Cross-sport lists use the official competition-depth adjustment. No scores are recalculated for this page.
Read the full methodologyFrequently asked questions
How is this ranking calculated?
Five verified components are weighted consistently: dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Who is included?
Only verified athletes with sufficient career history, metrics, honours and independent sources are eligible.
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