10 of the most underrated boxers of all time
Boxing offers entertainment that often reaches beyond the confines of the ring.
Fighters like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and Floyd Mayweather embody this larger-than-life status not only through their performances in the ring but also because of their personalities outside of it.
However, this post is about the fighters who are on the other side of the field; those who aren’t as well-known but let their fighting do the talking.
Here are 10 of the best fighters in boxing whose skills often go under the radar.
1. Dmitry Bivol
You could describe Bivol as calm and cold based on the way he carries himself in interviews.
He displays those same characteristics in the boxing ring and has been the dominant force in the light heavyweight division for years.
Dmitry Bivol has experienced only one defeat in his professional boxing career thus far, which occurred in 2025 against Arthur Beterbiev.
He avenged this loss and became the undisputed champion a few months after the defeat.
Outside of boxing, Bivol keeps a low profile. His social media is mostly about training and travel, as he remains private away from the ring.
Yet, his fight night performances are consistently a showcase of precision and efficiency.
2. Artur Beterbiev
Beterbiev, much like Bivol, possesses a humble and unassuming nature.
His peaceful demeanor is exceptionally well-represented by his background as a Russian Muslim training in Canada.
For almost 11 years, he maintained an undefeated knockout record, which led to him being known as boxing’s most dangerous fighter.
3. Gennady Golovkin
Throughout his illustrious career as a super middleweight, Golovkin carved out a legendary status because of his exceptional power and undefeated record over many years.
He’s considered by many to be among the top middleweights of the modern era.
During his prime, ‘Triple G’ was unassuming and could easily be mistaken for an ordinary person with no fighting skills, but his 37 knockouts speak for themselves.
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is the only boxer to have defeated him in his career.
Now retired, he actively engages in athlete representation as the president of World Boxing.
4. Jai Opetaia
Opetaia might just be the cruiserweight division’s most avoided fighter.
Despite boxing politics limiting his matchups against bigger names, Opetaia has remained active.
Opetaia’s Australian heritage influences his quiet nature outside of boxing.
However, in the ring, his power is on display, leading to 23 knockouts across 29 professional fights.
5. Floyd Robertson
Floyd Robertson’s name doesn’t get as much attention as it should in Ghanaian boxing history.
His career as a featherweight spanned from 1956 to 1968, with a record of 37 wins, 13 losses, and 5 draws.
His record might not be as stellar as others, but he competed when two-week turnarounds were the norm and fought in various countries, both in Africa and abroad.
6. Nana Yaw Konadu
Nana Yaw Konadu is another Ghanaian legend whose name recognition and popularity may not match his achievements.
He was the third person from Ghana to achieve a world championship. He achieved this in two weight classes: super flyweight (WBC, 1989) and bantamweight (1996).
His longevity and success in multiple weight classes are truly commendable and serve as great motivation for aspiring boxers.
7. Andre Ward
Ward finished his fighting career with a perfect record of 32 wins and no losses.
He terrorized the super middleweight and light heavyweight divisions with his excellent defense and high fight IQ.
Ward emerged victorious in the infamous Super 6 tournament, which also featured Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler and Artur Abraham.
Even with all the drama in boxing, Ward kept his cool and stayed disciplined, which earned him many championship wins.
8. Dwight Muhammad Qawi
Prizefighting was Dwight’s escape route from a hard life.
He found boxing in prison, began at 25, and even though he started late, he ended up being quite successful.
Remarkably, he succeeded in becoming the champion across both the light heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions.
9. Dmitry Pirog
During his prime, Pirog possessed the skill to defeat any middleweight contender.
He displayed complete mastery, demonstrating that good boxing doesn’t require loudness.
His career unfortunately concluded in 2012 because of a back injury, leading to his retirement while being the WBO middleweight champion.
He transitioned into politics and presently holds a government position in Russia.
10. Joe Calzaghe
While the ‘Italian Dragon’ may sound like an ordinary boxer’s nickname from the outside, his record tells a different story.
A closer examination of Calzaghe’s career shows he was the dominant force in the super middleweight division for a decade and a half.
With an undefeated record of 46 wins and notable victories against celebrated boxers such as Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr., and Chris Eubank, this is a record that commands respect.
Calzaghe retired at the pinnacle of his career, securing his place in history not as a showman but as a dominant force in boxing.