Thomas Hearns Ranks Himself Above Sugar Ray Leonard In All-Time List

Hearns placed himself above Leonard while leaving Sugar Ray Robinson and Henry Armstrong off his all-time top 10 list

Thomas Hearns sparked immediate debate after ranking himself above Sugar Ray Leonard while leaving Sugar Ray Robinson completely off his personal all-time top 10 list. The former four-division champion placed himself third overall behind only Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali.

“10: Marvin Hagler. 9: George Foreman. 8: Floyd Mayweather. 7: Mike Tyson. 6: Sugar Ray Leonard. 5: Wilfred Benitez. 4: Roberto Duran.”

“In the number three spot, Thomas Hearns.”

“2: Joe Frazier.”

“1: Muhammad Ali.”

Hearns placing himself at #3 immediately stands out because Leonard stopped him in their 1981 welterweight unification fight during the peak years of the “Four Kings” era. Leonard still made the list, but Hearns ranked him only sixth overall behind names like Joe Frazier, Roberto Durán, and Wilfred Benítez.

The list also sparked debate because of the names left out entirely.

Robinson is still viewed by many historians as the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in boxing history after fighting more than 200 times across multiple eras. Armstrong’s accomplishments remain almost unmatched historically after simultaneously holding titles at featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight during the one-champion era.

Modern fans will also notice the absence of Terence Crawford and Manny Pacquiao. Crawford recently argued that his victory over Canelo Alvarez placed him among boxing’s all-time elite and worthy of a place on the sport’s “Mount Rushmore.”

Hearns’ rankings appeared to reflect personal respect and fighter mentality as much as pure accomplishment, particularly with Frazier placed at #2 and Leonard outside the top five despite their head-to-head history. Many fans also questioned Hearns placing Joe Frazier ahead of Sugar Ray Robinson.”

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