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The world of boxing is littered with names that have enjoyed dominant periods and been names among the greatest in their sport. This includes everyone from Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, and Floyd Mayweather Jr., to Manny Pacquiao, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Rocky Marciano.
While this is just a small list of some of the top fighters, and there are many more that could be mentioned, there are even more that have gone under the radar. With so many promising contenders coming through, they will be hopeful of joining the ranks that are often mentioned when talking about the best.
Keeping an eye on up-and-comers is a great way for fans of the sport to earn money by betting on fights. One great opportunity is the Night of Champions XIII taking place at the Caribe Royale Orlando in Florida on December 13th. The event boasts a card including Kevin Brown and Cletus Seldin’s world title bout, among others. Florida betting sites reviewed by esportsinsider should expect an upturn in boxing betting in the run-up to this, as fans search for the best prices.
This is just one boxing event of many taking place around the world before the end of 2025, with an exciting future in store for 2026 as well. But we are taking the time to look back into the history of the sport to find some of the most underrated boxers who haven’t had the credit they deserve.
Larry Holmes is a great example of an underrated boxer, with a 89-6 record, with 44 knockout victories. The 6’3″ heavyweight was the World Boxing Council champion between the years of 1978 and 1983, but is more likely to be remembered for coming out of retirement in 1988 to fight Mike Tyson. Tyson won against the 38-year-old Holmes with a 4th round knockout.
While you might struggle to find anyone who remembers Thomas Joseph Gibbons’ fighting days, the Minnesotan should be remembered for his record in the ring. Born in 1891, Gibbons started his boxing career in 1911 as a middleweight before moving up to fight as a heavyweight. Of his 96 wins, 48 came by knockout.
Puerto Rican light heavyweight Jose Torres was a boxer in the U.S. Navy before making his professional debut in 1958. Before turning professional, he earned a silver medal for the US at the Melbourne Summer Olympics in 1956 and went on to have a pro-record of 41-3-1, with 29 wins coming by way of knockout.
Mexico has produced some great fighters over the years, and super featherweight, featherweight, super bantamweight, and bantamweight Carlos Zarate doesn’t get the recognition his 66-4-0 record deserves. With 63 of his 66 wins coming by knockout, he should be getting talked about more often.
Finally, Harold “Hercules” Johnson is a name that was well respected among the light heavyweight, middleweight classes through the 1950s and ’60s, with a 76-11 record and 32 KOs. Sadly, his is one of many names all but lost to history despite his undoubted talent.