10 Best Pound For Pound Boxers Of All Time

3. Willie Pep

Record: 229-11-1, 65 KO

Fought Between: 1940-1966

Titles won: World Featherweight Champion

Willie Pep is, quite simply, the best featherweight of all time.

He was born in 1922 in Connecticut and began boxing during the Great Depression. When his father found he was earning more for one fight a week than he was working all week he suggested he fight on Tuesdays as well as Fridays. Tough times create tough people and Pep was among the toughest there was.

He turned pro in 1940 and went undefeated for his first 62 bouts and dominated the featherweight division before losing to Sammy Angott by decision. He went on to record an incredible number of fights (he was in the ring again 10 days after his first defeat) that showed true hunger and a warrior's spirit.

He was very tough, very fast and showed a big heart with many of his fights descending into all-out wars. His biggest rivalry was with Sandy Sandler who would box 'dirty' and use eye-gouging, thumbing and sometimes wrestling in an effort to stop Pep. Ring Magazine voted Pep 6th best fighter of the last 80 years with many concluding he was one of the true greats of his or any other era.