AI Names & Ranks 10 Most Overrated Boxers in History

The world of boxing has seen some of the greatest athletes that sport has ever seen compete in the ring, with the likes of Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and Floyd Mayweather just a few names on a list of greats to grace the boxing ring with their presence.

However, while there are some who can and cannot be argued as greats of the sport, there are others who split opinion and cause debate about their abilities in the ring, with fans labelling them as overrated. While that is down to personal opinion in most cases, AI has listed who it thinks are the most overrated boxers in history.

10 most overrated boxers in history, according to AI

Position

Boxer

10.

Butterbean

77-10-4 (58 KOs)

9.
Zab Judah
44-10-2 (30 KOs)

8.
Andrew Golota
41-9-1 (33 KOs)

7.
Gerry Cooney
28-3 (24 KOs)

6.
Victor Ortiz
33-7-3 (25 KOs)

5.
Tommy Morrison
48-3-1 (42 KOs)

4.
Ricky Hatton
45-3 (32 KOs)

3.
Naseem Hamed
36-1 (31 KOs)

2.
Deontay Wilder
43-4-1 (42 KOs)

1.
Adrien Broner
35-5-1, 1 No Contest (24 KOs)

10. Butterbean

Professional boxing record: 77-10-4

While Butterbean held an impressive record, many came against low-grade opposition who were boxing journeymen or largely unknown names in four-round contests. Arguably, his most notable opponent came in the form of Peter McNeeley, but take a look at the list of opponents that Esch faced over his near 20-year career, there are few names that boxing fans would recognise, while also looking at his April 1997 fight with Bill Duncan, who was suspended by Oklahoma Boxing Commission for taking an apparent dive in that fight. While AI names him as an entertaining boxer, it highlights his lack of stamina as a reason for his inclusion on the list, as well as his lack of competitive bouts against recognised boxers.

9. Zab Judah

Professional boxing record: 44-10-2

Zab Judah was a name who was tipped to go all the way to the top, but failed to do so, with inconsistent performances in some of his biggest fights against names like Floyd Mayweather. Judah competed for over 20 years, but after so much promise, he never reached that potential and stopped being labelled as the contender he once was. One of his most memorable moments came in 2001 for all the wrong reasons when he seemed to meltdown, pushing a referee following a loss to Kostya Tszyu. Those inconsistent showings were the reason for AI to name Judah on this list.

8. Andrew Golota

Professional boxing record: 41-9-1

Polish boxer Andrew Golota was an Olympic bronze medalist, and upon beginning his boxing career, he skyrocketed through the ranks, with a record of 28-0. That promise shown by Golota was rewarded with a fight against Riddick Bowe, where he was disqualified for a low blow. AI highlighted his lack of composure and discipline, which was on display once again when he was granted an immediate rematch, where he was once again disqualified for a low blow on Bowe.

7. Gerry Cooney

Professional boxing record: 28-3

The Great White pulled off some big wins throughout his career, but with no title wins in that career, Cooney struggled against some of boxing’s elites, which AI recognised, noting his powerful left hook. As AI stated, he could not hang with some of the division’s most skilled fighters, which included the likes of Lennox Lewis and George Foreman.

6. Victor Ortiz

Professional boxing record: 33-7-3

Ortiz was another name who AI stated as having mental lapses in the ring after he picked up the WBC welterweight title in a win over Andre Berto. His reward for that was a huge fight with Floyd Mayweather, where his loss was a complete embarrassment, which saw Ortiz decide to headbutt his opponent. Once the fight had been restarted, Ortiz moved to continue to apologise to his opponent, who hit him with a combination to knock him out. AI listed Ortiz’s inconsistencies in big fights as why he makes this list.

5. Tommy Morrison

Professional boxing record: 48-3-1

The Duke picked up a memorable victory over George Foreman during his career as a much loved heavyweight. Pinklon Thomas once claimed that Morrison hit harder than Mike Tyson, as shown by his 87.5% KO percentage from his wins (42 from 48). That title victory over Foreman came via unanimous decision, but despite his exciting repertoire, AI highlights his defence as a weakness in his game, along with his questionable chin.

4. Ricky Hatton

Professional boxing record: 45-3

The British Brawler had 32 knockouts on his resume, but his ring ability did not translate well to an elite level in the world of boxing. He is still, however, one of the most successful British boxers of all time, and ranks in the top five pound-for-pound British boxers. AI labelled his one dimensional boxing style as part of why he makes this list. His record does not bode well against elite competition either, losing to two of boxing’s best, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, before retiring. He returned from retirement to take on Vyacheslav Senchenko, but a ninth-round loss left Hatton admitting he didn’t have what it took to compete anymore.

3. Prince Naseem Hamed

Professional boxing record: 36-1

A huge star in 1990’s boxing, holding multiple world titles in the featherweight division and a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Naseem Hamed is a controversial inclusion to this list. However, AI names Hamed for his lack of longevity after he decided to retire at just 28 years old, which it highlighted as a lack of ambition for the featherweight great. It also stated that he failed to bounce back from a loss to Marco Antonio Barrera despite the fact he did beat Manuel Calvo for the belt.

2. Deontay Wilder

Professional boxing record: 43-4-1

The Bronze Bomber has an insurmountable amount of power, which even his name alone carries in the world of boxing. However, AI states that he heavily relies on that power, labelling him a one-dimensional fighter. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it is what they say a lot of the time, and you could argue that was the case for Wilder, who boasts 42 knockouts from his 43 wins in his career. Hard times have fallen upon the American recently, whose defeats have seen names like Tyson Fury plead with him to retire before tarnishing his legacy.

1. Adrian Broner

Professional boxing record: 35-5-1

Adrian Broner was once tipped to be one of the next all-time greats in boxing, with some calling him the next Floyd Mayweather. Despite picking up four championships in his career, he could not deliver on that promise that he showed in his career, struggling against some of the elites in the sport. AI did not entirely label that as the reason for his inclusion on this list, but instead, the lifestyle distractions and legal issues that plagued his career, hampering his growth in the sport and ending his potential.