The greatest boxers of all time

He was loud, arrogant, mocked his opponents and called himself the "greatest" — but in the boxing ring he always let his actions follow his words. Ali is a three-time heavyweight world champion and is widely considered the best boxer of all time. His duels with George Foreman (Rumble in the Jungle, 1974) and Joe Frazier (Thrilla in Manila, 1975) are boxing classics.

Joe Frazier, left, was Ali's biggest rival. The two contested three close fights between 1970 and 1975. Frazier was world heavyweight champion from 1969 until his defeat by George Foreman in 1973. After failing to win back the World Championship title in the "Thrilla in Manila" against Ali and also failing to take revenge against Foreman, Frazier called time on his boxing career in 1977.

George Foreman knocked out Joe Frazier in 1973 to become world champion. He lost the world title belt to Muhammad Ali a year later in the "Rumble in the Jungle". In 1987 — after a ten-year break from competition — he made a comeback to the ring and became the oldest heavyweight world champion in 1994 at the age of 45. In 1997 the father-of-11 finally retired and became a successful entrepreneur.

"Iron Mike" overwhelmed his opponents and stormed from victory to victory at the beginning of his career. In 1986, at the age of 20, he became the youngest heavyweight world champion. But success in the ring was tainted by drug abuse, a prison sentence for rape and other scandals. After a comeback in 1996, Tyson was champion again. In 58 professional fights he won 50 — 44 of them by knockout.

Schmeling, who was heavyweight world champion from 1930 to 1932, remained one of the most popular athletes in Germany until his death at the age of 99 in 2005. His fights against Joe Louis, against whom he won once and lost once, are especially memorable. To this day, German boxing is still waiting for a Schmeling successor as world heavyweight champion.

No one has been heavyweight champion for as long and as continuously as Joe Louis. From 1937 to 1950, the "Brown Bomber" successfully defended his title 26 times, eventually losing to Ezzard Charles on points. Louis is a symbolic figure in the struggle of black Americans and the struggle for equality. After his career he suffered with financial and drug problems before dying impoverished in 1981.

Evander Holyfield is the only boxer to become heavyweight world champion four times in his career. In 1997 he also achieved fame in a painful way. During the fight against Mike Tyson his opponent bites off part of his ear. Holyfield is nicknamed "The Real Deal" and continued to box until May 2011. He won his final fight and retired as champion of the unofficial WBF federation at the age of 48.

He is considered one of the best and most elegant boxers of all time. Ray Charles Leonard, who changed his name to pay homage to boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, won world championships in five weight categories between 1979 and 1988. Leonard fought 40 fights, 36 of which he won, and two of his three defeats, two of which he suffered in his failed comebacks in 1991 and 1997.

Everyone wants to break his record: Rocky Marciano ended his career with 49 victories from 49 fights — including 43 knockout victories — and the first undefeated heavyweight boxing world champion. From 1952 to 1956 he held the World Championship title, which he successfully defended six times. Marciano died in a plane crash the day before his 46th birthday.

The Ukrainians, who compete for the German Universum boxing stable, are the most successful brothers in boxing. Vitali (right), the older one, nicknamed "Dr. Eisenfaust" won the WBO World Championship title in 1999 and WBC in 2004. His brother Wladimir, nicknamed "Dr. Steelhammer", held four World Championship belts — those of the associations IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO.

As a child, she started with judo, switched to karate and kickboxing and eventually became the most successful boxer of all time: Regina Halmich boxed herself to the World Flyweight Championship in 1995 and held her title until 2007. After a points win in her last fight, she retired as the unbeaten WIBF World Champion.