My ranking:
Muhammad Ali
Mike Tyson
Lennox Lewis
Oleksandr Usyk
Ali is untouchable for me. Tyson at peak was a different planet. Lewis doesn't get enough credit for how complete he was. Usyk is still writing his story but what he's done already puts him in this conversation easy.
Canelo lost to Crawford and now he's calling for a rematch.
Some say move on, the result was clear. Others say rematches in boxing are earned through demand and this fight still has the biggest audience in the sport.
Both sides have a point.
Does Canelo deserve another shot or is Crawford done with that chapter?
10 years ago today we lost Muhammad Ali.
3 time heavyweight champion of the world. 6 time Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year. The only boxer in history to hold that record.
... but the numbers don't really capture it. Ali was bigger than boxing. The way he carried himself, the things he stood for, the way he spoke ,nobody before or since has done it like that.
Rest easy, Champ.
Most people train abs to look good. Boxers train abs to generate power, absorb punishment, and maintain tension for 12 rounds. The result of the fighter approach is a core that looks incredible and performs under real conditions.
Here is exactly how they do it.
AESTHETIC ABS VS FIGHTING ABS
Aesthetic training: flexion focused, high reps, chase the burn, rest between sets
Fighter training: tension focused, bracing, rotation, anti-rotation, breath control under load
The difference is not which muscles you train. It is how you train them.
THE CORE IS THE ENGINE
A punch does not start in the arm. It starts in the ground, travels through the legs, rotates through the core, and exits through the arm. The core is the transfer point for all power.
Hip rotation initiates the power transfer from lower to upper body. Oblique contraction accelerates the rotation and multiplies force. Core bracing prevents energy leakage so maximum power reaches the target.
Every boxer with a powerful punch has a strong rotational core. No exceptions.
TENSION TRAINING
Boxers do not just crunch their abs. They train them to hold maximum tension under sustained load. This is called irradiation -- full body tension that radiates from the core outward. It makes the core harder, more impact resistant, and more powerful simultaneously.
How to train it: squeeze every muscle in your body simultaneously for 10 seconds. Abs, glutes, lats, fists -- everything. Release and repeat. This is how fighters harden their core without hundreds of sit-ups.
Full body tension: 3 x 10 second maximal contractions, rest 30 sec
RKC Plank: 3 x 20 seconds, drag elbows toward toes maximally
Hollow Body Hold: 3 x 30 seconds, brace like you are about to be punched
A boxer's abs are hard because they train hardness specifically. Not just size.
ROTATIONAL POWER
The hook is the most powerful punch in boxing because it uses maximum rotational core force. Obliques generate the rotation. The stronger the obliques the harder the hook.
Rotational exercises boxers use:
Woodchop: 3 x 12 reps each side, rotate from the core not the arms
Russian Twist feet elevated: 3 x 15 reps each side, full rotation each rep
Shadow boxing with rotation: 3 x 2 minute rounds, exaggerate the hip turn on every punch
Train rotation and your punches get harder. Train crunches and only your mirror improves.
ANTI-ROTATION STABILITY
A boxer must generate rotation AND resist unwanted rotation simultaneously. When absorbing a punch the core must resist the rotational force to prevent knockdown.
RKC Plank: 3 x 20 seconds, drag elbows toward toes without moving
Plank with Reach: 3 x 8 reps each arm, hips stay perfectly level
Dead Bug: 3 x 10 reps each side, lower back glued to floor throughout
The ability to resist rotation is what keeps a fighter upright when the punches land.
BREATHING AND BRACING
Every boxer exhales sharply on impact. A sharp exhale creates intra-abdominal pressure that hardens the core instantly. This is the same mechanism that allows fighters to absorb body shots that would floor untrained people.
Exhale on exertion -- every punch, every crunch, every plank brace
Sharp not slow -- a fast exhale creates more pressure than a slow one
Train it deliberately -- it takes 4 to 6 weeks to make it automatic under pressure
The exhale is the hidden technique behind every boxer's hard abs.
THE BOXER CORE ROUTINE
3x per week. Exhale sharply on every rep. Rest 45 seconds between sets.
Tension: Full body maximal contraction -- 3 x 10 sec holds
Anti-Rotation: RKC Plank -- 3 x 20 seconds
Rotation: Woodchop -- 3 x 12 reps each side
Deep Core: Hollow Body Hold -- 3 x 30 seconds
Stability: Dead Bug -- 3 x 10 reps each side
Finish every session with 3 x 2 minute shadow boxing rounds focusing on exhaling sharply on every punch.
Train like a fighter. Build abs that look good and perform under pressure.
Most people are either doing exercises that are too easy to drive growth or attempting ones they are not ready for and compensating with bad form. Here is the full tier list so you know exactly where you stand and what to work toward.
HOW EXERCISES WERE RANKED
Each exercise was scored on three factors:
Core activation -- how much of the core is engaged and how intensely
Technical demand -- skill, coordination, and body awareness required
Strength requirement -- baseline strength needed to perform correctly
BEGINNER TIER -- START HERE
Master all five before moving up. These build the foundation every advanced exercise depends on.
01 Dead Bug -- deep core activation, zero neck strain, perfect starting point
02 Reverse Crunch -- safe lower ab training, floor supported throughout
03 Standard Plank -- full core tension, the isometric foundation of everything
04 Bicycle Crunch -- obliques plus rectus, surprisingly high activation for the level
05 Side Plank -- oblique isolation, lateral stability builder
Spend 4 to 6 weeks here. Progress each exercise to 3 sets of perfect reps before moving up.
INTERMEDIATE TIER -- LEVEL UP
These require real core strength and body control. Do not rush here.
06 Hollow Body Hold -- full core under sustained tension, gymnast standard
07 RKC Plank -- same position as standard plank but with maximum contraction, significantly harder
08 Leg Raises -- hip flexor control plus lower ab activation both required
09 Ab Wheel Rollout -- full core extension under load, high demand
10 Russian Twist feet elevated -- oblique rotation plus isometric hold combined
These should feel genuinely difficult. If they feel easy you are not performing them correctly.
ADVANCED TIER -- SERIOUS STRENGTH
These require months of foundation work. Attempting them too early leads to compensation and injury.
11 Hanging Leg Raises -- full body tension plus lower ab control required
12 Toes to Bar -- straight leg raise to bar, maximum hip flexor and ab strength
13 Pike Compression -- seated L-sit compression, extreme hip flexor demand
14 Plank with Reach -- anti-rotation under dynamic load, high coordination
15 Windshield Wipers -- hanging rotation, oblique and grip strength combined
You need 3 to 6 months of consistent intermediate training before these become accessible.
ELITE TIER -- THE PINNACLE
The hardest ab exercises in existence. Most people will never need to reach this level. These represent the ceiling of core strength.
16 Dragon Flag -- full body lever, Bruce Lee's signature move, extreme core demand
17 Front Lever -- horizontal bar hold, full body tension, gymnastic level strength
18 Human Flag -- vertical lever against a pole, full lateral core strength
19 Planche -- horizontal body hold on hands, the ultimate core and pressing strength test
These take years to develop. Respect the progression. Rush nothing.
HOW TO PROGRESS BETWEEN TIERS
Rule 01: master every exercise in your current tier before attempting the next. Master means 3 sets of perfect reps with full control.
Rule 02: add progressive overload every 2 weeks -- more reps, longer holds, slower tempo, less rest.
Rule 03: never sacrifice form for difficulty. A perfect beginner exercise beats a sloppy advanced one every time.
Rule 04: train 3x per week consistently. Sporadic training does not build the neuromuscular patterns advanced exercises require.
THE TIMELINE
Beginner tier: weeks 1 to 6
Intermediate tier: weeks 7 to 18
Advanced tier: months 4 to 9
Elite tier: months 9 plus
The fastest way to reach elite tier is to master beginner tier completely. Skipping steps adds months not weeks to the timeline.
Where you start does not matter. That you start does.