Top 10 best boxing trainers in the world currently: Find out who tops the list

People ought to be taught and mentored by more experienced personnel in any given aspect of life. That is why there are numerous learning institutions worldwide for people to learn new things daily. Well, it is undoubtedly the same in sports such as boxing, where trainers are often needed for an athlete to be more experienced. So, who are the best boxing trainers of all time? Let's find out.

Whenever a topic about boxing comes about, there are specific names that can never go unnoticed, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and Floyd Mayweather. However, come to think of it, it only took an outstanding trainer to make them achieve their high status.

Top 10 best boxing trainers of all time

Unlike a boxer who rises to fame by showcasing his talents in the octagon, a trainer's credibility relies on their student's performance. That, when a fighter becomes the contender or wins a championship belt, the trainer receives the praise and gradually lands his glory in the limelight.

Training a single champion is one thing, but more is needed to reach the top of the list. That said, several factors are often considered for a trainer to be considered the greatest of all time.

After an in-depth analysis, SportsBrief compiled a list displaying some of the greatest boxing trainers of all time.

10. Brian McIntyre

Have you ever heard of someone taking a once-in-lifetime opportunity and never letting go of it? Well, Brian McIntyre is one of them. From 1994 to 2007, he was a club-level heavyweight pro lifter and ended his career as a boxer with a 7-14.

Although he had no plans to continue pursuing anything close to boxing, it was only a matter of time before he began working with Terence Crawford, one of the great boxing talents. It then became crystal clear that Brian needed to work with Terence for his next career path as a coach.

The other notable boxer he has trained is Amir Khan. Aside from doing his thing in the ring, Brian also found a niche in the film industry, where he made appearances in Warm and Fuzzy in 2014, Zero Two Six in 2015, and Lightnin' in a Bottle in 2016.

9. Joe Gallagher

Putting aside the 2016 scenario where all of Joe's trainees lost, He remains on the list while ranking some of the best boxing trainers in the UK. Joe is a determined and consistent sportsperson, especially when everything goes well.

However, when things go south, everybody cringes. He even removed one of his trainees, Liam Smith, from the pay-per-view. But far from it, today, Joe is one talented trainer who has trained some of the most famous boxers of all time.

8. Derrick James

At the eighth position, Derrick James, whose fame skyrocketed following his working deal with welterweight guru Errol Spence Jr But building a fighter like Spence from the ground must be a fantastic accomplishment. For that reason, he is regarded as among the best boxing trainers in the US.

He began working with Spence in 2008, immediately after he had completed his career as a super middleweight journeyman. But now, he is a renowned figure and is somewhat in demand. Aside from Spence, Derrick James also coaches the famous boxer, Anthony Joshua.

7. Shane McGuigan

Today, siblings find a common niche even in sports. And to make it even more interesting, most of them get it from their parents. In this case, Shane McGuigan, a renowned trainer, is the son of the well-decorated featherweight champion in the 1980s, Barry McGuigan.

Shane had already displayed a keen interest in the discipline, and by the time he weas 21 years old, he quit his career and decided to focus on full-time training. He has his position on the list thanks to his immense effort with Carl Frampton, who was, in fact, one of the top candidates for the 2016 Fighter of the year honors.

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Aside from his main job with his trainee, he is often called to help other fighters like heavyweight David Haye and lead super middleweight George Groves during their encounter. As of 2023, Shane McGuigan is still regarded among the best boxing trainers in the UK.

6. Ronnie Shields

Ronnie had what can be termed an amateur career. In 1974, he was the National Junior Olympics featherweight champion. He graced those rings again the following year and became the National Golden Gloves featherweight champion.

As if that was not enough, he became the National Golden Gloves Light welterweight champion in 1976 and 1978. After completing his boxing career, Shields began his journey of becoming a prominent trainer.

As of 2023, he works out of the Plex Boxing Gym in Stafford, Texas. He has trained well-decorated fighters like Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, David Tua, Pernell Whitaker, Vernon Forrest, and Arturo Gatti.

5. Robert Garcia

At this point, you will realise that most of these trainers are American nationals, and Robert Garcia is no exception. He is a former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2001 and later held the IBF junior lightweight title from 1998 to 1999.

His training career took a new shift when he was voted the trainer of the Year by The Ring magazine in 2011 and by the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2012. Still, on sports running in the family, he is the older brother of the professional boxer Mikey Garcia.

He has trained numerous successful fighters like Christopher Algieri, Allan Benitez, Alfonso Blanco, Felipe Campa, Francisco Contreras, Nonito Donaire, Irving García, Mikey Garcia, and Alfonso Gomez.

4. Freddie Roach

Hailing from the United States of America, Freddie Roach entered amateur boxing at the age of 18. After a stellar career record of 40-13, he retired at 26 to become an assistant coach to Eddie Futch.

His first-ever trainee was Virgil Hill, and since then, he has trained over 20 world champions, including the likes of Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao. In 2003, he was named Trainer of the Year by the Boxing Writers of America.

Other notable legends he has worked with include Manny Pacquiao, Mike Tyson, and Oscar De La Hoya.

3. Virgil Hunter

At the third position sits Virgil Hunter, who learned the sport from his father and started his career as a boxing coach. He trained the likes of Andre Ward, who won the Olympics Gold Medal in 2004 and retired undefeated with a career record of 32-0.

His spell with Andre ultimately opened a new career path for him as a television personality. He made appearances in TV shows like Fight Camp 360, HBO Boxing, ESPN Friday Night Fights, HBO Boxing After Dark, and The Rise of Khan.

2. John David Jackson

Famously dubbed, Action, he is an American-based former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 1999 before taking up the trainer role. He is a two-weight world champion, having held the WBO junior middleweight title twice between 1988 and 1993 and the WBA middleweight title from 1993 to 1994.

He had a record of participating in 41 fights and winning 36. After his professional boxing career ended, John David began his training job and has since worked with professional legends like Sergey Kovalev, Kimbo Slice, Claressa Shields, Allan Green, and Bernard Hopkins.

1. Abel Sanchez

Abel Sanchez is a Mexican-American boxing trainer renowned for being the former coach of Gennady Golovkin and has trained other successful boxers such as Lupe Aquino, Terry Norris, and Murat Gassiev.

In the case of Terry Norris, he made him a super welterweight champion and one of the top stars during the 1990s. Additionally, he made Terry's brother, Orlin, a world champion at the cruiserweight level.

It is somewhat impossible to unanimously agree on who the best boxing trainers of all time are. Nevertheless, what remains constant is that a good trainer helps the boxer reach their best potential and develop a style that compliments their physique and personality.

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