Highlights

• Tiger Woods remains the face of professional golf, with the most career victories and a record-breaking 82 PGA wins.
• Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time, with an incredible 28 Olympic medals, including 23 golds.
• Usain Bolt is universally recognised as the fastest man alive, having broken world records and won a total of 9 Olympic gold medals in his sprinting career.

The illustrious history of sport is, in many ways, comparable to the epic mythologies and lore of the great ancient civilisations, its pages lined with heroes, villains, and dynamic personalities alike.

From within those pages, however, only a chosen few rise above the rest, their jaw dropping exploits yet to be surpassed by generations of young athletes yearning for glory and immortality. It's certainly no easy task to name the 10 most untouchable and influential athletes from the realm of sport.

However, a video posted by the Alux.com YouTube channel has attempted to do just that, listing 10 of history's most dominant athletes from across the sporting world. Some of the results are indeed surprising, though, certainly not unworthy!

Tiger Woods

As one of the most prolific golfers of his or any era, Tiger Woods spearheaded the PGA world during his rise to prominence in the late 90s and early 2000s. From winning a putting tournament at the age of two, becoming champion at 15, to being crowned the number one internationally ranked golfer at just 21, Woods' glory years on the PGA Tour are still mountains yet to be surpassed by fellow competitors. To date, Tiger has the most PGA wins with a staggering 82 victories, the most career victories of any professional golfer, and holds the prestigious title of becoming the first PGA participant to earn upwards of $100 million. Though controversies in his personal life would stunt his professional trajectory, Tiger Woods remains, for many, the face of professional golf, and his many exploits still leave fans and competitors in collective awe.

Michael Phelps

For many, there is no sporting venue more prestigious, or competitive, than the Olympic Games. Indeed, its burning flame serves as a beacon for some of the world's most talented athletes. To stand out amidst the wave of hopefuls from all corners of the globe is one thing. Michael Phelps didn't just stand out from his peers in freestyle swimming, however, he absolutely dominated them. With an incredible 28 Olympic medals to his name, Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time. His remarkable total consists of 23 golds, three silvers, and two bronze, with eight of those golds being won at the 2008 Beijing Games. This, unsurprisingly, is a record yet to be broken by any Olympian at either the Summer or Winter Games. Dubbed The Baltimore Bullet for his unmatched speed in the pool, no other freestyle swimmer has come close to matching Phelps' performance, him alone having racked up more medals than 161 countries.

Floyd Mayweather

Though he may not be one of the most beloved figures on this list, even the most well versed boxing enthusiast would, perhaps begrudgingly, see it fit to include Floyd Mayweather among the ranks of sports' most dominant figures. Fighting across a wide array of weight classes, Mayweather is, without a doubt, one of the best defensive boxers to ever step in the ring. While not the flashiest or most dynamic fighter, his remarkable professional record of 50 wins against zero losses is a testament to his unmatched skill and composure in the ring, having only been knocked down to the canvas once in his legendary 21-year career that saw him take on some of the best boxers of his era.

Read more: The 17 most entertaining athletes of all time ft, Messi, McGregor, Tyson, Bolt & Ali

Jonah Lomu

It takes a special kind of athlete to merely survive in the realm of professional rugby, let alone dominate. The sport is defined by its brutality, with anyone taking part needing both an imposing physique and substantial mental grit. New Zealand's Jonah Lomu fit this mold to a tee. At just 20 years of age, and standing at six foot five, young Lomu was already the most feared rugby player on any professional pitch. Donning the black kit of his national side, Lomu would go on to lead the Rugby World Cup with 15 scoring tries in the competition, with four of these alone coming in a 1995 match against England, which personified his tremendous skill and power. Off the pitch, Lomu was part of an organisation alongside other leading figures in sport as advocates for world peace. Tragically, Jonah Lomu would pass away in 2015 at the young age of 40 due to illness that followed his life post-retirement.

Serena Williams

In the world of professional tennis, Serena Williams needs no introduction. As one of the leading female figureheads of the sport, Williams' accomplishments have served to inspire young women the world over, with 73 singles titles, 23 doubles, 39 Grand Slam titles, and two mixed doubles titles to her name. That and the addition of four Olympic gold medals to boot certainly qualifies Serena Williams as not only one of the most dominant female tennis players of all time, but as one of the most dominant tennis players on any professional court, ever. Having been crowned the number one female tennis player seven times throughout her illustrious career, Williams has forever solidified her place in the lore of professional tennis and American sporting legend.

Wayne Gretzky

For the fans of many sports, the debate over whom the greatest of all time truly deserves to be is one with no end. However, ask any hockey fan and the answer will almost always be unanimous. Even with each new season bringing heralding incredible new talents, the Great One's exploits still remain far out of reach. Number 99 still holds over 61 NHL records to his name, the most imposing of which still stands tall at a remarkable 894 career points, 200 of which came in a single season. His name can be found etched four times into the surface of Lord Stanley's cup, each of those wins coming with the Edmonton Oilers, the first of four teams he would play for in a legendary 20-year career. To this day, no other player has donned the number 99 jersey.

Usain Bolt

With arguably the best (and contextually appropriate) name in the sporting world, Usain Bolt is universally recognised as the fastest man alive. Surging onto the international scene at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Bolt torched his competition, breaking world records in both the 100m and 200m sprints in a remarkable effort that earned the Jamaican athlete his first two gold medals. Bolt's unmatched dominance in the sprint would hold fast through to 2016, which saw him retain his sprinting titles through an unheard of three Olympic Games. Through both his unmatched sporting skill and his charismatic personality, Usain Bolt has transcended the borders of his sport, becoming a cultural phenom beloved on an international scale.

Read more: The 15 most popular athletes of all time ft, Messi, Ronaldo, Bolt, Federer & Ali

Rocky Marciano

Before the likes of Floyd Mayweather set the bar that much higher with an incredible 50-0 record, only one man had ever reached such resounding highs in professional boxing. Rocky Marciano's 49-0 would be the benchmark for young, glory hungry fighters for well over half a century, a career that was personified by his physical resilience and sheer knockout power. Indeed, his knockout to win ratio is still a record yet to be beaten, standing at an unbelievably high 87.8%. Marciano would retire from the sport in 1956 at just 31, his short, storied career setting highs that have since only been surpassed by a single competitor.

Donald Bradman

In the downtrodden years of the Great Depression, thousands of Australians turned to sport as a way to cheer, smile, and hope. On the cricket pitch, Sir Donald Bradman rose to meet those expectations. Throughout his unrivaled 22-year career, Bradman would set records bordering on the impossible and unbelievable, clocking out with a professional batting average of 99.94%. One such career highlight saw Bradman scoring 100 runs in just three overs during the 1931 season. While the outbreak of World War II put a halt on his professional career, Bradman would tour England as part of the Invincibles team, bringing the same joy to war weary people just as he had to his fellow Aussies years before. The beloved Sir Donald Bradman, a hero the world over, was dubbed The Greatest Living Australian by Prime Minister John Howard in 1997.

Michael Jordan

Of all the names on this list, few have ever come to match that of Michael Jordan. While their sporting prowess is without question, few have not only dominated their respective fields, but have gone on to become one of the cultural icons defining several generations. Coming into the league in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls, young Jordan made an impact as soon as he stepped onto the court, leading the beleaguered team to prominence behind a resurgent Chicago fan base. Spearheading the Dream Team of the 1990s saw Jordan leading the Bulls to six NBA Championships, a historic run which transformed Jordan into a global megastar. Having been named the MVP of six NBA finals, and still hosting a plethora of scoring titles, Michael Jordan will always be a titan of the sporting world, his influence and legacy still very much relevant 20 years after his retirement.