Boxing Legend Says 'No Disrespect' To Sugar Ray Robinson And Muhammad Ali But I'm The Best

A retired boxing great has ranked himself higher than the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali.

Robinson is often regarded by fans and analysts as being one of, if not the greatest fighter to have ever laced up the gloves.

Throughout the course of his 25-year professional career, the Georgia native fought on no less than 201 occasions, whilst becoming a five-time world champion in the process.

He reigned as the world welterweight champion for half a decade between 1946 and 1951, before eventually making the move up to middleweight where he would win the world title five times during a nine year period.

Robinson crossed paths with some of the best fighters of his era during his world title reigns, but perhaps some of his more famous victories came against the likes of Jake LaMotta, Randolph Turpin and Rocky Graziano.

Though ‘Sugar’ Ray has the ultimate respect in boxing, Ali’s reputation transcended the sport and he remains one of the most famous pop culture figures in history. Inside the ropes, he was the first ever fighter to win the world heavyweight championship on three seperate occasions.

Despite the outstanding success of both, retired five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr revealed in an interview with ESPN that whilst he ‘respects’ the late-great boxing icon, he believes he deserves to be recognised as the greatest fighter of all time.

“No one can ever brainwash me to make me believe that Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali were better than me. No disrespect to Muhammad Ali but he did it in one division. I just look at Ali’s career when he fought Leon Spinks and lost to a fighter with seven fights.”

Mayweather called time on his professional career back in 2017, just months after he got the better of MMA legend Conor McGregor. He walked away from the sport with a perfect unbeaten record, defeating all 50 of the opponents he faced during his tenure.