The debate for who the greatest fighter of all time is has divided the boxing community for many years, though not three heavyweight legends in Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and Mike Tyson.
Fans, pundits and fighters base their picks for the best ever on championship record, fighting style, impact on the sport and some intangibles like charisma and heart. Ali has as good a case as any in many of these categories.
However, the man commonly known as ‘The Greatest’, paid homage to the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson in a historic interview, claiming he was his ‘idol’.
“My idol when I was growing up was Sugar Ray Robinson. He was the greatest of them all.”
Similar to Ali, Robinson remains one of the sport’s most influential figures. He fought on over 200 occasions as a professional, capturing a version of the world championship on six occasions.
Another legend of heavyweight boxing, ‘Big’ George Foreman, also spoke fondly of ‘Sugar Ray’, claiming he was the greatest fighter he’d ever laid eyes on.
“There’s no doubt about it. Sugar Ray Robinson was the best I ever saw.”
Robinson racked up a number of legacy defining victories throughout his tenure, but perhaps the most famous win of his career came in 1951 when he defeated Jake LaMotta to become the middleweight champion.
‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, who dominated the sport throughout the 80’s, made no mistake in naming Robinson as the greatest ever in a resurfaced interview.
“Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest fighter that ever lived.”
After a monumental professional career, Robinson announced his retirement from the sport in 1965, just a few months after he was beaten in his 201st career bout by Joey Archer.
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