Ray Robinson Was Unbeatable At Welterweight

Interestingly, I think Duran would give Robinson a very hard fight at WW.

Superb defensively, he's very strong and in closing the distance, clever. You watch LaMotta versus Robinson at close range and SRR has so many horrible moves inside that just put LaMotta off being there altogether by the end, most o fall that hard right hand to the body, looping and round the corner.

I just can't see this sort of stuff working on Duran. Probably Robinson does enough work from the outside to get it done by decision but I think it could go the other way and I think it would be really difficult for Robinson.

Charley Burley would really really have slowed him down IMO. I think that fight could have been a toss over 15. Burley was a phenomenally strong man with a serious reach advantage. The thrill here would be seeing if Robinson could get Burley to fight faster and what the consequences of this might be. Hard to think of a battle of the generals more fascinating, Burley trying to keep the sting out of it and out-sling Robinson with Robinson trying to make it into a war. Burley slowly introducing more and more risky one-twos as the fight progresses. Robinson trying to force that Turpin final-gear upon him. Man, what a fascinating fight this would have been. Curtis Cokes for some of the same reasons.

And a weird shout here but Jackie Fields and Young Corbett III would be interesting matches for him. Robinson made a career out of battering these kind of deluxe scrappers but Corbett's massive strength and southpaw stance would make things interesting and 1929 Jackie Fields was an absolute beast. Overall to see him tested I'd like:

01 - Charley Burley
02 - Roberto Duran
03 - Holman Williams
04 - Young Corbett III
05 - Curtis Cokes
06 - Jackie Fields

 

Yeah, Hearns is always a popular choice here, but I feel like he could only win by KO and I just can't see it in my brains.