Is it even possible to pass Sugar Ray Robinson?

I'd agree with you that Roy had weak competition in the 90s. But recently he has beaten Jeff Lacy and Felix Trinidad. If Roy were to beat Hopkins and Haye then he would be the G.O.A.T.

I think he might beat Hopkins again and if he does that then I'd put him in my top 10. If he were to beat David Haye I'd put him as the greatest, because to beat someone like Haye in your 40s, to have won championships in every weight division more than once, I don't think anybody could debate it.

 

I'll have to disagree with Chimba here. I think the most suitable criteria to rank fighters is on resume, skill, and longevity. No fighters will ever be fighting the amount of times Robinson did, who beat a shed load of Hall of Famers. I think he'll be the greatest for all times. I could be wrong, I just don't see anyone surpassing him considering what Boxing has become these days.

 

Yes you can, you can win more titles in more weightclasses against tougher competition. And it's not about how many bums you beat, yes 173 wins is the most impressive of all time but lets be honest and admit that a majority of those guys were bums. What we have to look at is dominance of the different weight divisions, the amount of titles a person has won, how many records they break, how many title defenses, how old they were when they won their last title, what were the records of the fighters they fought?

SRR is currently the greatest but several fighters in this generation can surpass him.

 

Jones and Bernard will never pass Robinson.

If Jones beats Hopkins then somehow beats Dawson and beats Haye and then beats Wlad or Vitali, then he has chance kind of. But do u really see that happening, hell no.

 

Whats Durans rank? Most people put him as #5 some even #3. For hypothetical purposes, ok he loses to RJJ and was KOed to oblivion,
then say he won another belt against a Jermain Taylor or Pavlik. Where do you put him??

This was exactly what happened to Duran over 20 years ago, He got crushed by Hearns and then he beat a B level champion in Barkley?

Those circumstances right there propelled him to between #3 to #5 in the ATG rankings, you going to tell me that if we wash, rinse, spin the same plot he wouldnt surpass Robinson?

Is it wrong? Yes but this is the kind of love Duran got. These are facts

 

Lightweights are not supposed to beat the crap out of the reigning WBC Middleweight champion at 37 years of age. It just doesn't happen. That is one of Roberto's greatest triumph's in my estimation, and if Duran couldn't close the gap on Robinson, I don't suppose many fighters in the future will either. Duran was about as equipped as one fighter could possibly have been, complete in every sense of the word.

 

thats what Im telling you, had he done that again, hed be number 1 arguably.

 

This is what Hopkins has to say. He plans on being the G.O.A.T.

 

I doubt that very much. Ray Leonard was a great fighter, one of the best of all time, but Ray Robinson was THE greatest, THE original Sugar man. Guys like Ali even commented on the greatness of the legend that was/is Robinson.

IMO, the only other fighter who comes close to surpassing Robinson is Henry Armstrong, who was a freak of a boxer, blessed with a slow heartbeat. Man could fight all night long throwing 100 punches per round all night long!

 

Sugar Ray Robinson - 173 - 19 - 6. 109 KO's

Titles Held - World titles at Welterweight x2 and Middleweight x5. Robinson also drew with Gene Fullmer in a fight that was widely considered a victory for Robinson which would have made him a six time Middleweight champion. Robinson was also winning after 13 Rounds v Joey maxim for the light Heavyweight Championship until he became fatigued in the hot weather allowing maxim to take a TKO.
Also note that the was no Jnr or Super weight classes in those days and only one championship.

Beat Hall Of Famers in Jake La Motta x5, Fritzie Zivic x2, Rocky Graziano, Gene Fullmer, Sammy Angott x2, Henry Armstrong, Randolph Turpin, Carmen Basillio, Kid Gavillan x2 as well as other quality opposition such as Bobo Olson x4, Jose Basora x2, Charlie Fusari and Marty Servo x2.
His losses included defeats to Jake La Motta, Paul pender x2 by SD, Gardiello, Fulmer, Turpin, Basillio and Terry downes.
Robinson went 40-0 before losing to La Motta, after his firast defeat he went on an 8 year undefeated streak taking his record to 128-1-2 a feat only bettered by Willie Pep 134-1-1.
Robinson was great in the ring, he could fight on the inside and the outside, going forward or backwards, he could outbox boxers and outpunch punchers.
He was the real deal and thats why therell probably be no one who will go ahead of him in history
I also like to point out that he was undefeated at Amateur level and in his championship years he boxed many times
1946 - 16 bouts
1947 - 10 bouts
1949 - 13 bouts
1950 - 19 bouts

 

I know Roy was past prime himself, but so was Tito and he had absolutely no business being at 170. Jeff Lacy? Don't get me started. If Roy beat Hopkins and Haye, then yeah he'd go up about a place on the ATG list, but greatest ever? Absolutely no way on this Earth, ever. Hopkins he's already beat, so if he beat a 44 year old Hopkins whats that gunna do? In 10 years no-one will even remember who Haye is, yeah it would be an accomplishment beating him (Think he'd get brutally KO'ed though), but seriously becoming the GOAT, no way.