Is it impossible for the fighters of today to ever reach the greatness of SRR or SRL?

Leonard, yes.

Robinson, that's extremely hard.

The guy had 200 fights and was fighting 20 times a year, often against top fighters. He faced the lightweight champ in a non-title bout after about a year of his debut.

Top fighters nowadays just aren't that active. The closest were J.C. Chavez and James Toney.

 

It is 100% possible. No matter what, when you rank people, you must NEVER put one person on an unreachable pedastal. You simply cannot. If someone came along and mirrored Robinson's achievements, and then won ten more fights, he would simply have to be better than him. That's how it works.

Since no one will probably ever even fight that many times again at the top level, based on politics and other factors, the criteria need to be adjusted as such. For instance, do people really need to fight someone six times to find out who is best? Yes, it helps, but it isn't realistic in today's boxing picture. I don't believe anyone has surpassed Robinson (Leonard doesn't even need to be in this debate, because he's not number one) yet, but it is a very real possibility, and there is no reason to give it no chance.

 

Is it possible? Yes. Nobody is saying it isn't. But it just hasn't happened. Bottom line, Roy Jones did not have as impressive a career as Ray Robinson. It's not because of bias, it's because of fact.

 

This is what would make it extremely difficult IMO. Plus with old timers nothing can top the good old days. I often wonder, I am 30, if when i'm 60 or 70 thinkin back that Tyson, PBF, Oscar, Cotto, etc. stars of the present day will seem way better than what will be available then.
One thing though is our current guys get high quality footage, easily accessible reviews, and with the internet you can find out any thing you want to know in seconds, where i imagine in the old days you just talked and spread news in pubs with friends etc. You know how stories go without in your face proof too, things tend to get exagerated a bit.:hat

 

Who, exactly, is saying that it is crazy to say RJJ beats SRR at 160? I think Jones would probably be the favorite. Sweet Pea says "this is a close ass fight."

 

No, because fans overrate the old timers.

I dare you to take a look at SRR resume, how many of those fights could you toss out as bum of the week canidates.

If the champs of today fought those kinds of tune-up paycheck fights in between "real" title fights they'd be crucified.

I think the question that needs to be asked is this. If Sugar Ray Robinson fought today, would he win 173 fights? Would he be light years better than Winky, Miranda, Pavlik, Taylor, Calzaghe, Abraham, etc?

Do you not think that those same guys couldn't hang with Basilio, Fullmer, LaMotta, and Turpin??

You really think Robinson would win against Hagler? You think he could of dominated Leonard, Hearns, Nunn, and Toney? Let alone Roy Jones.

He might win some of those fights, but he wouldn't dominate all those guys.

He was a superior athlete in a era of tough guy punching bags and a few other skilled fighters who fought too much and got their heads beat in for a living, and not to name the dirty fights and fixed outcomes of the era.

 

Where do you find these people who say that Robinson's middleweight era was the best of all time? Or that Robinson would dominate Leonard, Hearns, Nunn, Toney, and Jones? Because whoever these people are, they are wrong. Fortunately, there don't appear to be any on this thread or really on this site.

Nobody says that every guy Robinson fought was an ATG. Sure, there were some weak fighters, but, more often than not, he was fighting excellent fighters.

And if any fighter from any era has over 200 fights, I will forgive the occasional tuneup against a weak fighter. On the other hand, anybody fighting twice a year should be fighting the best opposition in every fight.

 

It will have to happen after a fighters career is over. Robinson wasnt seen as the fight that he is seen as today. It took time, same with Leonard. Its not until the next group of fight fans come along and say DAMN that guy was great. Just a side note. When I was a kid, 7 or 8 my father took me to a fight, I had been fighting as an amatuer for about a year and a half at that time. While watching the fight I recall thinking, man all these people here to watch this, two skinny guys I dont see anything special here. I remember thinking that the big kids at the gym were better then these guys. The fight that I was at............................................ ............................... ..................... ........................ .......................... ......................... ...................... ............... ........... ...............Tommy Hearns vs Ray Leonard, go figure.