Robinson won against Maxim

Well- Archie Moore was on the table at one stage Moore refused on the account that Sugar Ray was making every effort to rip him off.

 

It'd be up there with one of his best wins, definitely top five but I don't think it's enough to boost him above the fighters I have above him. But if someone raised him even higher, I wouldn't have much of an objection.

I imagine he'd have campaigned a little more at light-heavyweight had he won that fight. He'd smash up some of the mid-level contenders at light-heavyweight, but he'd be beat by the very best. Moore in particular, would've bashed him up. Those wins vs contenders there, as well as Maxim would've been what boosted him IMO.

 

No disrespect to SRR, but if Wilder had the lamest excuses of 2020 for losing to Fury, SRR certainly had the lamest excuse of his day claiming that the lights were too hot when he fought Maxim. That one about takes the cake to a whole nother level

 

El Gallo, that was quite legit. The referee had to be replaced 3 rounds or so earlier due to the heat.

 

Passing out of heatstroke thirteen rounds into a fight during 100° heat is a much better excuse - or reason, to be more accurate - for loses than claiming a 25lbs LED cosplay suit causes his legs to go all jelly.

 

It's far from the only time heat was blamed for a loss.

Max Schmeling blamed the heat for his loss to Max Baer.

 

Well, that was pretty lame too

 

His corner dropped the ball there with hydration... Had he only had more water Ray would’ve won. As it stands he almost died.

As for his legacy, I take it into account that Sugar was running away with that fight and consider it another massive achievement... Imagine if Ray had gotten the UD over Maxim and if the Angott fight had been for the title and just a little bit earlier... Ray could’ve easily won belts from lightweight to light heavy.

 

My best friend’s father used to hang with Robinson. He said Robinson considered Maxim a weak champ and only challenged for the title because Maxim was the champ. There is no way he would have remained at light heavyweight fighting people like Moore at that weight.

 

In other words, a cherry pick gone wrong?

 

Hard to conceive of a middleweight cherry-picking a unified light heavyweight champ. I would rather call it a missed opportunity.

 

If you wanted to be light heavyweight champion, you had to beat Joey Maxim because he was, at that time, the only world champion in the division.

 

I think the fight was outdoors in Yankee Stadium and the temperature in the ring was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Like the poster above said, the original referee had to be replaced due to heat stroke. Maxim was the last man standing but Robinson’s “excuse” was certainly valid.

 

FFS SRR's legacy doesn't depend on a single fight in a division nearly 30 pounds over his best weight. He was even outweighed against LaMotta much less a LHW like Maxim.