I mean he has a fantastic resume. Completely dominated everyone from the 60s and 70s practically. Another thing that boosts his legacy is the fact that he was an underdog yet came out on top against Liston and Foreman.
Well I guess you don't give Duran as much credit as I do then .. Buchanan? that's it .. De Jesus, Thompson ... Duran is probably on most top 15 p4p list of all time and some in the top 10 ... And that's way above RJJ and Whitaker .. just a simple fact there
Now you're being a bit touchy. Saying Buchanan was a great win and performance is not the same as saying the others weren't worth anything. I'd probably have that as his best win at 135. Best performance at 135 could be the rubber against DeJesus. I have him as greater than Whitaker and Jones in terms of what he accomplished over his career (even if that can be debated as well). But I have them as better at their peaks. Duran at his best is certainly among the very best I've seen, though.
Even Ali himself would gladly admit that Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest fighter ever to live This content is protected
The best boxer ever? Not by a long shot. He was the best HW ever. But he had a ton of glaring deficiencies in his fundamentals that he made up for with god given gifts like a great chin and great reflexes. So no, I don't even rate him as being close to the greatest boxer ever.
No one is the greatest boxer. Ali is the best example of how to do a lot of ****, but that doesn't mean he didn't have flaws or wasn't unpracticed in certain elements of the game.
it is very hard to say. Best boxer ever? We will never know. He did fight everyone when they were prime and fought them all.. So he is one of them. When you fight the best when they are the best, that counts. Not like Floyd who avoided guys and fought them at the right time.
The way I interpret "best" is as the highest level of technical skill displayed. To my eyes smaller, lighter fighters showcase the best execution of boxing talent. No heavyweight, even Ali, displays quite the same level of mastery compared to e.g. Rigondeux. Greatness, of course, is a different kettle of fish.