Was Ray Robinson REALLY The Best Middleweight Ever?

Sorry. Bit of context...Quote from the film Blockheads. James Finlayson kayoes Olly with a bottle of whisky. Later on, Stan delivers the perfect one punch kayo on a man who just kicked Olly up the arce cos Olly had kicked his son's ball down the stairs. One of the funniest films I ever saw.

I digress. Sorry Sal.

 

They are. And the OP and you both used the word 'best'.

Only being mischievous, Mac. No offence meant.

 

He was the greatest fighter to ever step into the ring for reasons I've already mentioned. He campaigned as a Welter before moving up (briefly) only to retire and come back. He was 131-1-1 after splattering LaMotta and 85-0 as an amateur. Given his Middleweight career, after coming out of retirement and approaching 200 fights, I might tend to agree with the poster's assessment that he was not the greatest MW ever. I've heard many people post "what if the ATG so and so at their ideal weight moved up and fought the ATG so and so at the next weight level?" It's all speculative! Whoever ATG someone may be talking about was Prime at their weight! Ray gave us Great fights at Middle approaching 200 pro fights, well past prime.
Again, given the parameters of the thread starter, I would tend to agree that he was not the greatest MW ever.
But lastly, let's look at eras. Had Ray been born in 1940-50-60-70 etc.. he may well have been a natural prime time Middle, not a Welter...again speculation but, with modern training etc...that may well have been the case. Given that scenario, I think he would have had any ATG Middle that ever lived for lunch; some tough ones in there but he'd prevail against them ALL IMHO.

 

I still rate Monzon as the best MW Champion

 

Graziano, Fullmer, LaMotta, Turpin, i think he has an argument for the best middleweight ever.
But i can see why someone would give the title to Monzon or Hagler.

 

Classic quote from Joey Maxim re: the SRR Ltheavyweight Title bout: "I was fighting under the same TV lights as SRR, in the heat (and I didn't quit)".

 

Having him H2H as the greatest middle is extremely defendable. Resume wise he's up there but is hampered by a few intangibles. Very hard to be the top middle resume wise when you spent most of your prime career at 147 and went on way past it.

 

I think he was the best Middleweight ever at his peak {early 50s}. There can be a pretty good case made that ranking the greatest middleweight champions ever Monzon and Hagler should rank higher based on their consistant title reign.

Robinson did win the Middleweight Title 5 times though he only lost it in the ring 3 times. He IMO won the title a 6th time when he boxed Gene Fullmer`s ears off in 1960 in Los Angeles.

 

The Robinson that stopped LaMotta would be favoured over any and every 160 pound fighter by me.

 

Maxim wasn't fighting a man 13lbs heavier, he was fighting a big welterweight who had used his speed and mobility to build up an overwhelming lead, one who could only lose if he was stopped,had it gone to the cards SRR was the winner.

 

Not if Mr Greb had anything to say about the matter.

 

He also said "What? Was my corner air conditioned?" allegedly.

 

He was beaten by three of those guys.