What does a boxer in this era need to do to be on the level as SRR?

SRR is unique in that he fought frequently for about twenty years, ducked no one (with the exception of Charley Burley) and cleaned out what would be three weight divisions today. He beat 45 top 10 contenders, 18 hall of famers, and 10 champions (when there was only one belt).

To accomplish something similar, a modern fighter would need to unify the belts in three divisions and fight their number one challengers three times a year for fifteen years. The possibility is still there, but you can't achieve it fighting once or twice a year, without unifying belts, letting fights "simmer."

 

Yeah, but you would also need to be dominant for a long period of time, in a classic historical division, beating fellow HOFers and ATGs, before moving up past your best weight and beating more HOFers and ATGs past your prime, winning more titles.

This is what monsters like Robinson and Greb were doing. No modern fighter will even get close to this simply due to scheduling and promotion. The games changed.

 

All behind SRL in HOF.

 

Pacquaio and Floyd are clearly top 50 boxers all time, and easily arguable for top 30. De La Hoya, not so much, more like top 100 (maybe).

It all depends on criteria as well for how you rank boxers.

 

That's what I said. One of the criteria is that he'd need to be undisputed champion in three weight divisions. To do that he's have to fight at least three champions and nine top ten contenders. That gets him about a third of the way there. You're bound to fight a few hall of famers if you do that too.

However, I believe Kostya Tszyu and Bernard Hopkins are the only two guys to become undisputed in even one division this century. Floyd, Manny, Lomachenko, Roy Jones, and Whitaker didn't become undisputed even if they did move up several weight divisions. They often didn't even fight their top ranked opponent in the divisions they held belts at.

Floyd Mayweather is 23-2 against top ten opposition. He's fought 9 hall of famers, 4 or 5 champions (the top rated guy in his new divisions). He's accomplished roughly half as much as Robinson.

Manny Pacquioa is 34-5-2 against top ten opposition. He's beaten 8 or 9 hall of famers, 4 or 5 champions. He's accomplished a tad more than Mayweather but still falls short of Robinson.

Roy Jones Jr. is 26-8 against top ten opposition. He's beaten 7 hall of famers and 2 champions.

Vasyl Lomachenko is 13-1 against top ten opposition. He's beaten 1 maybe 2 hall of famers, 1 champion.

Bernard Hopkins is 26-7-4 against top ten opposition. He's beaten 6 hall of famers and 2 champions.

Pernell Whitaker is about 22-3-1 against top ten opponents. He's beaten 4 hall of famers and 3 champions.

 

SRR also had passport unlike some of the champs these days who pee their pants passingly border security.

 

Obviously it would be extremely difficult to mirror the general accomplishments of SRR. But I also think its unfair to necessarily expect that someone has to recreate the exact conditions that SRR did to be considered his equal. Just like adjusting for inflation in monetary since, we should probably give some context in how different modern day boxing is. Becoming undisputed boxing in a division today maybe impossible simply the business structure of the belts, but this says nothing of the quality of the fighter.

At the end of the day I'd say it simply comes down to the level of skills a boxer showed, how long he remained at the top, what special HOF (especially 'ATGs') did he beat, any memorable classic fights he had, his interaction with the fans (something that in this age I think mustn't be over looked), and overall what kind of ambassador he is to the sport as a whole.

 

You know who thinks Sugar Ray Robinson is the best pound for pound fighter ever? The same old senile guys who think 6'0 170 pound Gene Tunney could beat Lennox Lewis. The people who don't matter. Robinson looked good because of his opposition. Ray was fighting a bunch of slow unskilled fighters that made him look better than he was. He wasn't boxing against who had talent like Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, Roy Jones Jr ect.

 

Okay Farooq. Keep recycling your comment, you racist *******. (Noticed you kept Jackson out because everyone gave you **** for it last time).
https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/614270414599749637/650377708731105290/image0.jpg
Canzoneri, LaMotta, Gavilán, Fulmer, Basilio, bs. He had good competition.

 

Cute you named names. Because if you name a name then clearly that person must of had skills right? Lamotta the child molester wasn't skilled period.. Kid Gavilan was a light puncher and fought in the same poor era. Carmen Basillo is as skilled and athletic as Tommy Hearns? Only in your dreams kid. None of these people you named would even considered journeyman by today's stands. On that note begone kid. Blocked. Go type to somebody who cares.

 

Robinson should be a 3 weight champion, but for some reason, Angott's lightweight title wasn't on the line in their fight.

If he had won the lightweight title and beat Maxim for the LHW title, he'd be the GOAT without question, instead of being tied with Langford, Armstrong, and Greb. Winning a world title in 2 weight classes was much rarer in those days, 3 even more so, and being a 4 weight champion was practically unheard of.