What was Sugar Ray Robinson's biggest weakness in the ring?

Randy Turpin basically found a flaw in his game.

He feinted him when he was pulling back from punches.

 

His defence wasn't great, he could be timed with a fast jab. I'd be intrigued to see how he'd do against a Monzon, Kalambay, McCallum type technician

 

I think I his quest to be an aggressive boxer/puncher he gave his opponents openings which could be exploited. Echoing what you said PP, he wasn`t unhittable. I think he had the tools to be slick work behind his jab and box kind of guy... But, inside he had that fighting heart and he was always looking to emphatically beat his opponent.

 

He disdained defence to land his own punches, he said he could slip more punches and fight more conservatively , but "it bored him".

 

He was like the polar opposite of PBF... He wanted to win in spectacular fashion, no safety first victory for the true P4P king !

 

The vast majority of film that exists shows him at middle in his 30's. He was even better in the forties at 147 .. That being said he also had an all time great chin, basically never having been stopped in hundreds of fights over 25 years.

 

True. Ray had dynamite in both hands and he knew he could end fights pretty quickly if necessary. Don`t discount the fact that a black fighter couldn`t be a big draw at the gate in the 1940s by playing it safe. I believe Robinson could have been better defensively if not for that fact.

 

That is a very valid point ETM... Not often said, but oh so true ...

 

He was so good he was over confident may have been his weakness

 

I believe SRR only had 1 loss in his first 11 years in the squared circle. Once he went up in weight and passed age 30 he started to slow down. I have always felt that the real turning point in his glorious career was when he took on LHW Joey Maxim. While he fought well in that famous match, he took a heavy pounding from the much bigger fighter. Thereafter, most of his wins were via decision rather than the KO rout. Therefore, I would just say weight & age were his only real weaknesses.

 

id have liked to see how he'd have beaten fighters his own height plus he was out jabbed by randy turpin and in some of the rounds against the much shorter jake lamotta in their sixth fight.
he's still the greatest welter ever though.

 

No real weaknesses.
Sacrificing defense and caution to open up offensively isn't a flaw when you possess a complete arsenal and incredible power.

But he's a human being, he's beatable.

 

Robinson was only taller than Gavilan by an inch or two, so they were both tall fighters. Probably nearly equal in skill as well and they fought twice in both of their primes. Boy, I could use the video on that fight.

No weaknesses in the ring to be honest other than fighting in the 40's when the Mob controlled boxing and racism (mentioned earlier) slowed up his professional progress. He should have been champion way earlier. Seriously, he was close friends with Joe Louis. How much did he learn about punching from him?

OK, he could be put on the deck at times but, he got up and finished his man.

 

I always thought he was never decked?