Why is Sugar Ray Robinson considered the greatest boxer of all time?

Only kidding, Robinson's a top ATG !

Tyson's a bit overrated but not a fraud. He's great but he is several levels below Robinson.

Joshua may be a fraud. He's certainly a paper champion at the moment. If he fights and wins aganst Wladimir that might be enough to say he's a genuine world class fighter, depending on how Wladimir looks.
Joshua's still young though. He might well go on to surpass the likes of Tyson. But that won't be easy.

 

He had 179 newspaper bouts, not no decision bouts. he went 155-9 in newspaper bouts

 

In Sugar Ray's first 9 months as a pro he beat the lightweight champion of the world. Sammy Angott.

 

They were no decision bouts. ie. contests where no decision was to be rendered if the fight went the distance.

What's a 'newspaper bout' ?

 

Same thing as no-decision bout but it's the correct term

 

I wonder if we will ever see a middleweight win 7+ rounds against a top 5 heavyweight contender ever again.

 

That is incredible. He also beat Zivic very early in his career and he had just lost the Welterweight Title. Then in a return he stopped Zivic.

 

sugar ray Robinson was the best mainly because at his best he had no weakness were as other fighters at their best had weaknesses. early in his career he was so good that his welterweight fights weren't even competitive he would give a recital so they made him move up in weight to fight the Bronx bull joke lammotta who he beat 5 times.
(I do place Robinson above ali, for me ali is third greatest. homicide hank, greb and Langford are good choices for second imo)
he was great in all areas of boxing
speed
power
footwork was magnificent
chin
heart
will to win
ring IQ
counterpunching
defence
offense
outside fighting
inside fighting
he fought the best fighters of his day Jose Basora, kid gavilan, gene fulmer, Jake lammotta, Fritzie Zivic, Aron wade (a black murderess row member) tommy bell, henry Armstrong, Carmen basilio, Sammy angott, rocky graziano, carl bobo Olson, randy turpin and Jackie Wilson)
he was incredibly active averaging at least 10 fights per year sometimes even 19 fights like in 1950
he acted like a true champion he travelled Europe destroying their best fighters
fought the best and in times of need he always stepped up to the plate and pulled something out of the bag. like when he fought fulmer for the second time and turpin in heir second fight

in his first retirement in 1952 his record was 137w 3l 2d
when he retired fully in 1965, his record was 175w 108kos 19l 6d
amateur record isn't confirmed but is reputed to be 85w 69kos 40 in the first round and no losses not sure if this 100% true if not please correct me.

the Salem crescent club fighters would travel to the Du-Well Athletic Club in Norwich, Connecticut (where willie pep would train) to spar and have amateur bouts even though pep was outweighed heavily and the height difference was very apparent
Robinson trounced him for 3 rounds shortly after that the amateur commission came to Gainford and Wiley told theme that their young fighter should turn pro as there was no where else to go after winning two golden glove in two weights and beating willie pep one of the top amateurs in America so he had to go pro because he was too good for the amateurs.
he was fighter of the year twice in 1942 and 1951
the term pound for pound was coined for him, jack case (also the man that dubbed him sugar) gave him that title.
Bert sugar would often say "there's ray Robinson then there's the top 10"
at his best he was on a another level, contained the full package for boxing and achieved great things during his career

 

did not know the kid was a sparring partner of ray

 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there is any film of SRR fighting at welterweight which is where many
of his best fights were fought. And he's STILL considered the ATG.

 

Were those two fights fought in the same conditions? Did the referee collapse in the Hearns fight with Hill?

 

Ref of the Hill-Hearns fight was in better condition than that.

 

good point most of the welter weight fights that were filmed were when his starting to grow into middleweight
Charlie fusari was his last defence at welterweight that fight is filmed same as bobby dykes