Would you favor anyone over Robinson at 147?

B, I have already mentioned Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns as alltime greats capable of beating anyone not named Ray Robinson...Roberto Duran I regard as a lightweight at his best weight...In any period of time including today, there are fighters born who would excel in any era of boxing such as Sugar Shane Mosely, a Kovalev, a GGG etc, no doubt, but common sense tells me that in the periods of the 1940s and 1950s, when there were
hundreds of boxing arenas operating every night across the USA
the top champions had to beat so many more true contenders to stay on top, they had to be special. What ruined this scenario ?
TELEVISION, pure and simple. Boxing fans stayed home watching the fighters on their small tv screens, sipping a brew and not needing to leave their home comfort. Thus most of the local fight clubs had to close down and young aspiring boxers could no longer make a living and practice their trade. Sad but true...

 

How would Wilfred Benitez do against Robinson?

 

Benitez was a great boxer, BUT didn't hit hard enough to concern Robinson. When Ray Robinson went all out with his attack, it was something to behold, yessir...The truly perfect fighter was the welterweight edition of Ray Robinson...

 

So, Benitez would have his moments, but his lack of power would lose him the fight.

I think Benitez could make Robinson miss.

 

Noone.

 

i tend to look at these questions from a different angle.....as the question is who 'could' beat robinson at 147 and not who could have been greater at 147...i look at who ran robinson to close fights there...like tommy bell or henry brim...so i think of who would have beat them, and how would they then do on the same night against robinson.

would barbados joe, kid lewis, walker, napoles, leonard etc have handled bell or brim ?....i know its not as simple as that as styles etc are not taken into account...but it makes me pause for a moment.

long shot i know

 

Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns - I pick both as favourites to beat Sugar Ray Robinson. I'd pick Sugar Ray Leonard as a wide favourite.

Floyd Mayweather has a great chance against Sugar Ray Robinson, too. Styles make fights, against some styles Mayweather looks like one of the very, very best ever i.e Top 5.

Robinson fights more on the back foot, isn't anywhere near as sound of an aggressor as some people assume on the basis of his knockouts (with 4oz gloves).
Robinson is far slower too, and potshots would serve as quite a weakness.

 

Considering Robinson never lost at welterweight, was knocking out Middleweights as a welterweight, and only had around 24 fights that went to the scorecards while against anyone at welterweight and below I would say nobody. He was a killer at welter (literally).

 

He was the perfect fighter - no one beats him at 147.

 

Truly, if anyone on this forum had seen the prime welterweight RayRobinson ringside as I had seen him fight, you need not have asked the question of this thread.
You would know the answer. NO ONE...
P.S. Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns along with KidGavilan I rate the best of modern welterweights.
And for the older fighters I have Ted Kid Lewis and the master boxer Jack Britton ,so great a classic boxer that in his last 330 bouts, Britton was NEVER STOPPED...What I have read about Tommy Ryan of 1900-1906 he was a wonder also...

 

Out of interest, which SRR fights did you see?

 

I am going to throw one out there, who i think has a proven chance to pick up the win.

How about Marty Servo, with Don King as his promoter! He has twice proved that he could go the distance and get a decision (in some official's eyes). Don King could arrange for that extra little help, without anyone being too much wiser. I think he might be teh best chance to start favourite of doing the job.

 

I saw SRR against a faded Henry Armstrong, Tommy Bell, Jimmy McDaniels, Steve Belloise, and the last bout I saw Robinson was his epic tko of Randy Turpin at the Polo rounds. And saw whatever tv fights available...At almost 6ft tall, Robinson was a destructive killer in the ring
and could ko you with every punch he threw...His toughest bouts were against two terrific welterweights of those days tommy Bell and Kid Gavilan.

 

Marty Servo lost two close disputed decisions to the twenty year old
Ray Robinson not yet in his prime...Servo was a terrific strong young WW at that time managed by Al Weill who later managed Rocky Marciano...But Weill made a foolish mistake by matching young Servo with the young rampaging MW Rocky Graziano in a money match.
Graziano too big and strong stopped Servo and in the process damaged Servo's nose so bad he soon after retired ruining a potential HOF career. Shame...

 

didnt you leave out Robinson ****s II:good