Mike Tyson explains legend of Sugar Ray Robinson, who Muhammad Ali described as the ‘pound-for-pound greatest of all time’
08/22/2022 04:05 AM
Mike Tyson has always paid homage to the greats of boxing, having studied the history of the sport’s legendary fighters as a youngster. When he went to live with his mentor Cus D’Amato as a teenager, Tyson had access to the trainer’s library of old bouts and learned about brilliant champions of the past. Tyson idolised Ali from a young ageAFP - Getty Of course, Muhammad Ali was Tyson’s idol as he met the heavyweight icon during his time at a New York juvenile detention centre. The children were shown a film about Ali to inspire them, only for him to then walk in and introduce himself as an inspirational special guest. Tyson and Ali would later become friends when ‘Iron Mike’ took up ‘The Greatest’s’ old position as heavyweight champion. But the man Ali himself named as the best fighter of all time is Sugar Ray Robinson. Sugar Ray Robinson remains a boxing icon 32 years after his deathGetty Images - Getty Robinson reigned as welterweight and middleweight champion for various periods between 1946 and 1960. His beautiful boxing ability is still world renowned to this day. Ali said: “That man was beautiful. Timing, speed, reflexes, rhythm, his body, everything was beautiful. “I’d say I’m the greatest heavyweight of all time, but pound-for-pound, I still say Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest of all time.” Robinson’s skillset was unique for his timeGetty Images - Getty Trying to put Robinson’s brilliance into context, Tyson explained in conversation with Dame Lillard on the Hotboxin’ Podcast: “Have you ever watched Sugar Ray Robinson? Wasn’t he amazing? “Listen right, Sugar Ray Robinson had 40 fights, he went 40-0. And then he lose one fight. “After he lost that one fight, he went 80 fights undefeated. The record was like [128-1].” Robinson rounded off his career with a total of 200 fights.
