I won’t go into all of the troubled reasons for this here other than to say that they separated and he was never in my life again, but I will say that I only have three real memories of him and they are dear ones. My father left my mother when I was only five years old. My Introduction to the “Sweetest” Boxer Ever Simply put, his brilliance in the ring is unparalleled, and that’s precisely why I’m somewhat amazed that his life outside the ring, in part, seemed to mirror my own in many ways. In 2007, ran a piece titled “50 Greatest Boxers of All Time,” in which Robinson claimed the top spot.Īll of these accolades from his peers and those who would know more than testify to the fact that Sugar Ray Robinson had no equal in the ring and dominated the “Sweet Science.” In 1997 The Ring magazine concurred, naming Sugar Ray the best boxer in its 75 years of publication.Ī panel of experts from the Associated Press seemed to agree with Schmeling and Louis as well when, in 1999, they voted Robinson the “Fighter of the Century.” The Boxing Writers of America were of the same opinion, voting Robinson the Best Fighter of All Time in 1977. He was wonderful to see.”Īnother former heavyweight champion, Joe Louis, known as “The Brown Bomber” and considered by many to be the best heavyweight boxer ever, once called Robinson, “The greatest fighter ever to step into the ring.” Robinson would have manhandled Mayweather and De La Hoya easily, with nothing more than a 15-minute break between the fights.įormer heavyweight champion Max Schmeling once said of Robinson, “He was the greatest. The title of his piece: "'Sugar' Ray Robinson: Good Enough to Have Beaten Both De La Hoya and Mayweather on the Same Night?"Īlthough I’ve never once seen the late Ray Robinson, or "Sugar," as he was known to his fans and many friends, fight in person (having only been blessed to watch YouTube videos of his fights), I’m confident Mr. His piece seems even more poignant now, and really sums up the entire theme of my article. One such writer, James Slater, wrote a piece before the fight that struck me then as oh-so true. In fact, the fanfare surrounding that fight was so great it amazed even some sportswriters covering the clash. Mayweather fought another Mexican, Oscar De La Hoya, in February of 2007, though that match was more hyped than the Mayweather/Marquez bout. Mayweather dominated the fight from start to finish, winning by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. It was an exciting fight in many ways, but Marquez was simply overpowered and outmatched.
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