Ricky Hatton has picked Sugar Ray Robinson as the best boxer of all time. The former world champion and British boxing star shared his opinion in a recent chat with Speedy Hire.
Hatton, known as "The Hitman," had a great career himself. He's now in the Hall of Fame after some big fights against top names like Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. Both those fights ended in knockout losses for Hatton, but he had plenty of highs too.
One of Hatton's best moments came in June 2005. He shocked everyone by stopping Kostya Tszyu in Manchester to become the IBF super-lightweight champion. It was a huge upset and a night fans won't forget.
But when asked about the greatest of all time in his interview with Speedy Hire, Hatton looked beyond his own era. He picked Sugar Ray Robinson, a man who turned pro way back in 1940.
Robinson's record speaks for itself. He fought 201 times as a pro, winning 174 of those fights. An incredible 109 of those wins came by knockout. At one point, he went 91 fights without losing.
Robinson won world titles at welterweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight. He was the first boxer ever to win a divisional world title five times. Many experts still rank him as the best pound-for-pound fighter in history.
What made Robinson so special was his rhythm in the ring. He could fight any style - he could brawl if he needed to, or he could box smart with a stiff jab. He was tough too. In all those fights, he only got counted once and was never knocked out. His only TKO loss came when his corner pulled him out of a fight with Joey Maxim. All his other losses were on points.
It's clear why Hatton picked Robinson as the best ever. With that kind of record and those skills, it's hard to argue against him.
