James Toney has picked Sugar Ray Robinson as the greatest boxer of all time, putting him above Muhammad Ali. Toney shared his thoughts on the WiseNuts Podcast, explaining why he thinks Robinson's fighting style was even better than Ali's.
"The greatest fighter of all time is Sugar Ray Robinson, that guy was beautiful he fought beautiful. Ali wanted to be him, that was Ali's idol, Ali tried to fight like him but he couldn't do it."
Ali's career started in 1960, just months after he won an Olympic gold medal. He got his first shot at the world heavyweight championship in his 20th pro fight, knocking out Sonny Liston in the second round in Florida. Ali went on to defend that title eight times before taking a break from boxing. He came back in 1970 and gave us one of boxing's most iconic moments in 1974 - 'The Rumble In The Jungle'. Ali knocked out 'Big' George Foreman in the eighth round of that fight.
Ali's impact on boxing goes way beyond his fights. He's still one of the most important figures in the sport's history.
But Toney thinks Robinson was even better. Robinson won the world middleweight title five times between 1951 and 1960. Before that, he held the world welterweight title from 1946 to 1951. He fought over 200 times in his career and won 174 of those fights. That's something the best boxers today just can't do.
Robinson was known for his speed, powerful jab, and great combination punching. He could also figure out his opponent's weak spots and use them to his advantage. Many people think he's the best pound-for-pound fighter ever.
It's hard to compare fighters from different eras, but both Ali and Robinson left a huge mark on boxing. They're both seen as some of the most influential boxers ever to step in the ring.
