Most people think Ali is the greatest. He won the world heavyweight championship three times in his 21-year career. Ali beat famous fighters like Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Sonny Liston, and George Foreman. His fight with Foreman in 1974, called "The Rumble In The Jungle," is one of boxing's most famous moments. Ali changed boxing many times during his career.
But Toney doesn't agree. On the WiseNuts podcast, he said:
"Ali ain't the greatest fighter of all time, when he was Cassius Clay he was great, Ali is trash. 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."
Sugar Ray Robinson was a six-time world champion. He held the welterweight title from 1945 to 1951 and won the middleweight title five times in nine years. Robinson won 174 of his 201 fights.
Many boxing experts agree with Toney that Robinson might be the best pound-for-pound fighter ever. His record and the way he fought make a strong case.