Not many boxers have ever oozed the same confidence that Muhammad Ali had when he stepped through the ropes.
The heavyweight icon is regarded by many as being the best boxer to ever lace up a pair of gloves, proving exactly why he is known to many as ‘The Greatest.’
His illustrious career saw him becoming a three-time world heavyweight champion, with many boxers already beaten before they stepped into the ring to face Ali due to his brashness and assertive nature.
One man who shared a lot of respect for Ali was boxing trainer Cus D’Amato, who met Ali when he was a teenager and helped guide him, though was never in the corner for any of his fights.
One of D’Amato’s proteges was Teddy Atlas, and the legendary trainer-turned-analyst has revealed on his YouTube channel a conversation he once had with his mentor about another fighter who shared the same supreme confidence that Ali did.
“Cus D’Amato once said ‘Teddy, very few people get what I call supreme confidence where they really believe no one can beat them. ‘I only saw two’ he told me. ‘Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. They really believe you couldn’t beat them.'”
Robinson’s magnificent career speaks for itself, with his record at one stage reading 129 wins, 1 draw and 2 draws, going on a 91-fight unbeaten streak during that time.
When he finally hung up the gloves, Robinson’s final record stood at 174 wins from 201 fights, 109 of those wins coming by knockout, so it is clear to see exactly why D’Amato felt he had such high confidence in his own ability.
