From Manny Pacquiao to Marvelous Marvin Hagler, the top 10 greatest fighters in the mind of the late Emanuel Steward was an illustrious group.
The legendary trainer –– who sadly passed away aged 68 in October 2012 –– was one of boxing’s true savants, guiding Thomas Hearns and Lennox Lewis to championship glory and serving as a long-time analyst on HBO Boxing alongside Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman.
Having been around the sport for several decades, the West Virginia–born Steward once shared his top 10 greatest fighters of all time in an interview with journalist James Slater, each supported with a brief line of justification.
Panamanian phenom and multi-weight world champion Roberto Durán kicked off the list at number 10. Above him sat names that would grace any boxing Mount Rushmore, including Joe Louis, George Foreman and Muhammad Ali. But Steward’s number one belonged to a historic, near-mythic figure with more than 200 fights: Sugar Ray Robinson. Steward explained his choice with a simple message.
“The best welterweight ever! A phenomenal record at a time when records were real!”
It isn’t just Steward who views Robinson as the greatest of all time, with many boxing fans also holding the same view. Robinson enjoyed a five-year reign as world welterweight champion before moving to middleweight, where he won the world title multiple times.
Blessed with an exceptional skillset, Robinson beat the best across a number of weight classes and –– in an era far removed from today’s catchweights –– often entered the ring at a size disadvantage yet still beat the bigger man.
