Sugar Ray Leonard believes there is only one correct answer when it comes to the greatest of all time.
The debate over the best ever fighter is one that has raged on for decades, with Leonard’s name often mentioned by fans due to the incredible achievements from his own career.
He won three titles in five divisions, and was a member of the illustrious ‘Four Kings’ alongside Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler.
Leonard was the only man to beat each of the other three, and due to that success, he is sometimes compared to a namesake of his in fellow icon Sugar Ray Robinson, but it seems that comparison may not suit everybody.
That is because in a feature with ESPN, Leonard disputed that likeness, claiming that Robinson is in a league of his own when it comes to being the best.
“Someone once said there was a comparison between Sugar Ray Leonard and Sugar Ray Robinson. Believe me, there’s no comparison. Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest.”
It’s hard to argue with Leonard’s assessment, as Robinson had a remarkable career which saw him hold the world welterweight title for five years, before claiming world middleweight honours on multiple occasions.
At one stage, Robinson had a professional record of 129 wins, 1 defeat and 2 draws, putting together a 91-fight unbeaten streak during that period.
When he finally hung up the gloves in 1965, Robinson’s final record read 174 wins from 201 fights, making it clear just why he is held in such high regard throughout the boxing community.
