Famed trainer, commentator and fight analyst Teddy Atlas recently listed what he believes to be the top 10 welterweight fighters in boxing history.
Known for his knowledge of the history of the fight game, Atlas’ opinion is one of the most respected in the sport and, with the rich history of the welterweight scene, he had a host of legends to pick from when determining whom he believes to have been the greatest.
In the modern era, stars such as Floyd Mayweather, Felix Trinidad and Terence Crawford have competed at 157; none of those three men losing a fight at the weight.
However, the division goes much deeper, and speaking on his YouTube channel, the Atlas opted for a more traditional pick, declaring ‘Sugar’ Ray Robinson to be the standout and explaining why the Ailey-born phenomenon should have conquered a third division.
“[He] may be the greatest fighter of all time, Sugar Ray Robinson. 173 wins, 19 losses, most of ‘em when he was old, six draws, 108 knockouts. That is a lot of knockouts. That is a lot of fights.
“He had a 91-fight unbeaten streak – that is pretty good. Those losses, like I said, most of ‘em came when he was old, way beyond his prime. Welter and middleweight champ, he would have won the light-heavyweight title too.
“He was fighting [Joey Maxim] at Yankee Stadium, it was about 105 degrees in the ring on a summer night outdoors in June. The referee got carried out earlier from heat prostration, he got carried out of the ring – it was that hot, it was that brutal.
“I forget what round it was, it was a very late round [13] and Robinson collapsed. He was ahead in the fight, he was going to win the light-heavyweight title and he collapsed from heat prostration, just like the referee had done four or five rounds earlier.”
Robinson never fought at 175lbs again during his professional career, retiring as one of, if not, the most extraordinary and dominant welterweight and middleweight rulers to have graced the sport.
