2. Sugar Ray Robinson (173-19-6, 108 KO)
Photo by Olen News
The greatest pound-for-pound fighter to walk the earth, Sugar Ray Robinson spent half of his career within the welterweight limit despite fighting heavier opponents for most of it. He ran a gauntlet of 40 fights against future champions and future Hall of Famers at welterweight and middleweight, before meeting his storied rival, Jake LaMotta, in a rematch that gave him the first loss of his career.
World War II disrupted Robinson’s fast track to the welterweight title, as he and the champion at the time were both enlisted. After Robinson’s strange and inexplicable discharge, he bided his time until he could challenge for the Welterweight belt.
Robinson won the vacant Welterweight title over Tommy Bell via decision and defended the title five times over the next five years. Robinson sporadically fought middleweights and even attempted to take the middleweight title while holding the welterweight crown. Robinson soon vacated the title and moved up to challenge LaMotta’s middleweight supremacy, which he did convincingly.
