Sugar Ray Robinson

Sugar Ray Robinson (May 3, 1921 – April 12, 1989) . Frequently cited as the
greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances at the welterweight and
middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound"
rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight.

He turned professional in 1940 at the age of 19 and by 1951 had a professional
record of 128-1-2 with 84 knockouts.

Robinson was named the greatest fighter of the 20th century by the Associated
Press, and the greatest boxer in history by ESPN.com in 2007. The Ring magazine
rated him the best pound for pound boxer of all-time in 1997, and its "Fighter of
the Decade" for the 1950s. Muhammad Ali, who repeatedly called himself "The

Greatest" throughout his career, ranked Robinson as the greatest boxer of all
time. Other Hall of Fame boxers such as Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Leonard said the
same.