FIGHT OF FANTASY: SUGAR RAY ROBINSON
A move to junior middleweight yielded another title before he dared to be great in jumping to super middleweight, where he won a third undisputed championship against Canelo Alvarez. The boxing IQ on display in Robinson vs. Crawford would be off the charts. It would be a high-class chess match in which any mistake by one would be punished by the other. Who would reign supreme if they collided in a mythical matchup at middleweight?
and that’s why this would be a great matchup. There’s going to be a lot of fireworks in a fight like that because they want to win. I lean towards Robinson because of footwork; he knows how to get in and out without getting touched, and he would make Terence throw punches and then counter over the top. And when Terence wants to come back, Robinson won’t be there. I don’t see there being a knockout. I would say Robinson by points.” Prediction: Robinson PTS
PAULIE MALIGNAGGI Former two-weight world titleholder “I think guys in that era need to be credited with laying the building blocks and foundation of the sport and carrying it in the heyday. Robinson is loved by boxing historians. I think he revolutionized the sport in his time with his athletic style; he had power and explosiveness that a lot of guys couldn’t put together at that time. Having said that, I am one of those that also views the sport as athletes get better and better. “I look at Robinson, and he has a lot of weapons that guys in those days didn’t have but guys since then do have, and guys since then have other weapons as well. Crawford can fight out of both stances, also level changes; there’s not really any level changes or changes of looks on the part of Robinson. He gave you one look and one level the entire time. He’s very fast and very strong, but again: A smart fighter will hone in on a target that doesn’t change. Today, I think you have to have more options. And that’s not to say Robinson wouldn’t have implemented those things if he fought today. “I see Crawford as a more complete fighter. Does that mean he wins? I’m not sure. There are wild card variables that can go either way – sometimes Crawford has the advantage, sometimes Robinson has the advantage. Gun to my head, I pick Crawford on points.” Prediction: Crawford PTS Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at elraincoat@live.co.uk, and you can follow him on X @AnsonWainwr1ght.
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RONNIE SHIELDS Acclaimed trainer
STEVE KIM 3 Knockdown Rule Podcast
“It’s a great matchup. Sugar Ray Robinson was fast. He had the best footwork in boxing during that time, but it would [also] really work for him today, and it would be hard for guys [given Robinson’s] footwork and the hand speed to even lay a glove on him. He’d have been tough for anybody; I don’t care who it was. He was really good. He just had everything – offense, defense, always in shape. He had the stamina to just do anything he wanted to do. “I think Terence was always special. He comes from a different mold from guys that fight today. He’s got that old-school mentality. He works hard. He doesn’t struggle with weight, always in shape, ready to go. Terence can fight southpaw, orthodox. To fight Terence Crawford, you have to be ready; you have to prepare for a southpaw and a right-hander. You know he’s a guy that does everything right; he doesn’t make mistakes. It’s very, very difficult to beat this guy. “Both guys are going to punch. They’re not going to wait for the other,
“This would be a pairing of two incredibly well-rounded craftsmen who also possess incredible toughness. The intangible that both have is elite toughness and a competitive spirit that very few have. But keep this in mind: Robinson is the naturally bigger fighter in this matchup. Crawford would make things difficult with his ability to switch-hit (and to my knowledge, Robinson didn’t face all that many southpaws) and his counterpunching skills. “But when it’s all said and done, Robinson is thought of by many as the greatest pound-for-pound fighter who ever lived. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t – or wouldn’t – do inside the ring. I see a fight that is very tactical early, with both men being relatively cautious. By the middle rounds, things would loosen up and there would be some heated exchanges. In the late rounds, it would become a battle of wills. In the end, I think Robinson’s power would edge the fight in his favor.” Prediction: Robinson PTS
TERENCE CRAWFORD By Anson Wainwright
L et’s imagine a matchup between arguably the greatest to ever lace up a pair of boxing gloves and a modern-day great coming off his finest performance and whose stock has never been higher. Sugar Ray Robinson’s superlative skills saw him win the welterweight title in the mid-1940s and later step up to middleweight, where he went on to become a five-time world champion. During that time, he beat fellow future Hall of Famers Jake LaMotta (in five of their six meetings), Carl “Bobo” Olson, Randy Turpin, Gene Fullmer and Carmen Basilio. In his prime, he was nigh untouchable, and even
when the magic had dulled, it still took something special to beat the man who could do just about everything inside the squared circle. Over 40 years after Robinson’s final fight, Crawford turned professional. The early part of his career took place away from the bright lights, but after he stepped in on three days’ notice to best Breidis Prescott on HBO, he never looked back. He later won the WBO and Ring titles at lightweight and went double undisputed at junior welterweight and welterweight. He surgically took apart his biggest rival, Errol Spence Jr., in nine one-sided rounds.
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