Pound for pound, let's take a look at ten of the greatest boxers of all time. Let's start with former welterweight and middleweight champion “Sugar” Ray Robinson, with a record of 174-19-6 with 109 knockouts. He turned professional in October 1940, and went on to win his first 40 bouts, scoring 30 by knockout.
In September 1941, Robinson defeated Marty Cervo by a score of 40-0-2. He then defeated two-time former world champion Fritze Zivic with a score of 111-26-5. In October of 1942, he improved to 36-0, defeating Jake “Bronx Bull” LaMotta, 25-4-2. In February 1943, Robinson lost for the first time in a rematch with him. Three weeks later, Robinson won the rematch. He would defeat LaMotta in 4 of 5 matches
In December 1946, Robinson won the NBA welterweight title, defeating Tommy Bell by a score of 39-10-3. In June 1947, he won the world title, defeating Jimmy Doyle 42-6-3.
In February of 1951, Robinson, 121-1-2, stopped then middleweight champion LaMotta, 78-14-3. In July 1951, he lost to Randy Turpin, 40-2-1, in the UK. Two months later, he regained the title, stopping Turpin at the Polo Grounds, New York.
In June 1952, Robinson attempted to win the light heavyweight title over Joey Maxim, going 78-18-4 after 13 rounds by a score of 10-3, 9-3-1, 7-3-3. Referee Robbie Goldstein was replaced due to the temperature reaching 104 degrees. Robinson, 133-2-2, was unable to exit the fourteenth round. The rest is history going 41-17-4 and he has clearly been active for a very long time.
The second is Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, 149-21-10 with 99 knockouts, and holding featherweight, welterweight and lightweight at the same time.
His first world title win was in October 1937, when he knocked out NBA featherweight champion Petey Saron, 107-21-13, at Madison Square Garden, New York.
In May 1938, Armstrong won the world welterweight title, defeating Barney Ross, 74-3-3, at the Madison Square Garden Bowl, Long Island City, New York.
In August 1938, Armstrong won the lightweight title by split decision over Lou Ambers, 75-5-7, in Madison Square Garden, New York. He lost a rematch to Lou Ambers, 84-6-7, in June of 1939.
In September 1940, Robinson lost his welterweight title in straight fights to Fritze Zivic, 100-24-5.
