Former pound-for-pound superstar Oscar De La Hoya has revealed who he believes is the greatest fighter in boxing history.
Known by his moniker ‘The Golden Boy’, De La Hoya had an accomplished professional career of his own which culminated in him capturing multiple world titles in six weight classes.
The Mexican-American great enjoyed the majority of his success during the late 1990s into the early 2000s where he racked up victories over the likes of Pernell Whitaker, Hector Camacho and Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.
De La Hoya did suffer his fair share of defeats however, with the sixth loss of his career coming in December 2008 when he was outclassed by Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas, a bout that would prove to be the last of his career.
Speaking to ESNEWS, De La Hoya spoke fondly of the late, great Sugar Ray Robinson as he claims the two-weight world champion is the greatest fighter to have ever laced up a pair of gloves.
“Sugar Ray Robinson is the greatest of all time! That’s basically it, look at this here [his shirt] all the weight divisions, hardest puncher, best footwork, he would fight multiple times a month, took on the very best, took on the toughest challenges. Sugar Ray Robinson, he’s literally the GOAT.”
Robinson had a professional career to remember, winning world titles at both welterweight and middleweight during his 201-fight tenure which spanned between 1940 and 1965.
The American icon produced a number of legacy-defining victories along the way, defeating the likes of Jake LaMotta and Henry Armstrong prior to his retirement from the sport.
