Given The Chance's Could Of Charley Burley Been As Great As Ray Robinson?

[Southpaw Great]

Say if Burley would of got given the chances & fights he deserved could of he have been as great as Robinson?

Eddie Futch said he was the greatest fighter he ever saw. And Archie Moore said he was the greatest he ever fought.

[StarshipTrooper]

Say if Burley would of got given the chances & fights he deserved could of he have been as great as Robinson?

Eddie Futch said he was the greatest fighter he ever saw. And Archie Moore said he was the greatest he ever fought.

I have a hard time imagining anyone being better than Robinson. That being said, Burley was certainly great in his own right and is finally getting his due thanks to gentleman like Futch and Moore. Great fighter who could hold his own with anyone. Anyone leaving him off a top-10 Middlweight list is just flat out wrong.

Poet

[NChristo]

I have a hard time imagining anyone being better than Robinson. That being said, Burley was certainly great in his own right and is finally getting his due thanks to gentleman like Futch and Moore. Great fighter who could hold his own with anyone. Anyone leaving him off a top-10 Middlweight list is just flat out wrong.

Poet

I'd say he's top 15 not 10, another MW who may of become just as great but wasn't given the privileges and doesn't seem to get his due is Eddie Booker who Burley said would of been his toughest opponent had they fought, thought I'd mention him.

He'd obviously be remembered as a greater boxer then he is now but like Poet said, I'm having a hard time in imagining him becoming as great as Robinson

[StarshipTrooper]

I'd say he's top 15 not 10, another MW who may of become just as great but wasn't given the privileges and doesn't seem to get his due is Eddie Booker who Burley said would of been his toughest opponent had they fought, thought I'd mention him.

He'd obviously be remembered as a greater boxer then he is now but like Poet said, I'm having a hard time in imagining him becoming as great as Robinson

Booker is one, Holman Williams is another.....there were a number of really great black Middleweights during that period. I personally rate Burley 6th all-time at Middleweight with Holman Williams at 15.

Poet

[Obama]

Pretty easy to keep him out the top 10 MWs if you allow yourself to rate fighters in multiple weight divisions. I'd say he'd make the top 10 for sure if he didn't fail to beat Ezzard Charles. To be honest the man was a small MW and a superior WW.

And as a MW Archie Moore was probably the weakest of the Black Murderer's Row.

For whatever reason the man was a far superior LHW. Then again his opposition was better at MW, that is while he was still relatively young.

[McGoorty]

I have a hard time imagining anyone being better than Robinson. That being said, Burley was certainly great in his own right and is finally getting his due thanks to gentleman like Futch and Moore. Great fighter who could hold his own with anyone. Anyone leaving him off a top-10 Middlweight list is just flat out wrong.

Poet

Burley was probably there based on his ability but in a Top 10 based on acheivement and Title reigns and popular fame Charley through no fault of his own ( remember Basilio and LaMotta's troubles with the mob, well I think Burley was a BIG victim, that bastard Carbo.) poor Charley ( and how many others ?) were too honest. As for comparing to ROBBO it's a big stretch, while Burley had some big names other than Archie Moore on his DONE list, Sugar Ray fought at least 40 name fighters most of them GREAT.