Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1921, Sugar Ray Robinson

Sugar Ray Robinson elevated boxing to art worthy of being called 'The Sweet Science.' While boxers before him relied on power and durability, Robinson dominated through speed, timing, and angles.

Born in 1921 in Detroit, Michigan, he grew up in Harlem, New York. His amateur record was a staggering 85-0 (69 KOs). Turning professional in 1940, he won his first 40 consecutive fights and quickly rose to the top of the welterweight division.

Robinson's style was revolutionary for his era. He used footwork to control the ring, jabs to manage distance, and slips and weaves to evade attacks with minimal movement. When he found an opening, he finished opponents with six or eight-punch combinations of breathtaking speed and accuracy.

He became welterweight champion in 1946 and middleweight champion in 1951. He won the middleweight title five times over a 23-year career, compiling a record of 175-19-6 with 109 knockouts. His six legendary battles against Jake LaMotta - the ultimate in sporting rivalries - were immortalized in the film 'Raging Bull.'

Outside the ring, Robinson was also a pioneer. He operated nightclubs and barbershops in Harlem, becoming a role model for Black athletes as businessmen. His lifestyle - pink Cadillacs, personal entourage - was the prototype for the 'Money' style later embodied by Floyd Mayweather.

After retirement, he suffered financially and developed Alzheimer's disease, dying in 1989 at sixty-seven. Yet the very concept of 'pound-for-pound greatest' was created to describe Robinson, and as boxing's ultimate technical achievement, his name endures forever.