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I believe that for the Robinson who took the middleweight title from Lamotta, Basilio or Fullmer would have been a standard night's work. Not to demean those men, for I think they were great champions that I respect. However, I see the difference in Robby's mobility from Basilio on. Too many retirements and too many fights, preiod.
The earlier Robinson would not have had to stand in the trenches with those bulls after only a few rounds. He would have evaded most of their rushes and charged them heavily for carelessness. I am confident he would have beaten the alacrity out them a good four rounds earlier than the impossible Lamotta gave out. In the meantime they would have given him decent fights, that is about all, some more KO's for his highlight reel. Fullmer gave up one KO anyway, and Basilio came within a hair of giving up a TKO.
The earlier Robinson would not have had to stand in the trenches with those bulls after only a few rounds. He would have evaded most of their rushes and charged them heavily for carelessness. I am confident he would have beaten the alacrity out them a good four rounds earlier than the impossible Lamotta gave out. In the meantime they would have given him decent fights, that is about all, some more KO's for his highlight reel. Fullmer gave up one KO anyway, and Basilio came within a hair of giving up a TKO.