re: Best athlete you've ever competed against?

Back in the late 60's I was in high school and got into amateur boxing and the small gym I was training out of had just a few guys who were training that were my size (140 lbs.) at the time.

So, the man training us brought some of us up to St. Mary's Gym in the French Quarter since it was one of the best, and most popular boxing gyms in the city at the time. A couple times I got tossed into the ring with a very good amateur who eventually turned pro and amassed a 60-7-4 record before retiring. Even though we were no more than 6 months apart in age, he was light years ahead of me in training and endurance. The young man's name was Tony Licata and sparring against him really drove home how important conditioning is in the sport of boxing. After 3 rounds of sparring I was gassed and he was ready for several more.

He won the NABF Middleweight title in 74, fought for the WBA Middleweight Title in 75--losing by KO to Carlos Monzon in Madison Square Garden and went on to win the U.S. Middleweight title in 76 before finally retiring in 80.

Unfortunately, boxing did take a toll on Tony and he suffered from pugilistic dementia later in life and died at the young age of 56.