Sugar Ray Robinson

Template:Infoboxes BoxerSugar Ray Robinson, born Walker Smith Jr., (May 3, 1921 – April 12, 1989) is recognized as one of the greatest boxers of all time. He is frequently listed at number one on the list of top boxers by boxing aficionados. As a holder of many boxing records, Robinson was the first boxer in history to win a divisional world championship five times; a feat he accomplished by defeating Carmen Basilio in 1958 to regain the world middleweight title he had lost to Basilio the previous year. Robinson also held the world welterweight title from 1946 to 1951.

Many boxing fans and critics regard Robinson as, 'pound for pound', the best boxer of all time. Muhammad Ali, who repeatedly called himself "The Greatest," has said without hesitation that, while he considers himself the greatest heavyweight fighter, Robinson was the greatest fighter of all time. [1]

Early life

Robinson was born in Ailey, Georgia and grew up in Detroit and in Harlem. He was born Walker Smith Jr., and began boxing in Harlem shortly after he moved with his mother to New York City at the age of twelve. When he was fourteen years old, he attempted to enter his first boxing tournament but was told he needed to obtain a AAU membership card. Unfortunately, he couldn't get that until he was sixteen. He was forced borrow a card from his friend, Ray Robinson, and became the 1940 Golden Gloves lightweight champion under that name. He was told that his style was 'sweet as sugar' and thus became known as "Sugar" Ray Robinson.

Boxing Career

Robinson made his professional debut in 1940 by knocking out Joe Echevarria in 2 rounds. He built a record of 40 wins and 0 losses before losing for the first time to Jake LaMotta in a 10-round bout. This would be the second of six fights between these opponents. LaMotta dropped Robinson and won fight by decision. Robinson had won their first bout, and would go on to win the next four. Between his debut fight and the second LaMotta bout, Robinson had also beaten former world Champions Sammy Angott, Fritzie Zivic and Marty Servo. The only blemish on his record was a ten-round draw with Jose Basora in 1945. On December 20, 1946, Tommy Bell and Robinson were matched in New York City for the world welterweight title which was vacant at that time. Robinson became the world champion by beating Bell by decision in a15-round bout.

In 1947, Robinson defended his title for the first time by knocking out Jimmy Doyle in the eighth round. Before that fight, Robinson had a dream that he was going to accidentally kill Doyle in the ring. As a result, he decided to pull out of the fight. However, a priest talked to Robinson and convinced him to go ahead. Robinson did just that and, unfortunately, Doyle died from the injuries sustained in the fight that night.

In 1948, Robinson fought five times, but only one bout was a title defense. Among the fighters he defeated in those non-title bouts, was future world champion Kid Gavilan. In 1949, he boxed 16 times, and again only defended his title once. In a rematch with Gavilan, the challenger was again beaten on points. The only boxer to match Robinson that year was Henry Brimm, who fought him to a 10-round draw in Buffalo.

1950 brought 19 fights to Robinson. He successfully defended his welterweight title against Charley Fusari and beat Robert Villemain to receive the world middleweight title. In defence of that crown, he defeated Jose Basora and Carl Olson; a title holder at that weight whom Robinson would meet and beat four times. Robinson's 50-second knock-out of Basora in the rematch set a record that would stand for 38 years.

On February 14, 1951, Robinson and LaMotta met for the sixth time. The fight would become known as The St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Robinson won the undisputed world middleweight title with a 13th round technical knockout. After that, he embarked on his first European tour which would take him all over the Continent. During his fight in Berlin against Gerhard Hecht, Robinson was disqualified after hitting his opponent on the kidneys. The fight was later declared a no-contest. In London, he sensationally lost the world Middleweight title to Randy Turpin. Three months later in New York, he knocked Turpin out in ten rounds to recover the title.

1952 brought another bout with Olson which ended in another knock-out victory for Robinson. He would later face and defeat the former Champion, Rocky Graziano, in a 3-round thriller. Later that year, he challenged world light heavyweight champion Joey Maxim at Yankee Stadium. Robinson built a large lead but the 104-degree temperature inside the ring took its toll on the fast-moving Robinson. At the end of round 13, Robinson collapsed and failed to answer the bell for the next round, and suffered the only knock-out of his career.

After that bout, Robinson retired with a record of 131-3-1-1.

Later, in 1955, he returned to the ring winning five fights and losing one before challenging Olson for the world middleweight title. Robinson won the title for the third time with a two-round knock-out. In 1957 he lost his grip on the crown against Gene Fullmer but was able to win it back for a fourth time by knocking-out Fullmer in five rounds in the rematch. Boxing critics have referred to the infamous left-hook which knocked out Fullmer as The Perfect Punch. Later that year, his title went to Carmen Basilio. Robinson was to regain it for an amazing record fifth time by beating Basilio. The fight was decided by the judges that night in Chicago, Illinois.

Robinson's only bout in 1959 was against Bob Young in Boston which Robinson was victorious. A year later, he lost his title against Paul Pender.

An attempt to regain the crown for an unheard of sixth time proved beyond him. Despite Robinson's valiant efforts, Pender won by decision in that rematch. On December 3 of that year, Robinson and Fullmer fought a 15-round draw for the NBA middleweight title, which Fullmer retained.

In 1961, Robinson and Fullmer fought for a fourth time, with Fullmer retaining the WBA middleweight title by a unanimous decision in Robinson's last title bout.

The rest of the 1960s were spent fighting 10-round contests, including a victory over future world champion Denny Moyer and a loss to former world champion and fellow Hall of Famer Joey Giardello. Robinson also toured Europe once again. The end came in 1965, after another 14 bouts and a defeat to Joey Archer.

Sugar Ray Robinson retired from the ring with a record of 173-19-6-2 (108 KOs) in 200 professional bouts, ranking him among the most prolific knock-out kings of all time. In 2003, Ring magazine ranked him number eleven in the list of all-time greatest punchers in history. He is a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame and is featured on a 2006 United States postage stamp, [2], issued in a ceremony in 7 April 2006 in New York City.

A month after his last fight, he was honored with a Sugar Ray Robinson Night on December 10, 1965 in New York's Madison Square Garden. That night, he was honored with a massive trophy. Humorously, there wasn't a piece of furniture in his habby Manhattan apartment with legs strong enough to support it.

Death

Robinson suffered from diabetes mellitus and was a constant insulin user. During a period of Robinson's life, like fellow boxing legend Joe Louis, he had a problem with drug addiction. In Robinson's last years, he suffered from Alzheimer's disease. He died in Los Angeles at the age of 67 and was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California.

Trivia

Legend has it that a young aspiring boxer walked into Robinson's restaurant in Harlem and asked for an autograph, which Robinson refused to give. So frustrated was the young man that he swore never to deny anyone an autograph if he ever became a champion. This person is alleged to be Cassius Clay.

He was elected to the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1967, two years after he retired.

In 1969 he founded the Sugar Ray Robinson Youth Foundation for inner-city Los Angeles area. The foundation did not sponsor a boxing program.

Robinson says that Ray Leonard asked him when he was starting out if he minded him using the name Sugar Ray. Robinson told him it was okay.

He's also mentioned in Billy Joel's history themed song "We Didn't Start the Fire" ("Sugar Ray").

See also

• List of male boxers
• List of notable boxing rivalries
• Ring Magazine pound for pound

External links

• Sugar Ray Robinson's career boxing record