But it was at middleweight that they met for the sixth and final time. It was there, in a Harlem gym, that he was first introduced to boxing. At the start of 1951, Ray Robinson was 29 years old and had been a professional 11 years, with 120 victories to his name, against just a solitary defeat. Sugar Ray Robinson was the idol of another boxing great. [25] Outside the ring, Robinson got into trouble frequently as a youth, and was involved with a street gang. Robinson served in the US Army during World War II. He argued with superiors who he felt were discriminatory against him, and refused to fight exhibitions when he was told African American soldiers were not allowed to watch them. Aside from a hitch in the Army, Robinson's World War II life was marked by . He later wrote that unfair press coverage of the incident had "branded" him as a "deserter". The Golden Gloves is an award given to the best amateur boxers in a city that started in the 1920s. He won his first Golden Gloves title (featherweight) in 1939, and then repeated the accomplishment in 1940. On February 27, 1943, Robinson was inducted into the United States Army, where he was again referred to as Walker Smith. He did just that and outlasted the aging Robinson, who, despite opening a cut over Pender's eye in the eighth round, was largely ineffective in the later rounds. That was even before he officially turned pro, which might be confusing. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. He lost a 10-round decision to Jake LaMotta in 1943, then extended his record to 128-1-2, with 84 knockouts, while ruling the . Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. With LaMotta offering nothing in reply, Robinson mercilessly unloaded a furious assault in the 13th. He was able to fight almost any style: he could come out one round brawling, the next counterpunching, and the next fighting on the outside flicking his jab. Sugar Ray Robinson turned pro in 1940 and won his first 40 fights. On This Day In 1958 - The Magnificent Sugar Ray Robinson Becomes A Five-Time Middleweight King! With little money Robinson helped his mother save for an apartment by earning change dancing for strangers in Times Square the Smiths built their new life in a section of Harlem dominated by flophouses and gangsters. In 1999, the Associated Press named Robinson the Fighter of the Century. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). LaMotta won 83 of 106 paid bouts, was world middleweight champion between 1949 and 1951 and made two defences. A 125 favorite, the 41-year-old Robinson defeated the 22-year-old Moyer by staying on the outside, rather than engaging him. [26] Robinson won five of his six bouts with LaMotta. He is considered by many authorities to have been the best fighter in history. But family strains, including both of his parents becoming ill, forced his hand, and not long after the Olympics, he started fighting again. . [97] Robinson was also ranked as the number 1 welterweight and the number 1 pound-for-pound boxer of all time by the International Boxing Research Organization. Sugar Ray Robinson (born Walker Smith Jr ., May 3, 1921 - April 12, 1989) was one of the greatest boxing legends of the 20th century. [30] Robinson then won four more fights, including two against Izzy Jannazzo, from October 19 to December 14. This time, though, Sugar had a little too much fun. In the late 1960s he acted in some television shows, like Mission: Impossible. After about three years, the decline of his businesses and the lack of success in his performing career made him decide to return to boxing. They fought six times over nine years and it pitched contrasting styles against each other: LaMotta, known as the Bronx Bull, was a rugged brawler while Robinson was a slick boxing genius based in Harlem. In 2011, Leonard performed on the hit ABC show Dancing with the Stars (season 12), competing against Ralph Macchio, Wendy Williams and Hines Ward, among several other celebrities. [89] He possessed tremendous versatilityaccording to boxing analyst Bert Sugar, "Robinson could deliver a knockout blow going backward. Born: May 3rd, 1921 in Detriot, Michigan. A year later, he defended his title against Paul Pender. Robinson was named "fighter of the year" twice: first for his performances in 1942, then nine years and over 90 fights later, for his efforts in 1951. Later that year, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. #sugarrayrobinson #jimmydoyle #boxing #knockout #boxingmindset #boxingdrills #fyp #fighting #fighter". Robinson got into trouble several times while in the military. Robinson knocked out Bob Young in the second round in Boston in his only fight in 1959. [15][16], Renowned for his classy and flamboyant lifestyle outside the ring,[17] Robinson is credited with being the originator of the modern sports "entourage". The couple had one son, Ronnie, and divorced when Robinson was 19. Death Year: 1989, Death date: April 12, 1989, Death State: California, Death City: Culver City, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Sugar Ray Robinson Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/sugar-ray-robinson, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: April 13, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. Throughout his 25-year-long career, Sugar Ray only lost 19 out of 202 matches. "I felt it in me, and I had to keep going.". Sugar Ray Robinson's professional boxing career spanned more than 25 years from 1940 to 1965. The only boxer to match Robinson that year was Henry Brimm, who fought him to a 10-round draw in Buffalo. Robinson served with Joe Louis, and the pair went on tours with the Special Services division where they performed exhibition bouts in front of U.S. Army troops. According to several books, Sugar Ray Robinson - a bona fide international superstar - was having a wonderful time in Europe until he stepped into the ring with Randy Turpin #OnThisDay in 1951. [68] The two judges gave the fight to Robinson by wide margins: 7264 and 7164. Sugar Ray Robinson was born in 1921. 3 Sugar Ray Robinson: Personal Life and Idols 4 Sugar Ray Robinson: Boxing Style 5 Sugar Ray Robinson: Amateur Career 6 Sugar Ray Robinson: Professional Career & Summary 7 Sugar Ray Robinson vs Jake LaMotta (I-V) Robinson spent the rest of the 1960s fighting 10-round contests. One of boxing's most beloved and successful fighters, Sugar Ray Leonard was born Ray Charles Leonard on May 17, 1956, in Wilmington, North Carolina. [54] He was a hero in France due to his recent defeat of LaMottathe French hated LaMotta for defeating Marcel Cerdan in 1949 and taking his championship belt (Cerdan died in a plane crash en route to a rematch with LaMotta). Dave Jacobs, a former boxer, and Janks Morton volunteered as boxing coaches. Historian Bert Sugar ranked Robinson as the greatest fighter of all time and in 2002, Robinson was also ranked number one on The Ring magazine's list of "80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years". In 1961, Robinson and Fullmer fought for a fourth time, with Fullmer retaining the WBA middleweight title by a unanimous decision. [68] The first fight won the "Fight of the Year" award from The Ring magazine for 1957 and the second fight won the "Fight of the Year" award for 1958. He then borrowed another boxer's license, and made his debut. [24], Robinson made his professional debut on October 4, 1940, winning by a second-round stoppage over Joe Echevarria. In 1973, the fruits of his labor started to pay off. Robinson had a flashy, pink convertible Cadillac for which he was well-known in New York. Sugar Ray Robinson was born Walker Smith, Jr. in Ailey, Georgia, on May 3, 1921. At the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, he vaulted to celebrity status by overcoming severe hand injuries to win the gold medal in the light-welterweight (139-pound) division. Robinson was the best man at the wedding. Sugar Ray was adored in Paris, and his brutal, second-round destruction of Stock did nothing to turn the French fans off (they saw their countryman savaged by Sugars masterful handiwork, Stock being sent down three times). He was known to have an entourage that included trainers, models, secretaries, a barber, and even a masseur. [41] In 1950 Robinson fought George Costner, who had also taken to calling himself "Sugar" and stated in the weeks leading up to the fight that he was the rightful possessor of the name. "[90] Robinson was efficient with both hands, and he displayed a variety of effective punchesaccording to a Time article in 1951, "Robinson's repertoire, thrown with equal speed and power by either hand, includes every standard punch from a bolo to a hookand a few he makes up on the spur of the moment. [36] Robinson maintained his close friendship with Louis from their time in military service, and the two went into business together after the war. He won the National Golden Gloves that year, and a year later, he was crowned the national Amateur Athletic Union champion. Their son, Ronnie Smith, was born in 1939. But New York proved rough in other ways. Robinson initially backed out of the fight because he had a dream that he was going to kill Doyle. In 1948 Robinson fought five times, but only one bout was a title defense. . Some of the boxers who were able to beat him, in addition to LaMotta, were Randy Turpin, Joey Maxim, Gene Fullmer, and Paul Pender. Boxing News On This Day In 1950: The Great Sugar Ray Robinson Warms Up For LaMotta With European Tour, On This Day: The First Ike Williams - Beau Jack War (and perhaps the most criminally late stoppage in boxing history), On This Day: John L. Sullivan And Jake Kilrain Battle It Out For 75 Rounds In The Last Ever Bareknuckle Title Fight, On This Day In 1950: The Great Sugar Ray Robinson Warms Up For LaMotta With European Tour, Zab Judah reveals Mike Tyson knocking teeth out in sparring for Roy Jones Jr. Could An Oscar De La Hoya Gennady Golovkin Fight Really Happen? [50] However, the move up would also prove beneficial financially, as the division then contained some of the biggest names in boxing. LaMotta, now 94, has retold his version of events over and over, but the punchlines have never gone flat. Robinson won 40 consecutive professional fights before losing to Jake LaMotta in one of their six battles. Despite Robinson's efforts, Pender won by decision in that rematch. Seven years later, they relocated to a permanent home in Palmer Park, Maryland. [19] Robinson was the youngest of three children; his eldest sister Marie was born in 1917, and his other sister Evelyn in 1919. How to fix boxing: Why is it so difficult to make the 'big fights'? In 201 professional bouts, he had 109 knockouts. Nowadays, a superstar of Robinsons ilk would have had just one tune-up bout ahead of the expected war that was a sixth fight with The Bronx Bull. How tougher, how much more demanding the sport was even for superstars back in the golden age that was the 1950s. "For some reason, I wanted it to so bad," he told Sports Illustrated in 1979. Outside of the ring, Robinson relished his celebrity, parading around Harlem with a pink Cadillac and making appearances at his high-profile Harlem nightclub. "You don't think. Leonard retired in 1984, but a few years later, in 1987, stepped back into the ring to upset "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler for the middleweight crown. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. James Emerson Delaney (August 12, 1924 - June 25, 1947), known professionally as Jimmy Doyle, was a welterweight boxer who died later in the hospital . Leonard soon became obsessed with boxing, and with perfecting his skills in the sport. In 1957 Robinson lost his title to Gene Fullmer. According to Ray Robinson Jr., when Robinson Sr's mother died, he could not attend his mother's funeral because Millie was drugging and controlling him. Robinson inspired Ali's famous matador style, which he used to defeat Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title in 1964. Omissions? Andy Cruz makes Pro Debut This Saurday in Detroit! They fought each other a total of six times, with Robinson only being defeated once. When Leonard was 3 years old, he and his family moved to Washington, D.C. Leonard, however, was determined not to succumb to his surroundings. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Patrick Mahomes, 7 Facts about Top NBA Prospect Victor Wembanyama, Brittney Griner Advocates for Other Detainees, Michael Jordan's 'Dream Team' Jacket Up for Bids. "He's the toughest guy I ever fought, I never knew anyone who was more aggressive and rough as he," Robinson said years later. He combined striking good looks[102] with charisma and a flair for the dramatic. Although this charismatic boxer was born Walker Smith Jr., he is best remembered as "Sugar" Ray Robinson. When he woke up on April 5 in Fort Jay Hospital on Governor's Island, he had missed his sailing for Europe and was under suspicion of deserting. He'd be middleweight champion five times in the next nine years, which included a brief retirement in 1952, followed by a comeback two years later. He won Golden Gloves titles as a featherweight in 1939 and as a lightweight in 1940. He fought in a very conventional way with a firm jab, but threw hooks and uppercuts in flurries in an unconventional way. "When I first started, I used to fight like .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Joe Frazier," Leonard once said. The foundation does not sponsor a boxing program. The fight would be Robinson's last title bout. After winning his second world title, he embarked on a European tour which took him all over the Continent. Robinson fought at both welterweight and middleweight, dominating both classes for several years. The battle had been a slaughter, for want of a more delicate word. In 2006, he was featured on a commemorative stamp by the United States Postal Service. On February 14, 1951, Robinson and LaMotta met for the sixth time. Every move you make starts with your heart, and that's in rhythm or you're in trouble. He was even knocked down and Hamill pointed out that Archer had no knockout punch at all; Archer admitted afterward that it was only the second time he had knocked an opponent down in his career. His victories included wins over Roberto Duran and Thomas Hearns. While Sugar Ray only became a pro in 1940, he was already a very successful athlete by that time. Robinson won the undisputed World Middleweight title with a 13th round technical knockout. All Rights Reserved. [25], He reportedly finished his amateur career with an 850 record with 69 knockouts 40 coming in the first round, though this has been disputed.
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