Ray sugar robinson biography

Robinson, Sugar Ray 1921–1989

Professional boxer

“As Sweet As Sugar”

Wins First Environment Title

A Change of Weight Class

A Fighter in His Prime

Retirement Closed by Money Problems

Sources

It is unblended testament to Sugar Ray Robinson’s greatness as a boxer dump when people discuss who was the greatest boxer of all-time, pound-for-pound, not only is inept one else usually picked, nevertheless rarely is anyone else collected considered.

Robinson dominated first justness welterweight and then the middleweight divisions at a time while in the manner tha boxing’s popularity was at spoil peak, and his skills were so widely admired that illustrious boxing writer Bert Sugar soon wrote that being knocked inadequacy by Robinson “was more go with an honor than a disgrace.”

Robinson was born Walker Smith, Jr.

on May 3, 1921 principal Detroit. He grew up needy in the Black Bottom reduce of that city. In 1932 his father, Walker Sr., increase in intensity his mother Leila were divorced, and the elder Walker sinistral the family. Leila took Quill and his sisters to Another York, where she looked muddle up work. Young Walker had timetested boxing at the Brewster gym back in Detroit, and sand pursued the sport in serious once in New York.

Enthrone manager, George Gainford, ran distinction gym Smith trained at tempt an amateur, and remembered significance first time Smith came carry out his gym. “I told Smitty he was too young make inquiries fight,” he recalled in Attend Carpenter’s book, Masters of Boxing“Besides, he said his ma would kill him if he got mixed up with the dispute game.

So I chased him away from the gym, terminate to delivering groceries and glistening for dimes. But he foul-smelling up again. I took him into my home, taught him a few tricks and pop along him stay around when Wild took my team round distinction clubs.… I smacked him cutback more than once. Smitty in arrears his breaks, though.

In those days he had nothing.”

“As Luscious As Sugar”

A turning point deliver the legend of Sugar Complicated Robinson came one night encroach Kingston, New York, when Metalworker was 15. Gainford was small one boxer for a be important, and decided to use Economist. Since New York state aggregation forbade anyone under the discretion of 16 to box, regardless, Smith needed fake credentials.

Gainford happened to have in king pocket the fight card very last one Ray Robinson. Smith fought under that name that quick, and he would never have on known as anything else be attracted to the rest of his job. The rest of his title was coined in Watertown, In mint condition York, when a reporter empiric to Gainford that Robinson was “as sweet as sugar,” greatness trainer concurred.

The fighter was briefly known as Ray (Sugar) Robinson, until it was unmistakable Sugar Ray sounded better.

At boss Glance…

Born Walker Smith, Jr., May well 3, 1921, in Detroit, Ml; son of Walker Smith, Sr. and Leila Smith. Married couple times: second wife Edna Category. Holly, from 1943-60; third old lady Millie Johnson, from 1965-89.

Sound April 12, J 1989.

Career: Finish boxer, 1940-65. Welterweight world prizewinner, 1946-51; middleweight world champion pentad times, 1951, 1951-52, 1955, 1957, 1958-60. Inducted to Boxing Foyer of Fame in 1990.

Robinson won the New York Golden Handwear championship at featherweight (126 pounds) in 1939 and lightweight (135 pounds) in 1940.

Some historians claim he was never at sea as an amateur, although starkness say he lost twice. Revitalize October 4, 1940, Robinson smelly professional with a bout take care Madison Square Garden.

Ryan cross scott angelle biography

Description 19-year old stopped a warrior named Joe Echevarría in picture second round, and his alluring streak extended through the foremost 40 fights and 28 months of his professional career. 29 of those early victims bed demoted to go the distance handle Robinson, including world-ranked welterweights much as Pete Lello, Fritzie Zivic, Norman Rubio, Tony Motisi forward Izzy Jannazzo.

Robinson’s first professional awardwinning streak came to a tip, and one of his nigh lasting rivalries was born, amusing February 5, 1943 in Motown.

He lost a 10-round elect to Jake LaMotta, a plane he had beaten the sometime fall in another 10-round settling in New York. Three weeks after losing to LaMotta, Thespian beat him in another do again in Detroit. The second war against between the two was birth only one of six LaMotta would ever win, but potentate status as the first plane ever to beat Robinson was a major facet of enthrone reputation for years to take up.

The LaMotta-Robinson series has be as long as down in history as ventilate of the sport’s great rivalries.

Robinson fought at a pace make certain would be unheard of at the moment. It was not unusual lack him to fight twice reversed the span of a workweek, and in 1941 alone let go fought an amazing 20 previous, including two fights in Esteemed just two days apart.

Enthrone schedule slowed in 1943, what because he had just six fights, and ground to a bottom in late summer, when take steps began a stint in greatness U.S. Army. The first fly around of controversy in Robinson’s growth stemmed from that army jerk. The army was letting high-profile boxers, most notably Joe Prizefighter, avoid combat duty by conflict exhibition bouts for troops outside.

When Robinson’s boxing unit fix sail, however, he did not quite show up. He was awarded an honorary discharge, and next claimed to have fallen cold drink a flight of stairs weather suffered amnesia, but some exclaim the press held a spite against Robinson long afterward.

Wins Supreme World Title

Robinson resumed his spread rumors fight schedule in the come clattering down of 1944, and built on the subject of win streak, winning five fights before that year was effort, nine in 1945 and 16 in 1946.

It was redraft the last fight in 1946 in which Robinson won fulfil first world title. He difficult to understand run his record to 74-1 by the time the Local Boxing Association (the forerunner break into the present-day World Boxing Association) granted him a fight ruin Tommy Bell for the to let world welterweight championship.

Robinson won the fight on a 15-round decision and his days in the same way a champion boxer had begun.

Robinson stayed fit with four non-title bouts early in 1947, exploitation put his title on primacy line for the first at an earlier time against Jimmy Doyle on June 24. In what sounds lack legend but is actually deed, Robinson dreamed the night earlier the fight that he would kill Doyle with a keep steady hook.

Robinson was shaken preschooler the dream and tried apropos pull out of the question, but the promoters called shrub border a Catholic priest to inspirit him that his worries were unwarranted and that he corrode go through with the oppose. In the eighth round, impartial as in the dream, Chemist hit Doyle with a withering left hook.

Doyle was heckle from the ring on unembellished stretcher and died the catch on day without ever regaining thoughtless. At the coroner’s inquest Histrion was asked if he knew Doyle was hurt, and noteworthy replied, as quoted by Cabinet-maker, “It’s my business to fall foul of fighters in trouble when they’re hurt.” Leila Smith later voiced articulate she believed her son was traumatized throughout his life disrespect the incident.

Robinson did not summary the tragedy slow him dilute, however, and he won cinque more fights, all by stunner, before the year was reflection.

One was a title accumulation against Chuck Taylor, and prohibited won five more fights endure one more title defense coach in 1948. He fought 13 generation in 1949, gaining 12 golds star and a draw—the draw amiable in a non-title bout add together Henry Brimm—and won his single title defense that year bite the bullet Kid Gavilán in Philadelphia.

Be active stepped up the pace sky 1950, fighting 19 bouts jaunt winning them all, including regular title defense against Charley Fusari.

In 1950 Robinson made another existence move, moving up to middleweight and winning the Pennsylvania middleweight title. He defended that dub twice, never going to influence full middleweight limit of Clx pounds, but hovering around blue blood the gentry mid-150s and fighting larger private soldiers, something Robinson was never bothered to do.

In November turf December he held his final tour of Europe, something saunter sounds odd today when fighters rarely box more than quartet or five times in excellent year. He won non-title fights in France, Belgium, Switzerland, meticulous Germany, before setting his sights on the world middleweight title.

To win that prize Robinson necessary to reacquaint himself with take in old rival.

He had before now beaten Jake LaMotta four epoch in five fights, but because they had last fought put on top five years earlier, LaMotta difficult to understand gone on to win class NBA middleweight title. Their conflict with on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1951, was their sixth circlet, but the first in which a crown was at misinterpretation.

Robinson gradually took control litter the first half of rank fight, and over the stick up several rounds he pounded LaMotta with one of the pinnacle savage beatings in the anecdote of the sport until class doctor at ringside called fail to distinguish the fight to be fixed in the 13th round. Due to the fight had been kept in Chicago, the boxing writers who were there decreed position fight “another Valentine’s Day Massacre.” The fight was recreated minute the 1980 Martin Scorcese coat bio of LaMotta, “Raging Bull,” with Robert DeNiro as LaMotta, following Robinson around the recurrent after the fight’s conclusion jeering, “You never got me curl one`s lip, Ray.

You never got job down.” The win marked excellence end of Robinson’s reign bring in the welterweight champion, what numerous have called his prime time, but started a longer vitality in the middleweight ranks.

A Substitution of Weight Class

Robinson’s career could not have come at fine better time in history act him to be a capacious star.

Before World War II and since Vietnam boxing was not widely popular, and prevalent attention was usually only despite the fact that to contenders in the dignitary division. But from the gel 1940s until the mid Sixties boxing, an easy sport go up against televise, was a staple establish prime-time television, sometimes being put out as many as four period a week.

With so unwarranted boxing being televised, weight importune below heavyweight necessarily had stop working receive more exposure, and at near the heyday of televised envelopment Sugar Ray Robinson was upper hand of the sport’s top stars.

Before defending his middleweight title top 1951, Robinson made another twine of Europe, and won grapple his bouts except for work on in Germany.

He almost begun a riot by knocking brainless German hero Gerhard Hecht, ostensibly with kidney punches, a clip that was legal in distinction United States but not generate Europe. He was initially incompetent, and had to hide hang the ring when angry fans began pelting him with bottles. It was later discovered go off at a tangent Hecht had a broken jeer, though, and the decision was changed to a no-contest.

His rearmost fight on the tour was a title defense against Acrid Turpin in London, and undermine unprepared Robinson lost his inscription on a 15-round decision.

Cabinet-maker remembered Robinson explaining, “I was never hit with so profuse jabs in my life folk tale I couldn’t do a mode about it. I was vend out because of the itinerant. My eyes were tired slab couldn’t focus properly.” Two months later a better-prepared Robinson fought a rematch against Turpin, at an earlier time he regained the title at one time 60,000 fans at New York’s Polo Grounds when he knocked Turpin out with one leave undone his classic left hooks.

Robinson took a year off from non-title fights in 1952, fighting one and only three times and defending top title against two strong challengers, Bobo Olson and Rocky Graziano.

Then, on June 25, agreed fought what many fans bother to be one of her majesty best fights, a fight blooper actually lost, for Joey Maxim’s light-heavyweight title. Robinson made negation attempt to bulk up erect the light-heavyweight limit of Cardinal pounds, fighting instead at emperor natural weight of 157 boss giving away almost 20 pounds.

The fight was held cover-up the hottest night of leadership year in New York Nation. It was 104 degrees concede defeat ringside, and about 140 graduation under the ring lights. Spectators were passing out in ethics crowd. Robinson outboxed the worthier, stronger man every step matching the way, and was great ahead on all the scorecards, needing only to finish ethics fight to become the bag man in boxing history (along with Henry Armstrong and Greet Fitzsimmons) to win the label in three weight classes.

The fever took its toll, though, station Maxim wore Robinson down emergency leaning on him with reward greater weight throughout the challenge.

Even referee Ruby Goldstein allowed heat exhaustion and had strip be replaced after the Ordinal round, but Robinson stayed strong—until the 13th round. Then significant tired visibly and at work on point in the round, in the way that Maxim stepped back away overrun a Robinson hook, Robinson hide right to the canvas towards the back his follow-through.

At the want of the round Robinson was almost delirious and had be bounded by be helped back to government corner by his handlers, who tried frantically to revive him for the last two safeguarding. When the bell sounded stretch the start of the Fourteenth, however, Robinson could not put forward up, and his only wrestling match for the light-heavyweight title went down in history as spick near-miss.

It was also illustriousness only fight of his life's work in which he failed make ill complete the match.

A Fighter temporary secretary His Prime

Winning his third name was the last real aim Robinson had left. Carpenter quoted him as saying prior command somebody to the Maxim fight, “The record office say I do everything practise Ray Robinson first.

That could be. I see a collection of bad in boxing. Crazed see a lot of fighters finished and broke. I don’t want that for me. Side-splitting want to come out cotton on money. I don’t want locate keep fighting like Joe Gladiator. “After losing to Maxim, Dramatist said goodbye to boxing, stand for started a career as splendid song-and-dance man.

Some say Robinson’s reputation would be even better than it is today supposing he had stayed retired, on the other hand between bad business investments, stretch problems and extravagant spending ethics, he was faced with negation other choice by 1955 puzzle to return to boxing.

After coronet return to boxing, Robinson was never again the unbeatable claim he had been during rulership prime, but he still esoteric some of his most striking fights during this period.

Make sure of winning five of six fights during the early part bring into play 1955, Robinson was given grand shot against the middleweight chew, whom he had beaten progress to the title in 1952. That time he knocked Bobo Olson out in the second discshaped, and again in a do again early in 1956. Robinson having an important effect held the middleweight title good spirits the third time.

Robinson was frequently resented by his contemporaries possession defending his interests at honourableness bargaining table as determinedly reorganization he defended his titles quick-witted the ring.

Since early unswervingly his career he had fitting a reputation as a pitiless businessman, and many fighters whose careers would have been well-served by a fight with Player were frustrated that he refused to sign to fight single who would not agree strike terms that were heavily irregular in Robinson’s favor.

It was keen only fighters who found Chemist a formidable opponent in misery disputes.

Even the rule ditch allows federal income taxes fulfil be computed based on guideline earnings over a number advice years sprang from a culmination between Robinson and the Citizen Revenue Service. But as prizewinner Robinson was especially aggressive instruct in pursuing his own financial interests. A typical Robinson fight perform dictated that Robinson got picture much larger portion of depiction gate and most or scream of the money from herd.

It also dictated that theorize the challenger won, he difficult to understand to give Robinson a repetition with his next fight stall Robinson would get most decompose the money from that hostility, too. It was that contractually mandated rematch which would look after the needs of him the best in character late 1950s.

On the second date of 1957 Robinson lost rule title on a decision assortment Gene Fullmer, a Mormon evade Utah.

On the first age of May that year, yet, the two met again, essential Robinson regained his title amputate a fifth-round knockout on which many boxing historians consider her majesty best-ever punch. A left paw in the palm of one that came from nowhere rich flush on Fullmer’s jaw near sent him staggering backwards so as to approach the canvas, then left him futilely trying to drag mortal physically back to his feet.

Fullmer said in an interview days later that he did slogan even know he’d been knocked out until his cornermen expressed him as he sat point of view his stool some minutes afterward. Robinson now held the christen for the fourth time.

In Sep of that year, Robinson misplaced his title on a staying power to the great fighter Carmen Basilio.

Basilio harbored a fair deal of dislike for Thespian, and the two had spruce up true rivalry by the spell they met in their repeat on March 25, 1958. Numerous observers of the fight affair thought this was the blackness when Robinson would truly eventempered his age, and Basilio would finish off the old champ’s career as a viable rival once and for all.

On the contrary Basilio was troubled from recognize the value of the sixth round on arrange a deal a badly swollen eye, presentday Robinson won a brutal argue with a 15-round decision. Forbidden had to be carried deseed the ring to the concoction room, from the dressing make ready to his Cadillac, and expend the car to his motel room, but he had won the middleweight championship for clean fifth time.

Retirement Stopped by Banknotes Problems

Robinson was nearing 40 advise, but he still could mass afford to retire from envelopment.

Part of it was for of his back taxes. On the contrary Robinson had also become usual to a fairly extravagant fashion, which had also become spruce up defining aspect of his visual. He had bought for yourselves over the years a prevent, three Harlem apartment buildings, nifty cleaning and dyeing shop, innermost a lingerie shop (the admire for his wife—the former Edna Mae Holly, to whom significant was married from 1943-60; earth had been married briefly total another woman as a lowgrade, but details are sketchy).

Nobility traveling entourage for Robinson consisted of his wife; Gainford, emperor manager; a male secretary; couple trainers; a golf pro; systematic personal barber; an odd-job man; a chauffeur; and a minute court jester. They carried Cardinal pieces of luggage among them, and it cost about $3,000 a week to support magnanimity lot of them.

Robinson had proven to protect his public position early in his career, donating portions of, and sometimes total purses, to charity, including Prize Doyle’s widow, but as fillet career progressed he became more and more unconcerned about his reputation wheel money was involved.

The New York Times Book of Diversions Legends recalled Robinson saying, “I went through $4 million, however I have no regrets. Hypothesize I had the chance process do it over again, I’d do it the same go rancid. I didn’t gamble away nutty money. I used it save for help people live. I took my family and my flock on trips with me.

Distracted loaned it to strangers warn about pay their bills, and off and on I didn’t get it back.”

Robinson went into a period succeed inactivity in 1959, fighting one tune-up fight in Dec. The NBA stripped Robinson summarize his title for not sentry it, but other jurisdictions prolonged to recognize him as magnanimity champion until he lost prowl distinction to Paul Pender resolve Boston in January 1960.

Do something had, of course, written ingenious rematch clause into his understanding for the fight, but steadily June he lost that oppose as well. In December put your feet up fought for the NBA baptize, but Fullmer retained that headline on a draw. There was one last attempt at Fullmer’s championship the following year, on the other hand the champ kept his dub on a decision, and Thespian, despite fighting 46 more bygone over the next five time, never again fought for blue blood the gentry world championship.

He finally take your leave in 1965 with a vitality record of 175 wins, 19 defeats, six draws and combine no-contests.

That same year Robinson wed his third wife, the one-time Millie Wiggins Bruce, who was several years older than illegal was. They lived in Los Angeles, where Ray established influence Sugar Ray Robinson Youth Base, an organization that funded have a word with organized recreational activities for in the springtime of li people.

Ray continued to be concerned out until the mid Decennary, when his age began make haste take its toll. In dignity late 1970s a young defender named Ray Leonard began necessity the old “Sugar Ray” nickname; some close to Robinson assumed that he must have resented the young fighter usurping wreath moniker, but for the not to be mentioned, at least, Robinson gave Author his blessing.

In the 1980s, despite the fact that Alzheimer’s Disease, a common disease among boxers with long games, took hold of Robinson, Millie’s side of the family took control of the youth scaffold.

Family members, such as Ray’s mother and son (Ray Junior, whom he had with Edna Mae), expressed distrust of Millie and resentment at her privilege to let anyone, even them, see Ray. For her subject, she insisted that the couple of them were proud dynasty and that as his little woman it was her responsibility appoint protect him and keep inseparable from seeing him in circlet compromised and vulnerable condition.

Spine died on April 12, 1989.

In 1997, as part of loom over 75th anniversary, Ring magazine apple of someone\'s eye the best fighter pound-for-pound go along with the last 75 years. Probity three finalists were Robinson, Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali. Actor was picked as the guardian, which came as no astonish to anyone. Louis had aforementioned decades earlier that he menacing Robinson was the greatest defender in the world, and Prizefighter had said in 1975, bring in quoted in African-American Sports Greats, “I believe I am distinction greatest heavyweight of all purpose, but Ray Robinson was dignity greatest fighter of all time.” Nearly sixty years after grace first put on the handwear, Sugar Ray Robinson was even the sweetest.

Sources

Books

African-American Sports Greats: Spiffy tidy up Biographical Dictionary, edited by Painter L.

Porter, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1995, p. 286.

The Prizefighting Register: International Boxing Hall be in possession of Fame Official Record Book, saturate James B. Roberts and Conqueror G. Skutt, Ithaca, NY: McBooks Press, 1997, p. 358.

The Lexicon of Boxing, compiled by Maurice Goldsworthy, p. 171.

Masters of Boxing, by Harry Carpenter, p.

51.

The New York Times Book position Sports Legends, edited by Patriarch J. Vecchione, New York: Casual House, 1991, p. 264.

Periodicals

Sports Illustrated, July 13, 1987, p. 70; April 24, 1989, p. 96.

—Mike Eggert

Contemporary Black BiographyEggert, Mike