"use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. [85][86] Robinson was known as a flamboyant personality outside the ring. His father worked as a cotton, peanut, and corn farmer and relocated to Detroit to take up work as a cement mixer and sewer worker in the construction business. A 12–5 favorite, the 41-year-old Robinson defeated the 22-year-old Moyer by staying on the outside, rather than engaging him. Gavilán hurt Robinson several times in the fight, but Robinson controlled the final rounds with a series of jabs and left hooks. Sugar Ray Robinson is one of the true icons from the sport of boxing and can be considered one of the heroes of a young Jean-Michel Basquiat. "[9], His parents separated, and he moved with his mother to the New York City neighborhood of Harlem at the age of twelve. Wherever he went, he brought a large entourage of trainers, women and family members. Although he had been inactive for two and a half years, his work as a dancer kept him in peak physical condition: in his autobiography, Robinson states that in the weeks leading up to his debut for a dancing engagement in France, he ran five miles every morning, and then danced for five hours each night. Every move you make starts with your heart, and that's in rhythm or you're in trouble. Robinson initially backed out of the fight because he had a dream that he was going to kill Doyle. 13 talking about this. The legend was born. He badly damaged Basilio's eye early in the fight, and by the seventh round it was swollen shut. Robinson won a lopsided 15-round decision, knocking Fusari down once. [91][92][93], Sugar Ray Robinson in the Madison Square Garden in 1966. [68], In December 1959, Barbara Johnson (aka Barbara Trevigne) of South Ozone Park, a beautiful singer and dancer, brought a paternity suit in New York against the former champ, claiming Sugar Ray Robinson was the father of her son Paul born in 1953. He also possessed great speed and precision. But that doesn't mean this fight would be a walkover. [11], Robinson made his professional debut on October 4, 1940, winning by a second-round stoppage over Joe Echevarria. After his comeback performance in 1955, Robinson expected to be named fighter of the year. Sugar Ray Robinson (born Walker Smith Jr.; May 3, 1921 – April 12, 1989) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1940 to 1965. During the ceremony, he was honored with a massive trophy. He fought in a very conventional way with a firm jab, but threw hooks and uppercuts in flurries in an unconventional way. Robinson originally aspired to be a doctor, but after dropping out of DeWitt Clinton High School (in the Bronx) in ninth grade he switched his goal to boxing. However, a priest and a minister convinced him to go ahead with the bout. He won the middleweight championship for the third time with a second-round knockout—his third victory over Olson. The only boxer to match Robinson that year was Henry Brimm, who fought him to a 10-round draw in Buffalo. 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 1969, he founded the Sugar Ray Robinson Youth Foundation for the inner-city Los Angeles area. Six years later, Robinson captured the middleweight title for the first time by defeating Jake LaMotta. Soon the couple were dating and they married in 1944. [75][79][80] In 1997, The Ring ranked him as the best pound-for-pound fighter in history,[13] and in 1999 he was named "welterweight of the century", "middleweight of the century", and overall "fighter of the century" by the Associated Press. LaMotta vs. Robinson I–V. Robinson got up and took control over much of … He defeated LaMotta by a unanimous decision, although he failed to get Jake down. He died at the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California, on April 12, 1989. Outside of the ring, Robinson relished his celebrity, parading around Harlem with a pink Cadillac and making appearances at his high-profile Harlem nightclub. What is known is that Robinson grew up in Detroit, and he was 11 years old when his mother, tired of her husband's absence from the family's life, up and left the city, moving herself, her son and two daughters to Harlem. Over his 25-year career, Robinson won the world welterweight and middleweight crowns and was dubbed "pound for pound, the best." Robinson inspired Ali's famous matador style, which he used to defeat Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title in 1964. In his later years, Robinson worked in show business, even doing some television acting. Image of Sugar Ray Robinson receives physical exam before fight, Los Angeles, 1956. https://www.nytimes.com/1959/05/05/archives/national-boxing-association-strips-robinson-of-world-middleweight.html, https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1947, https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1948, https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1949, https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1950, https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1951, https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1952, https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1955, https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1956, https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1957, https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1958, https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1959, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sugar_Ray_Robinson&oldid=1020996389, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees, Military personnel from Georgia (U.S. state), Articles with failed verification from January 2021, Articles with dead external links from August 2017, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Articles with dead external links from June 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with multiple identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The year proved successful for him as he recorded four victories in the five matches that he played.His pow… Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier when he became the first Black athlete to play Major League Baseball after joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. It didn't take much for Robinson, who'd been a neighbor of heavyweight champ Joe Louis back in Detroit, to strap on fighting gloves. [44] In the Yankee Stadium bout with Maxim, Robinson built a lead on all three judges' scorecards, but the 103 °F (39 °C) temperature in the ring took its toll. [36] LaMotta had lost by knockout to Billy Fox earlier in his career. 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. "[29] Robinson then knocked Costner out in 2 minutes and 49 seconds. He finished 1942 with a total of 14 wins and no losses. Despite Robinson's efforts, Pender won by decision in that rematch. [40] Three months later in a rematch in front of 60,000 fans at the Polo Grounds,[31] he knocked Turpin out in ten rounds to recover the title. [60] He also appeared in a few films including the Frank Sinatra cop movie The Detective (1968), the cult classic Candy (1968), and the thriller The Todd Killings (1971) as a police officer. Robinson spent the rest of the 1960s fighting 10-round contests. A year later, he defended his title against Paul Pender. The knockout loss was only the second of Zivic's career in more than 150 fights. Robinson met his second wife Edna Mae Holly, a noted dancer who performed at the Cotton Club and toured Europe with Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway. 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. For his performances, Robinson was named "Fighter of the Year". Robinson donated all but $1 of his purse for the Fusari fight to cancer research. Robinson wouldn't go by his birth name for the rest of his career. Considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, Sugar Ray Robinson held the world welterweight title from 1946 to 1951, and by 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. And, Sugar Ray Leonard, another great boxer, needed about 120 more bouts to get anywhere close to as many as Robinson had. They planned to start a liquor distribution business in New York City, but were denied a license due to their race.[24]. Sugar Ray Robinson, American professional boxer, six times a world champion: once as a welterweight (147 pounds), from 1946 to 1951, and five times as a middleweight (160 pounds), between 1951 and 1960. Robinson had already beaten Bell once by decision in 1945. He successfully defended his welterweight title for the last time against Charley Fusari. In that title fight, a rematch with Gavilán, Robinson again won by decision. By now Armstrong was an old fighter, and Robinson later stated that he carried the former champion. Robinson's 50-second, first-round knockout of Basora set a record that would stand for 38 years. [45] He won five fights in 1955, before losing a decision to Ralph 'Tiger' Jones. He won his first Golden Gloves title (featherweight) in 1939, and then repeated the accomplishment in 1940. [38] He was a hero in France due to his recent defeat of LaMotta—the 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). Sugar Ray Robinson (born Walker Smith Jr.; May 3, 1921 – April 12, 1989) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1940 to 1965. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! But he got the message."[48]. [74] He possessed tremendous versatility—according to boxing analyst Bert Sugar, "Robinson could deliver a knockout blow going backward. [12] Outside the ring, Robinson got into trouble frequently as a youth, and was involved with a street gang. walker Smith Jr aka Sugar Ray Robinson The idol of Mohammed Ali, is one of the best boxer ever, if not the best! [13] Robinson won five of his six bouts with LaMotta. His dream was proven to be true. [13] The referee, Ruby Goldstein, was the first victim of the heat, and had to be replaced by referee Ray Miller. Almost Perfect in every way .\r \r The battle had been a slaughter, for want of a more delicate word. Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Jake LaMotta had more sequels – and better drama – than Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky movies. [11][77][78] The phrase "pound for pound" was created by sportswriters for him during his career as a way to compare boxers irrespective of weight. Robinson was surrounded by an entourage of assistants, including a barber, secretary, voice coach, masseur, trainers, women, and his manager, George Gainford. He himself reported falling down the stairs in his barracks on the 29th, but said that he had complete amnesia, and he could not remember any events from that moment until the 5th. Vying for the Pennsylvania state middleweight title in 1950, Robinson defeated Robert Villemain. Sept. 12, 1951 This was their second fight. Sugar Ray Robinson made his professional debut on October 4, 1940. [51] The two judges gave the fight to Robinson by wide margins: 72–64 and 71–64. Robinson Jr. and Edna Mae also said they were kept away from Robinson by Millie during the last years of his life. Image of Sugar Ray Robinson after bout with Carl (Bobo) Olson, Los Angeles, 1956. During his career, Sugar Ray … [67], In April 1959, Robinson's eldest sister, Marie, died of cancer at the age of 41. Robinson would use his formless style to exploit his opponents' weaknesses. Robinson fought Armstrong only because the older man was in need of money. Even in this day and age, Sugar Ray Robinson is still rated as the best pound-for-pound boxer in history. He resumed training in 1954. Auriol Kiss; Boxer as Cancer Fund 'Envoy,' Busses French Chief's Wife Twice on Each Cheek, "Sports of The Times; For the Championship", Harlem Hails Robinson; More Than 10,000 Cheer Verdict, Sing and Dance in Street, "Sugar Ray Robinson Named Fighter Of Year", "Robinson Knocks Out Fullmer in Fifth Round to Regain Middleweight Crown", "Basilio Takes Title By Beating Robinson", "Robinson Outpoints Basilio and Wins World Middleweight Title Fifth Time", "Robinson Beats Moyer in Ten-Rounder Here", "Robinson Declares Bout With Archer Was His Last Fight", https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Jimmy_Doyle, "Remembering Sugar Ray: Edna Mae Robinson recalls the glitter and pain of her past", "Sugar Beats Paternity Suit On His 40th Birthday", Review Joe and Teddy Pick Their Top Fighters, ESPN Greatest Boxers List: Sugar Ray Robinson No. [54] Robinson lost twice more in 1962, before winning six consecutive fights against mostly lesser opposition. Fullmer headed into their May rematch as a 3–1 favorite. [39] During his fight in Berlin against Gerhard Hecht, Robinson was disqualified when he knocked his opponent with a punch to the kidney: a punch legal in the US, but not Europe. "[69], In 1965, Robinson married Millie Wiggins Bruce and the couple settled in Los Angeles. Fearful that her son would get pulled into this shady world, Robinson's mother turned to the Salem Methodist Episcopal Church, where a man by the name of George Gainford had just started a boxing club. [31] Robinson said that the impact of Doyle's death was "very trying". 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". He then became 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 middleweight championship). [12] Robinson met President of France Vincent Auriol at a ceremony attended by France's social upper crust. However, he could not procure one until he was eighteen years old. [19] Robinson had a 15-month military career. In the late 1960s he acted in some television shows, like Mission: Impossible. Among his siblings, he was the youngest and the only son of the couple. [52] An attempt to regain the crown for an unheard of sixth time proved beyond Robinson. In 1984 The Ring magazine placed Robinson No. [48] But in the fifth, Robinson was able to win the title back for a fourth time by knocking out Fullmer with a lightning fast, powerful left hook. Robinson weighed 145 lb (66 kg) compared to 157.5 for LaMotta, but he was able to control the fight from the outside for the entire bout, and actually landed the harder punches during the fight. [77] In 2003, The Ring ranked him number 11 in the list of all-time greatest punchers. "[75] Robinson was efficient with both hands, and he displayed a variety of effective punches—according 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 hook—and a few he makes up on the spur of the moment. Six days a week. In 1941, he defeated world champion Sammy Angott, future champion Marty Servo and former champion Fritzie Zivic. However, the title went to welterweight Carmen Basilio. A priest and a minister convinced him to fight. He combined striking good looks[87] with charisma and a flair for the dramatic. Lost his first fight by decision to Jake LaMotta. Robinson, who had a son from a previous marriage, helped raise Millie's two children. Although Robinson said he did not like the word's literal definition of "attendants", since he felt they were his friends, he liked the word itself and began to use it in regular conversation when referring to them. After learning of Doyle's intentions of using the bout's money to buy his mother a house, Robinson gave Doyle's mother the money from his next four bouts so she could purchase herself a home, fulfilling her son's intention.[32][33]. However, he refused to cooperate with the Mafia, which controlled much of boxing at the time, and was denied a chance to fight for the welterweight championship. [48] In the first two rounds Robinson followed Fullmer around the ring, however in the third round he changed tactics and made Fullmer come to him. [12][13], Robinson idolized Henry Armstrong and Joe Louis as a youth, and actually lived on the same block as Louis in Detroit when Robinson was 11 and Louis was 17. Robinson fought for the final time in November 1965. Sugar Ray Robinson training for his bout with middle weight champion Gene Fullmer takes a break and rests against a tree at his training camp in... Low-angle view of American boxer Sugar Ray Robinson as he stands in the ring at Madison Square Garden for the last time, New York, New York, 1966. [55] He then embarked on an 18-month boxing tour of Europe. 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. "Ring Magazine's 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years", "BoxRec ratings: world, pound-for-pound, active and inactive", United States Postal Service Stamp Announcements, "Sugar Ray Robinson Returns to the Ring to a 'Stamping Ovation' of 100 Million", "Robinson Knocks Out Zivic in Tenth Round to Score 27th Victory in Row", "Robinson Takes Unanimous Decision Over La Motta in Garden 10-Round Bout", "Sports of the Times; The Original Sugar Ray 'Never Lost'", Sugar Ray Gives Mme. He struggled financially until his death in 1989. The young boxer quickly moved up the ranks. 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