Robinson Lost His Crown To The British Boxer, Randy Turpin in LondonFrom Previous Page: Sugar Ray Robinson conquered the world's middleweight title for the first time, with a 13 round technical knockout win. He then embarked on a European tour, which would take him to Paris, Zürich, Antwerp, Liege, Berlin, Turin and London among other places. While in London, he lost the world Middleweight title to Randy Turpin. Three months later, he beat Turpin in a New York rematch to recover the title, on a tenth round knockout. That would be the last fight for him that year. Then in 1952, he met Olson again, knocking him out yet once again, and then he retained his title with a three round knockout of Rocky Graziano, another former world champ. In his last fight that year, he challenged world Light Heavyweight champion Joey Maxim for the title at Yankee Stadium, and, in a day where the outside heat, the ring's lights combined to have a 140 degree heat inside the ring. Sugar Ray Robinson won the title for the third time beating Carl Bobo OlsenRobinson built a points lead, but collapsed at the end of round 13 and failed to answer the bell for the next round, suffering his only knockout defeat ever. After the fight, he was diagnosed with heat exhaustion at a local hospital. After that bout, he retired, but in 1954, he came back, and made one fight. In 1955, he won five fights and lost one, before challenging Carl Bobo Olson for the world Middleweight title. Sugar Ray Robinson won the title for the third time, with a knockout in two rounds. In 1956, he had two fights, including a fourth fight with Bobo Olson, with Robinson risking his title and won again, by a knockout in four. In 1957, Robinson lost to Gene Fullmer while defending his title, but he won the title for a record fourth time by knocking out Fullmer in five rounds in the rematch. Boxing critics have referred to the punch with which Sugar Ray Robinson knocked out Gene Fullmer in their rematch "as a peach of a punch." Ray Robinson Lost his Title To Carmen Basilio But Won it Back in the RematchSugar Ray made two exhibition bouts, and then lost his title to Carmen Basilio to end the year. In 1958, he made only one fight, recovering the title once again and breaking his own record, by beating Basilio on points at Chicago. In Robinson's only bout in 1959, he beat Bob Young in Boston by a 10 round decision, but in 1960, he lost the title for the last time, to Paul Pender, also in Boston. Robinson tried to break his own record and win the world Middleweight title a sixth time in a rematch with Pender, but lost on points once again. Then, on the 3rd of December Sugar Ray Robinson and Gene Fullmer met once again, with Fullmer once again as king of the Middleweights, in another Robinson attempt to break his own record, unfortunately for Robinson that fight ended in a 15 round draw, with Gene Fullmer retained the title. Sugar Ray Aged 37, Nailed Gene Fullmer With the Perfect Left Hook To Regain the TitleSugar Ray Robinson studied films about Fulmer's boxing weakness and while watching the films he notice that Fullmer reached with his right hand when going to the body and dropped his left hand. Robinson was ready to take on Fulmer in the rematch. Robinson saw his opening in the 5th round he exploded with a left hook flush on Fullmer’s exposed jaw. Gene’s manager Marv Jensen described it as "the perfect punch." Fullmer never knew what hit him. Sugar Ray Robinson was the master boxer puncher, he could take a punch but he was a past master at avoiding punches while unleashing his own fierce barrage of punches. Sugar Ray Robinson had knock out punches of his own, as the 25 year old Gene Fullmer would attest years later when Sugar Ray aged 37, nailed Gene Fullmer with the most perfect left hook to regain his championship. Ray Robinson is considered by many boxing historians and enthusiasts as the greatest boxer pound-for-pound boxer ever. |
