Sugar Ray Robinson Made His Debut In The Boxing Ring 1940Sugar Ray Robinson born Walker Smith Jnr. on the 3rd of May 1921 - died on the 12th of April 1989, better known in the boxing circles as Sugar Ray Robinson, a boxer who was a native of Detroit, Michigan. Sugar Ray Robinson is the holder of many boxing records, including one for the most times being a champion in a division, when he won the world Middleweight division title 5 times. Robinson also won the world Welterweight title once. Sugar Ray Robinson is regarded by many boxing fans and critics as the best pound for pound boxer of all time.
 Many of Sugar Ray's supporters will contemplate that while Muhammad Ali did more for the sport on a social scale, Sugar Ray Robinson had a better style. (That doesn't really matter at all.) However, during the 1940s and 1950s, Robinson appeared several times on the cover of Ring Magazine. He made his boxing debut in 1940, knocking out Joe Eschevarria in 2 rounds. Sugar Ray Robinson was able to build a pro-boxing record of 41 wins and no losses before coming into contact with "The Raging Bull," Jake LaMotta, in a 10 round bout. "Raging Bull," Jake LaMotta: First Man to Relieved Robinson of His Undefeated RecordThe bout, which was portrayed in the Hollywood movie Raging Bull which was based on Jake LaMotta's life, That bout was also the second of six fights between Robinson, and LaMotta who dropped Sugar Ray Robinson, and eventually beating him by a decision verdict. Sugar Ray Robinson had won their first encounter and went on to win the next four fights between the both of them. Between Robinson's debut fight and the second LaMotta bout, Sugar Ray Robinson had also beaten former world champions Sammy Angott, Fritzie Zivic and Marty Servo. The Jake LaMotta loss occurred on a February in 1943, and later that year, Ray Robinson faced LaMotta again, beating LaMotta on points, Ray also went on to win on points against the three time world champion Henry Armstrong. After Sugar Ray Robinson's first career loss to LaMotta, he had a run of 28 fights winning 27 and drawing one before challenging for his first world title versus Jose Basora of Puerto Rico. Robinson Won the Vacant Welterweight Title in 1946 Against Tommy BellThen, on the 20th December 1946, Robinson and Tommy Bell were matched in New York for the vacant World's Welterweight Title. Sugar Ray Robinson became the world champion beating Bell by gaining a 15 round decision win. In 1947, Robinson did a tour of the United States, boxing 10 times in different locations from Miami to Los Angeles, but only one of them was a world title defense. In 1948, he fought five more times, but once again, with only one defense. In those days a champion boxer could box without putting up his title for grabs. However, among the fighters he defeated in non title bouts was another former world champion, Cuba's Kid Gavilan. In 1949, he boxed 16 times, including 12 sanctioned bouts in which he went 11wins, no defeats and 1draw along with four exhibition fights. In that time Robinson's only defense of that year was against Kid Gavilan, who was once again was beaten on points, this time over the championship distance of 15 rounds. Robinson Knockout Record of 50seconds Against Basora Stood For 38 YearsThe only boxer to come out of the ring without a defeat after fighting Robinson that year was Henry Brimm, who boxed him to a 10 round draw in Buffalo. In 1950, Robinson made 19 fights, including 3 defending his title. Among the boxers he defeated that time were Basora and Carl Olson, a world Middleweight champion whom Robinson would meet and beat four times during his career. The Basora rematch set a record that would stood for a very long time. It was the fastest knockout ever in a world title fight, lasting only 50 seconds. That record stood for 38 years. In 1951, four events that became very important in his life happened: among his 12 bouts that year, three fights marked his career, and he began a tour of Europe. On the 14th February Sugar Ray and LaMotta met for the sixth time, in a fight that would become known as boxing's version of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. This bout was also portrayed in the film "The Raging Bull." |
Sugar Ray Robinson In A No Contest MatchSugar Ray Robinson conquered the world's Middleweight title for the first time, with a 13 round technical knockout win. After that, he embarked on his European tour, which would take him to Paris, Zürich, Antwerp, Liege, Berlin, Turin and London amongst other places. During Robinson's fight in Berlin, against Gerhard Hecht, the judges gave the winning verdict to Gerhard Hecht and Ray Robinson was declared the loser after hitting his opponent on the kidneys, which created a great commotion that the decision was later changed, classing the fight as a no-contest match. | |
