12 Legends of Christmas: Sugar Ray Robinson

Lauded by many as the greatest boxer that ever laced up the gloves

Name: Ray Robinson

Nickname: Sugar Ray

Date of First Fight: 4th October 1940

Date of Retirement: 10th November 1965

Titles: World champion at welterweight and multiple world championships at middleweight

Biography:

Sugar Ray Robinson was born as Walker Smith Jr on 3rd May 1921 in Ailey, Georgia. As a teenager, Walker wanted to enter an amateur tournament but was too young. He borrowed a birth certificate from a friend named Ray Robinson, and a boxing legend was born.

His exact amateur record is sketchy as Robinson boxed under different names, but he was a big puncher who lost very few contests once he reached a high level. Sugar Ray won double gold at the New York Golden Gloves and two gold medals at the Intercity Golden Gloves.

Turning professional in 1940, Ray made a winning start with a second-round KO. In this era, the likes of Robinson boxed many non-title fights despite being a world champion.

Throughout his long career, Robinson had many rivalries. One of his most frequent opponents was Jake LaMotta, who later had a film made about him called Raging Bull. Robinson fought LaMotta six times and beat him on five of those occasions.

Robinson also boxed Carl ‘Bobo’ Olson four times. Olson was from Hawaii and later became the middleweight champion, but he could never beat Robinson.

Robinson defeated the great Henry Armstrong in 1943, although Armstrong was past his best at this stage. Early in his career, Robinson beat Fritzie Zivic twice, both times in New York. Zivic had previously been the world welterweight champion.

Sugar Ray had four tough fights with Gene Fullmer who was the world middleweight champion. He also fought Carmen Basilio, who retired as a welterweight and middleweight world champion. Robinson twice beat Kid Gavilan, also known as ‘The Cuban Hawk’.

In 1951, Robinson travelled to London to fight Randolph ‘Randy’ Turpin. The fighter from Leamington Spa was a good boxer but not expected to defeat such a top champion. Turpin fought the fight of his life and defeated Robinson over 15 rounds. Robinson won the rematch by knockout, but he was starting to decline. Even so, Ray knocked out Rocky Graziano, a former middleweight world champion and one of boxing’s hardest punchers.

Robinson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. He is regarded by many fight historians as the greatest boxer of all time and held the world title at welterweight and middleweight.

Robinson had excellent foot movement, allowing him to move around an opponent and let go with his fast-handed combinations. His jab to the head and body was strong. He finished or hurt many opponents with his right uppercut.

Overall, he took part in 201 recorded fights, scoring 174 wins, with 109 knockouts. Robinson lost 19 times overall but only once was he stopped. That was a 13th-round retirement loss to Joey Maxim in 1952 when they fought in such heat that the referee collapsed.

Robinson was a very good singer and dancer who also played the trumpet. He drove a bright pink Cadillac car and had many people travel with him when he fought in different countries, including a personal barber.

Image Credits: British Vintage Boxing, Fayz Fitness.