Sugar Ray Robinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sugar Ray Robinson |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Robinson in 1947
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Real name | Walker Smith Jr. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rated at |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 72+1/2 in | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 3, 1921 Ailey, Georgia, U.S. |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | April 12, 1989 (aged 67) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stance | Orthodox | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boxing record | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 201 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 174 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 109 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 19 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draws | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| No contests | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Walker Smith Jr. (born May 3, 1921 – died April 12, 1989), known as Sugar Ray Robinson, was an American professional boxer. He competed from 1940 to 1965. Many people think he was the greatest boxer of all time, especially when comparing fighters of different weights.
Robinson was a very strong amateur boxer. His exact record isn't fully known, but it's often said he won 85 fights with no losses. He had 69 knockouts, with 40 of them in the first round! He became a professional boxer in 1940 when he was 19. By 1951, his record was 129 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws. From 1943 to 1951, Robinson had an amazing 91-fight winning streak. This is the third longest in professional boxing history.
He held the world welterweight title from 1946 to 1951. Then, he won the world middleweight title in 1951. He retired in 1952 but came back two and a half years later. He won the middleweight title again in 1955. He was the first boxer to win a world championship five times in one weight class. He did this by beating Carmen Basilio in 1958.
Robinson was named "fighter of the year" twice. First in 1942, and then again in 1951. Boxing experts like Bert Sugar and The Ring magazine have called him the greatest fighter ever.
Outside the ring, Robinson was known for his fancy and exciting lifestyle. He is even said to have started the idea of a sports "entourage" (a group of friends and helpers). After boxing, he tried to be an entertainer, but it didn't work out as well. He faced money problems until he passed away in 1989. In 2006, the United States Postal Service honored him with a special stamp.
Contents
Early Life and How He Started Boxing
Robinson was born Walker Smith Jr. in Ailey, Georgia. He was the youngest of three children. His father was a farmer who later moved the family to Detroit. There, his father worked hard in construction to support them. Robinson remembered his father working long hours.
When he was 12, he moved with his mother to New York City's Harlem neighborhood. Robinson first wanted to be a doctor. But after leaving high school in ninth grade, he decided to focus on boxing.
When he was 14, he wanted to join his first boxing tournament. But he needed a special card he couldn't get until he was 16. So, he used an ID card from a friend named Ray Robinson who had stopped boxing. This is how he started fighting as Ray Robinson. Later, a lady watching one of his fights said he was "sweet as sugar." That's how the famous name "Sugar Ray Robinson" came to be!
Robinson looked up to famous boxers like Henry Armstrong and Joe Louis. He even lived on the same street as Joe Louis in Detroit when he was 11. As a young person, Robinson sometimes got into trouble. He got married at 16 and had a son named Ronnie. They divorced when he was 19.
He reportedly finished his amateur boxing career with an amazing 85 wins and no losses. Out of these wins, 69 were by knockout, and 40 of those happened in the first round! He won the New York Golden Gloves championship in 1939 and 1940.
Boxing Career Highlights
Starting His Professional Journey
Robinson had his first professional fight on October 4, 1940. He won by stopping Joe Echevarria in the second round. He fought five more times that year, winning all of them, mostly by knockout. In 1941, he beat world champion Sammy Angott and former champion Fritzie Zivic. The fight against Zivic at Madison Square Garden brought in a huge crowd of over 20,000 people. Robinson won that fight.
In January 1942, Robinson knocked out Zivic in a rematch. This was only the second time Zivic had been knocked out in over 150 fights. Robinson then won four more fights by knockout. After that, he faced Marty Servo again and won.
Robinson then fought Jake LaMotta for the first time in October 1942. LaMotta would become one of his biggest rivals. Robinson won by a clear decision. He was named "Fighter of the Year" for his great performances in 1942. He ended that year with 14 wins and no losses.
Robinson had a record of 40 wins and no losses before he finally lost for the first time. This loss was to LaMotta in a rematch in Detroit. LaMotta was much heavier than Robinson and even knocked him out of the ring! After winning his third fight against LaMotta, Robinson fought his childhood hero, Henry Armstrong. Robinson said he only fought Armstrong because the older boxer needed money, and he went easy on him.
In February 1943, Robinson joined the United States Army. He served for 15 months. During this time, he performed boxing shows for U.S. Army troops with Joe Louis. Robinson sometimes had problems in the military. He argued when he felt he was treated unfairly. He even refused to fight if African American soldiers were not allowed to watch. He was honorably discharged in June 1944.
Becoming Welterweight Champion
By 1946, Robinson had fought 75 times, with a record of 73 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. He had beaten all the top boxers in the welterweight division. However, he had trouble getting a chance to fight for the championship. This was because he didn't want to work with some powerful groups that controlled much of boxing back then.
Robinson finally got his chance to win a title against Tommy Bell on December 20, 1946. Robinson had already beaten Bell before. In this championship fight, Robinson was knocked down, but he fought hard and won a close decision. He became the World Welterweight champion.
In 1948 and 1949, Robinson fought many times but only defended his title twice. He beat future world champion Kid Gavilán in a close fight. In 1950, he defended his welterweight title for the last time against Charley Fusari. Robinson won easily and gave almost all of his prize money to cancer research. He also fought a boxer named George Costner who called himself "Sugar." Robinson famously told him, "Your name ain't Sugar, mine is," and then knocked him out in the first round.
A Difficult Moment
In June 1947, Robinson was set to defend his title against Jimmy Doyle. Robinson almost didn't fight because he had a dream that something bad would happen to Doyle. But he was convinced to go through with the fight. Sadly, his dream came true. Robinson won the fight by knockout in the eighth round. Doyle was badly hurt and passed away later that night. Robinson said this event was "very trying" for him.
When Robinson found out that Doyle had planned to use his fight money to buy his mother a house, Robinson gave Doyle's mother the money from his next four fights. This helped her buy a home, just as her son had wanted.
Becoming Middleweight Champion
Robinson decided to move up to the middleweight division. It was getting harder for him to stay at the welterweight weight limit. Moving up also meant bigger fights and more money. In 1950, he won the Pennsylvania state middleweight title. He then defended it by knocking out Jose Basora in just 50 seconds. This was a record that lasted for 38 years! In October 1950, Robinson also knocked out Bobo Olson, who would later become a middleweight champion.
On February 14, 1951, Robinson and LaMotta fought for the sixth time. This fight is known as The St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Robinson won the World Middleweight title by stopping LaMotta in the 13th round. Robinson had outboxed LaMotta for most of the fight. He then landed many strong punches, finally stopping LaMotta for the first time in their many fights. LaMotta later joked, "I fought Sugar Ray so often, I almost got diabetes." Robinson won five out of their six fights.
After winning his second world title, Robinson went on a tour in Europe. He traveled with his bright pink Cadillac and a group of 13 friends. He was a hero in France because he had beaten LaMotta. In London, Robinson lost his middleweight title to British boxer Randolph Turpin. But three months later, in a rematch in front of 60,000 fans, he knocked Turpin out in the tenth round to win his title back. After this win, people in Harlem danced in the streets to celebrate! In 1951, Robinson was named Ring Magazine's "Fighter of the Year" for the second time.
In 1952, he beat Olson again. Then he defeated former champion Rocky Graziano by knockout. Next, he challenged the World Light Heavyweight champion Joey Maxim. This fight was at Yankee Stadium. Robinson was winning, but it was a very hot day (103°F in the ring!). The heat was too much. The referee had to be replaced, and then Robinson himself collapsed after the 13th round. He couldn't continue, and this was the only time he was ever knocked out in his career.
On June 25, 1952, after the Maxim fight, Robinson gave up his title and retired. His record was 131 wins, 3 losses, 1 draw, and 1 no-contest. He tried a career in show business, singing and tap dancing. But after about three years, his businesses weren't doing well, and his performing career wasn't successful. So, he decided to return to boxing in 1954.
His Amazing Comeback
Robinson came back to boxing in 1955. Even though he hadn't fought for two and a half years, his dancing kept him in great shape. He said his dancing training was even harder than his boxing training! He won five fights in 1955 before losing to Ralph 'Tiger' Jones. But he bounced back and beat Rocky Castellani. Then, he challenged Bobo Olson for the world middleweight title. He won the middleweight championship for the third time by knocking out Olson in the second round.
In 1957, Robinson lost his title to Gene Fullmer. Fullmer was a tough fighter. But Robinson noticed that Fullmer was weak against a left hook. In their rematch, Robinson won the title back for a fourth time! He knocked out Fullmer with a perfect left hook. Boxing experts still call it "the perfect punch." Fullmer had never been knocked out in his 44 fights before this. When asked how far the punch traveled, Robinson said, "I can't say. But he got the message."
Later that year, he lost his title to Carmen Basilio in a tough 15-round fight. But he won it back for a record fifth time when he beat Basilio in their rematch! Robinson had to struggle to make weight for the fight, going without food for almost 20 hours. He badly hurt Basilio's eye early in the fight. The judges gave the fight to Robinson. Both fights won the "Fight of the Year" award from The Ring magazine.
Later Years and Retirement
In 1959, Robinson knocked out Bob Young. A year later, he lost his title to Paul Pender. Robinson tried to win the title back for a sixth time, but Pender won again. In 1960 and 1961, Robinson fought Gene Fullmer two more times for the middleweight title, but Fullmer kept the title. These were Robinson's last title fights.
Robinson spent the rest of the 1960s fighting shorter 10-round matches. In October 1961, he beat future world champion Denny Moyer. Even at 41 years old, Robinson won by staying away from Moyer. But in their next fight, Moyer beat Robinson. Robinson lost two more times in 1962. Then he won six fights in a row against less famous boxers. In February 1963, Robinson lost to former world champion Joey Giardello. Giardello knocked Robinson down in the fourth round.
Robinson fought for the last time in November 1965. He lost to Joey Archer. Many people were sad to see Robinson lose, especially since Archer wasn't known for knocking people out. The crowd in Pittsburgh gave Robinson many standing ovations, even though he was losing.
On November 11, 1965, Robinson announced he was retiring from boxing. He said, "I hate to go too long campaigning for another chance." Sugar Ray Robinson ended his boxing career with an amazing record of 173 wins, 19 losses, 6 draws, and 2 no-contests. He had 109 knockouts in 200 professional fights. This makes him one of the boxers with the most knockouts ever.
Life After Boxing
In his autobiography, Robinson said that by 1965, he had spent all the money he earned, which was about $4 million. A month after his last fight, there was a special "Sugar Ray Robinson Night" in New York's Madison Square Garden to honor him.
Robinson was chosen for the Ring Magazine boxing Hall of Fame in 1967. He was also inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. In the late 1960s, he acted in some TV shows like Mission: Impossible and Land of the Giants. He also appeared in a few movies. In 1969, he started the Sugar Ray Robinson Youth Foundation in Los Angeles to help young people. This foundation does not have a boxing program.
Robinson was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease in his later years. He passed away in Los Angeles on April 12, 1989, at 67 years old. He is buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in California.
Personal Life
Robinson married Marjorie Joseph in 1938, but their marriage was ended that same year. Their son, Ronnie Smith, was born in 1939. Robinson later met his second wife, Edna Mae Holly, who was a famous dancer. They married in 1944 and had a son named Ray Robinson Jr. (born 1949). They divorced in 1962.
In 1965, Robinson married Millie Wiggins Bruce. They lived in Los Angeles. Robinson was also a Freemason, like many other athletes, including boxer Jack Dempsey.
Robinson's Boxing Style
Robinson was known as a "boxer-puncher." This means he could fight in many different ways. One round he might be brawling (fighting aggressively), the next he might be counterpunching (hitting back after his opponent attacks), and the next he might be fighting from a distance using his jab. He used his flexible style to find and use his opponents' weaknesses.
He was also very fast and precise. He had a strong jab and could throw hooks and uppercuts in quick bursts. He was good with both hands. Boxing expert Bert Sugar said, "Robinson could deliver a knockout blow going backward." Robinson himself said that once a boxer trains enough, their moves become automatic. "You don't think. It's all instinct. If you stop to think, you're gone."
His Lasting Legacy
Many sports writers, boxers, and trainers say Robinson was the greatest boxer of all time. The phrase "pound for pound" was created for him. It was a way to compare boxers of different weights and say he was the best, no matter his size. Famous boxers like Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Roberto Durán, and Sugar Ray Leonard have all said Robinson was the greatest pound-for-pound boxer in history.
In 1997, The Ring magazine named him the best pound-for-pound fighter ever. In 1999, the Associated Press called him the "welterweight of the century," "middleweight of the century," and overall "fighter of the century." In 2007, ESPN.com also named Robinson the top boxer in history.
Robinson was one of the first African Americans to become a big star outside of sports. His fancy restaurant, Sugar Ray's, in New York, was a popular spot for celebrities. Robinson was known for his exciting personality. He drove a bright pink Cadillac and was a talented singer and dancer.
According to ESPN's Ron Flatter, Robinson was a pioneer for having a large "entourage." This group included a secretary, barber, masseur, voice coach, trainers, and friends. When Robinson first went to Paris, someone called his companions his "entourage." He liked the word and started using it. His larger-than-life image made him a hero for many young African Americans in the 1950s. Robinson also inspired other boxers who took the nickname "Sugar," like Sugar Ray Leonard and Sugar Shane Mosley.
Images for kids
-
Robinson, Madison Square Garden, 1966
-
Robinson on Land of the Giants in 1969
-
Sugar Ray Robinson with wife Edna Mae in 1956
-
Robinson being held aloft by Gene Fullmer and Carmen Basilio in 1965
