Sugar Ray Robinson was born as Walker Smith on May 3, 1921 in Georgia, and moved to Detroit as a youth. After his parents separated, he moved to Harlem with his mother at 12, and began boxing at 14. He borrowed an ID card of a friend named Ray Robinson, so he could get an AAU membership card and join tournaments, which you needed to be 16 for. Ray finished a brilliant amateur career with a record of 85-0, with 69 knockouts.
He had his first professional bout on October 4, 1940, and won by a second round knockout over Joe Echevarria. Robinson continued to beat the best boxers around, and was named “Fighter of the Year” in 1942. He built up a record of 40-0, before losing to Jake LaMotta in a 10 round rematch. Three weeks later, he easily took care of LaMotta, then beat his childhood hero, Henry Armstrong. Robinson admitted he carried his idol, who was only fighting because he needed the money. Ray’s record by 1946 was an incredible 73-1-1, when he finally got a title shot against Tommy Bell on December 20th of that year. In a tough, bruising battle, Ray came out victorious, and had his first world championship at welterweight.
Sugar Ray boxed 5 times in 1948, and another 16 times in 1949, but rarely defended his title. He did however defeat the talented ‘Kid’ Gavilan, before fighting another 19 times in 1950. Ray moved up to middleweight because of the difficulty he had making the 147 lb. welterweight weight limit. In 1951, he defeated Jake LaMotta to win the world middleweight championship in Chicago, in what is known as the ‘St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. After embarking on a European tour, Ray concluded it by losing to Englishman Randy Turpin. Robinson got his title back three months later, by knocking out Turpin in ten rounds at the Polo Grounds in New York. After a few more successful defenses over Carl ‘Bobo’ Olson and Rocky Graziano, Ray decided to challenge light-heavyweight champ Joey Maxim on June 25, 1952 at Yankee Stadium. Sugar Ray wilted in the 103 degree heat, and collapsed from heat exhaustion after the thirteenth round.
With a record of 131-3-1, Ray retired and began a career as a tap dancer in Europe. After some decent success, he returned to boxing in 1955, and defeated ‘Bobo’ Olson to win middleweight title for the third time. Robinson would lose his belt to Gene Fullmer in January of 1957, but knock him out in the rematch four months later. In September of that same year, Robinson lost his championship in a decision to Carmen Basilio at Yankee Stadium. Sugar Ray would avenge that loss six months later in Chicago, and become the 5-time middleweight champion of the world.
Sadly, Robinson would stick around too long, and never regain the title. He had his last bout against Joey Archer on November 10, 1965 at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, a 10-round decision, and finally hung up the gloves at 44 years old. His professional record stands at 174-19-6, with 2 no-contests, and 109 wins by knockouts. Most of his losses were after age 40, and they diminish what is still a spectacular record. He is still known as the ‘Pound for Pound’ greatest boxer to ever live, and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. Sadly, Ray passed away on April 12, 1989, and is still my favorite old-time boxer, bar none.
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