In all, he reportedly had over 200 pro bouts and lost just 19 many towards the end of his career when he was only. He was inducted into the international boxing hall of fame in 1990. He has written about the sport since 1951 for publications such as boxing news, international boxing and boxing pictorial. Dougies monday mailbag 90s mythical matchups, boxing. John jarrett is the author of nine boxing books including max baer. Over 25 years sugar ray robinson ruled three divisions, from lightweight to middleweight. As a kid he had danced for pennies on the streets of harlem, and he danced again in the ring from new york and vegas to paris and back again. Sugar ray robinson was not only one of the most iconic figures of the fight game. Sugar ray robinson born walker smith jr may 3, 1921 april 12, 1989 was an american professional boxer who competed from 1940 to 1965. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids. The first centres on leonards illustrious ring exploits. World middleweight boxing champion who inspired martin scorseses film raging bull and fought sugar ray robinson six times john rawling wed.
The only film footage in existence is only that of robinson fights. Robinson s performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create pound for pound rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight. Shadow boxing, bag work, sparring, rope jumping and exercises, running. He did not lose again until his 2nd professional fight. He is walker smith, who boxed under the ring name of sugar ray robinson and lit up the forties and fifties with a dazzling array of skill, power, good looks and, when he had to, tremendous courage. Muhammad ali once called him the king, my master, my idoland indeed, he was the idol of everyone who had anything to do with boxing. See more ideas about sugar ray robinson, boxing history and boxing. Muhammad ali memorably referred to sugar ray robinson as the king, the master, my idol. But for african americans, he was more than a great boxer. The 10 most memorable quotes in boxing history bleacher. Mike silver is a former boxing promoter and inspector with the new york state athletic commission whose many articles on boxing have appeared in the boxing that sugar ray leonard was the best fighter of the past 50 years.
Ray fought 85 amateur bouts and 40 professional bouts before he lost for the first time. Sugar ray robinson was making his first defence, on this day june 24 in 1947, and was too good for jimmy doyle, knocking him out in the eighth in cleveland. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Sarge johnson, assistant coach of the us olympic boxing team, said to dave jacobs, that kid you got is sweet as sugar. Considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, sugar ray robinson held the world welterweight title from 1946 to 1951, and by 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world. Booktopia buy boxing books online from australias leading online bookstore. Sugar ray is one of those boxers who when you read a book like this realise the term great should be subject to stricter rationing. Ranked in five weight classes and a champion in two, robinson started his career on a tear. At first i wasnt sure about the weaving sugar rays life into the lives of lena horne and. Sugar ray robinson is considered by many including ali and louis to be the best pound for. Sugar ray robinson, the fivetime world middleweight champion who was considered by many boxing experts to have been the best fighter in history, died yesterday in culver city, calif. A biography of sugar ray robins on by herb boyd with ray robinson ii, once there were giants. Sugar ray robinson sugar ray started a movement in boxing that wouldnt stop for over 20 years.
However, given his style and first name, it was probably only a matter of time before people started calling him sugar ray, after the man many consider to be the best boxer of all time, sugar ray robinson. Find out as our panel of experts analyze a mythical matchup between sugar ray robinson. What happens when todays elite clash with legends from the past. Sugar ray robinson on rhythm 3 of 10 over half a century since he ruled the sport, sugar ray robinson remains the alltime poundforpound king for most boxing historians. Subscribe for the latest boxing promos, series and tributes. This is a very good book and one for people who dont like boxing. The second details a life spiraling out of control in a haze of fame. It was there thatencouraged to box by his mother, who wanted him off the. The boxing legend sugar ray robinson is also mosleyboxings choice for the pound for pound greatest of all time or the g. Sugar ray robinson the greatest pound for pound boxer highlightstraining duration. But im happy to give you the titles and authors of the most recent boxing books ive read over the past two or three years. Clown prince of boxing, and dempsey and the wild bull. Sugar ray robinson 19211989 was hailed as the finest boxer to ever enter a ring.
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