10 Things You Need to Know About Legendary Boxer Sugar Ray Robinson

Sugar Ray Robinson Welterweight Champion Boxing Wire Photo by ACME – Wikimedia commons

10 Things You Need to Know About Legendary Boxer Sugar Ray Robinson

Robinson’s mastery of the boxing ring goes without saying, he was a genius! Sugar Ray Robinson is arguably one of the greatest fighters to have ever stepped into the ring, having won 174 of his 201 bouts. Sportswriters, fighters, and pundits have ranked Robinson as the best fighter of all time. During his career, sportswriters coined the expression “pound for pound” to compare boxers of different weights.

His moves and technique were unmatched, and his career, which spanned the 1940s through the 1960s, places him in the top tier of all-time great athletes. Here are 10 things you need to know about legendary boxer Sugar Ray Robinson.

1. He was born Walker Smith Jr.

Sugar was born Walker Smith Jr in Georgia on May 3, 1921. His father was called Walker Smith Sr. and his mother went by the name Leila Hurst. Robinson had two older siblings, Marie and Evelyn. His father worked as a construction labourer while his mother worked as a seamstress. His parents would later divorce while he was still five years old, forcing him to move to Harlem, New York with his mother at 12 years where he would spend most of his teenage life.

2. Robinson wanted to become a doctor while growing up

Photo by Sasun Bughdaryan on Unsplash

Initially, Walker wanted to become a doctor, but after quitting DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx in the ninth grade, he changed his focus to something else. He subsequently shifted his focus to boxing. Walker became interested in boxing after his family joined Salem Methodist Episcopal Church, where George Gainford established a boxing club. He would make fruitless efforts to enter the ring at the beginning of his career.

3. He adopted the name Ray Robinson by using an ID from a fellow youth

When he was 14, he sought to compete in his first boxing tournament but was told he needed an AAU membership card, which he couldn’t legally get until he was 16. He skirted the AAU’s age restriction by borrowing an ID card from a former fighter named Ray Robinson. Walker began his amateur boxing career under that name, and it remained with him. When Gainford saw how Robinson was performing at a match in Watertown, New York, he characterized him as “sweet as sugar,” and the name Sugar Ray Robinson came to fruition.

4. His amateur career ended with an 85-0 record and 69 knockouts

He soon rose through the ranks as a result of his excellent performance. He had an impressive amateur record of 85-0 with 69 knockouts, 40 of which came in the first round. In addition, he won the Golden Gloves lightweight championship in 1940 defeating Andy Nonella in the second round by KO. immediately following his previous triumph in the Golden Gloves featherweight championship in 1939 by defeating Louis Valentine on points.

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5. Robinson began his professional career in 1940

American boxer Sugar Ray Robinson (1921-1989) in the ring at Madison Square Garden photo by New York World-Telegram – Wikimedia commons

On October 4, 1940, Robinson made his professional debut, defeating Joe Echevarria in the second round by technical knockout. In 1940, Robinson competed in five additional fights, winning all four times by knockout. He defeated former champion Fritzie Zivic, future champion Marty Servo, and world champion Sammy Angott in 1941.

Because Angott did not want to take a chance on losing his lightweight belt, the Robinson-Angott bout took place above the lightweight limit, making it even more significant for Robinson then even though he did not win the title because he was above the weight limit.

6. Robinson became the World Welterweight champion in 1946

American boxer Sugar Ray Robinson (1921-1989) was held aloft by other boxers. photo by New York World-Telegram – Wikimedia commons

Robinson had faced 75 opponents, with a 73-1-1 record, and defeated each of the top welterweight contenders by 1946. He was denied the opportunity to compete for the welterweight championship due to his refusal to work with the Mafia, who at the time was mostly in charge of boxing. On December 20, 1946, Robinson was granted the opportunity to compete against Tommy Bell for a championship.

Bell knocked down Robinson in the bout, who had already fought Artie Levine in a 10-round scrap a month before. Robinson won the vacant World Welterweight championship in a hard-fought 15-round decision despite the match being highly contested between the two contenders. 

7. He had a premonition about Killing Doyle in their match

After four non-title fights, Robinson was set to defend his world title for the first time against Jimmy Doyle in June 1947. Robinson first pulled out of the battle because he had a dream about killing Doyle. He was persuaded to fight by a priest and a clergyman. His dream happened. Robinson dominated Doyle and scored a decisive knockout in the eighth round on June 25, 1947, knocking Doyle unconscious and resulting in Doyle’s death later that night.

Following Doyle’s death, criminal charges, including murder, were suggested against Robinson in Cleveland, but none occurred. Robinson learned that Jimmy Doyle had the intention of using the money he was going to get after winning their bout to buy his mother a house. In the next four matches Robinson had, he gave all the money to Doyle’s mother to purchase a house henceforth accomplishing what Jimmy wanted for his mother.

Click here to read more about boxers who sadly died in the ring. 

8. Robinson won the undisputed World Middleweight title in 1951

Sugar Ray Robinson Welterweight Champion Boxing Wire Photo by ACME – Wikimedia commons

Robinson and LaMotta clashed for the sixth match on February 14, 1951. The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre would come to be recognized as the name of the battle. Robinson handed LaMotta a technical knockout in the 13th round to win the undisputed world middleweight championship. For the first ten rounds of their illustrious six-round series, Robinson outboxed LaMotta.

Then, for the final three rounds, Robinson unleashed a barrage of vicious combinations on LaMotta, ultimately halting the champion and handing LaMotta his first real knockout defeat in 95 professional fights. The six-fight Robinson-LaMotta rivalry was portrayed in the Martin Scorsese movie Raging Bull, along with some of the other fights. Five of Robinson’s six fights with LaMotta were victories.

9. He is the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times

After defeating Fullmer in 1957 and winning back the Middleweight championship, Sugar lost it once more to Basilio in a tough 15-round contest at Yankee Stadium in front of 38,000 spectators. When he defeated Basilio in the rematch, he was able to reclaim it for a record-breaking fifth time. Before the fight, Robinson had to fast for over 20 hours to make weight.

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10. Robinson married thrice in his lifetime

Original 1951 Sugar Ray Robinson Wife & Jr. Wire Photo sourced from Wikimedia commons

He married Marjorie Joseph in 1938 when he was only sixteen years of age. They had one son, Ronnie, and divorced when Robinson was 19 years old. Ronnie Smith, their son, was born in 1939. Robinson met his second wife, Edna Mae Holly, and the two began dating soon after, marrying in 1944. Before their ugly divorce in 1962, they had one son, Ray Robinson Jr. In 1951, she graced the cover of Jet magazine for the first time. Robinson married Millie Wiggins Bruce in 1965, and the pair lived in Los Angeles.

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