born april american professional boxer frequently cited greatest boxer time robinson performances divisions prompted create pound pound rankings compared fighters regardless weight inducted robinson amateur victories coming way knockout round turned professional age professional record robinson went fight unbeaten streak longest professional boxing history robinson held world title won world title year retired come half years later regain title boxer history win divisional world championship times feat accomplished defeating regain championship robinson named fighter year twice performances years fights later efforts renowned flamboyant lifestyle outside ring robinson credited modern sports entourage boxing career ended robinson attempted career entertainer successful struggled financially death featured commemorative stamp early life robinson born georgia robinson youngest children older sister marie born older sister born father cotton corn farmer georgia moved family detroit initially found work construction according robinson later worked jobs support family cement sewer worker morning home close midnight days week day saw sunday wanted parents separated moved mother new_york_city neighborhood harlem age robinson originally doctor dropping clinton high school ninth grade switched goal boxing attempted enter boxing tournament told needed obtain membership card eighteen years old received age restriction borrowing birth certificate friend subsequently told sweet sugar lady audience fight new_york known sugar ray robinson robinson youth actually lived block louis detroit robinson louis outside ring robinson got trouble frequently youth involved violent street gang married couple son divorced robinson finished amateur career record coming round won golden gloves championship organization lightweight championship boxing career early career robinson professional debut october winning second round knockout robinson fought times winning time wins coming way knockout defeated world champion future champion champion robinson fight held lightweight limit want risk losing lightweight title robinson defeated madison square garden largest crowds arena date robinson won rounds according new_york_times came land punches robinson head sixth seventh rounds robinson controlled rounds ninth close tenth round robinson announced winner robinson knocked tenth round january rematch knockout loss second career fights robinson knocked ninth tenth rounds referee stopped fight corner protested new_york_times stated hey criticizing humane act battle slaughter want delicate word robinson won consecutive bouts knockout defeating controversial split decision rematch winning fights robinson faced prominent rivals time october defeated unanimous decision failed jake robinson weighed compared able control fight outside entire bout actually landed harder punches fight robinson won fights including october december performances robinson named fighter year finished total wins losses robinson built record losing time round match weight advantage robinson knocked robinson ring eighth round won fight decision fight took place robinson home town detroit attracted record crowd controlled robinson early portions fight came control later rounds winning fight weeks later robinson defeated childhood idol champion robinson fought armstrong armstrong need money armstrong old fighter robinson later stated carried armstrong february robinson inducted united_states_army referred walker smith robinson month military career robinson served pair went tours performed exhibition bouts troops robinson got trouble times military argued superiors felt refused fight exhibitions told african american soldiers allowed watch late march robinson stationed fort hamilton brooklyn waiting ship europe scheduled perform exhibition matches march robinson disappeared barracks april fort jay hospital governor island missed sailing europe suspicion reported falling stairs barracks 29th said complete amnesia remember events moment 5th according file stranger found street april helped hospital examination report doctor fort jay concluded robinson version events sincere examined military authorities claimed suffered mental robinson granted honorable discharge june later wrote unfair press coverage incident branded robinson maintained close friendship louis time military service went business war planned start liquor distribution business new_york_city denied license race loss rematch mark robinson record period round draw champion robinson fought fights record beaten contender division refused cooperate mafia controlled boxing time denied chance fight championship robinson finally given chance win title december robinson beaten bell decision fought title vacated lost twice robinson non title bouts fight robinson month involved round brawl knocked bell fight called war robinson able pull close round decision winning vacant title june non title bouts robinson scheduled defend title time bout robinson initially backed fight dream going kill priest minister convinced fight sadly dream proved true june robinson dominated scored decisive knockout eighth round knocked unconscious resulted death later night robinson said impact death trying death criminal charges threatened robinson cleveland including actually learning intentions bout money buy mother house robinson gave mother money bouts purchase home fulfilling son intention robinson fought times bout title defense fighters defeated non title bouts future world champion close controversial round fight hurt robinson times fight robinson controlled final rounds series left hooks boxed times defended title title fight rematch robinson won decision half bout close robinson took control second half wait years begin historic reign champion boxer match robinson year fought round draw buffalo robinson fought times successfully defended title time robinson won round decision knocking robinson donated purse fight cancer research robinson fought taken calling sugar stated weeks leading fight rightful better touch gloves round robinson said fighters introduced center ring ain sugar robinson knocked minutes seconds champion robinson stated autobiography main considerations increasing difficulty having making weight limit prove beneficial financially division contained biggest names boxing pennsylvania state title robinson defeated later year defense crown defeated previously drawn robinson second round knockout set record stand years october robinson knocked future title holder february robinson met sixth time fight known valentine day massacre robinson won undisputed world title 13th round technical knockout robinson rounds series savage combinations rounds finally stopping champion time legendary bout series dealing legitimate knockout loss professional bouts lost knockout earlier career fight later ruled fixed sanctioned letting fox win bout bouts fight rivalry depicted martin film fought got diabetes later said robinson won bouts winning second world title embarked european tour took continent robinson traveled pink caused stir paris entourage people included laughs hero france recent defeat french hated defeating taking championship belt died plane crash route rematch robinson met president france ceremony attended france social upper crust fight berlin robinson disqualified knocked opponent punch kidney punch legal europe fight later declared contest london robinson lost world title british boxer sensational bout months later rematch fans polo grounds knocked rounds recover title bout robinson leading cards cut fight jeopardy robinson let loose knocking getting ropes series punches caused referee stop bout following robinson victory residents harlem danced streets robinson named fighter year second time fought rematch winning decision defeated champion round knockout challenged world light heavyweight champion yankee stadium bout maxim robinson built lead judges temperature ring took toll referee victim heat replaced referee fast moving robinson heat victim end round collapsed failed answer bell round suffering knockout career june maxim bout robinson gave title retired record began career business singing tap dancing years decline businesses lack success performing career decide return boxing resumed training comeback robinson returned ring inactive half years work dancer kept peak physical condition autobiography robinson states weeks leading debut dancing engagement france ran miles morning danced hours night robinson stated training attempts establish career dancer harder undertook boxing career won fights losing decision tiger jones bounced defeated split decision challenged world title won championship time second round knockout victory comeback performance robinson expected named fighter year title went lobbied heavily basis won award robinson later described biggest disappointment professional career haven forgotten day robinson wrote autobiography fought time robinson closed fight series fourth round knockout robinson lost title aggressive forward moving style control robinson knocked fight robinson noticed vulnerable left hook headed rematch favorite rounds robinson followed ring round changed tactics come start fourth round robinson came attack stunned returned punches robinson traded opposed earlier fight fight fairly rounds fifth robinson able win title fourth time knocking lightning fast powerful left hook boxing critics referred left hook knocked perfect punch marked time career fights knocked asked robinson fight far left hook travelled robinson replied got message later year lost title rugged round fight yankee stadium regained record fifth time beat rematch robinson struggled weight food nearly hours leading bout badly damaged eye early fight seventh round swollen shut judges gave fight robinson wide margins referee scored fight loudly crowd decision announced fight won fight year award ring magazine second fight won fight year award decline robinson knocked second round boston fight year later defended title robinson entered fight favorite lost split decision boston garden day fight commented planned start slowly coming late aging robinson despite opening cut eye eighth round largely ineffective later rounds attempt regain crown sixth time proved robinson despite robinson efforts won decision rematch december year robinson fought round draw title retained robinson fought fourth time retaining title unanimous decision fight robinson title bout robinson spent rest 1960s fighting round contests october robinson defeated future world champion unanimous decision favorite year old robinson defeated year old staying outside engaging rematch months later defeated robinson points pressed action robinson fight won judges robinson lost twice winning consecutive fights lesser opposition february robinson lost unanimous decision world champion fellow knocked robinson fourth round year old took count rise feet robinson nearly knocked sixth round saved bell rallied seventh rounds struggling final robinson embarked month boxing tour europe robinson second contest bout came september norfolk virginia match opponent turned boxer time fugitive accused signed fight capable club fighter fight morrison knocked twice round second disgusted referee said henderson fight walked ring robinson initially given second round obviously frightened morrison laid canvas robinson fought final time lost unanimous decision famed sports author mentioned experiences life watching robinson lose archer knocked pointed archer knockout punch archer admitted afterward second time knocked opponent career crowd civic arena pittsburgh gave robinson standing thoroughly archer november robinson announced retirement boxing saying hate long campaigning chance robinson retired boxing record contests professional bouts ranking time leaders retiring boxer autobiography robinson states broke having spent million earnings inside ring career month fight robinson honored sugar ray robinson night december new_york madison square garden ceremony honored massive trophy piece furniture small manhattan apartment legs strong support robinson elected years retired late 1960s acted television shows like mission impossible episode called giants jazz sugar washed boxer opening nightclub appeared films including frank cop movie detective cult classic candy thriller killings police officer founded sugar ray robinson youth foundation inner city los_angeles area foundation sponsor boxing program diagnosed diabetes treated robinson years diagnosed disease died los_angeles age interred california personal life robinson married marriage year son born robinson met second wife holly noted dancer performed toured europe according robinson met local pool frequented boxing attempt attention pushed pool day claimed accident attempt met disdain appeared nightclub danced introduced soon couple dating married son born divorced appeared cover jet magazine april robinson eldest sister marie died cancer age robinson married couple settled los_angeles robinson sick son accused robinson wife keeping influence medication manipulate according mother died attend mother funeral controlling robinson hospitalized day mother death caused blood pressure rise claimed kept away robinson years life membership shared number athletes including fellow boxer robinson christian boxing style rhythm boxing starts heart rhythm trouble robinson modern definition boxer able fight style come round counter punching fighting outside robinson possessed great speed knockout power fought conventional way firm threw hooks unconventional way possessed tremendous versatility according boxing analyst robinson deliver knockout blow going backward robinson efficient hands displayed variety effective punches according time magazine article robinson repertoire thrown equal speed power hand includes standard punch hook makes spur moment robinson commented fighter trained certain level techniques responses don think instinct stop think gone legacy robinson ranked greatest boxer time fellow trainers phrase pound pound created career way compare weight hall fame fighters ranked robinson greatest pound pound boxer history ring ranked best pound pound fighter history named century century overall fighter century associated_press featured piece greatest time named robinson boxer history ring magazine ranked number list time greatest robinson ranked pound pound boxer time robinson african americans establish star outside sports integral new_york social scene 1940s 1950s glamorous restaurant hosted stars king cole robinson known flamboyant personality outside ring combined striking good looks charisma flair dramatic drove pink accomplished singer dancer pursued career entertainment industry according pioneer boxing bigger life including secretary barber voice coach trainers beautiful women dwarf mascot lifelong manager robinson traveled paris steward referred companions entourage robinson said like word literal definition felt friends liked word began use regular conversation referring effort persuade robinson return paris national hero french promised bring man whistle trained trademark larger life persona idol millions african american youths 1950s robinson inspired fighters took nickname sugar homage sugar shane fighter professional boxing record
Sugar Ray Robinson