From pound for pound to legacy and career, Sugar Ray Robinson is considered one of the best boxers of all time. People assume he must have won controversial matches, but there doesn’t seem to be much evidence to support this.
Key Takeaways
- In 1965, Robinson permanently retired from the sport and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame two years later.
- He overcame a number of opponents in non-title fights, including Kid Gavilán, the eventual world champion, in a close and controversial 10-round affair in 1948.
Sugar Ray Robinson ‘SRR‘ was an American professional boxer who competed from 1940 until 1965.
In 1990, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He is frequently considered, pound for pound, the best boxer of all time.
Although his precise amateur record is unknown, Robinson was a dominant amateur. It typically reads 85–0 with 40 first-round knockouts and 69 total.
However, according to reports, he lost against Patsy Pesca and Billy Graham as a youngster.
Sugar Ray Robinson has played 201 games and won 174 times, including 109 KO victories, 19 losses, 6 draws, and 2 no-contests; the numbers are insane.
Given his lengthy career and large number of victories, people question how many of his victories are controversial and have sparked debate.
Members of The Boxing Forum Have Claimed That Sugar Ray Robinson Had a Few Controversial Wins
Sugar Ray Robinson is regarded as the finest fighter to have ever appeared ringside, yet others argue that he had some dubious victories over the years.
Many of them concur that one of the matches he won is seen as being very contentious. The fight between him and Kid Gavilan.
He overcame a number of opponents in non-title fights, including Kid Gavilán, the eventual world champion, in a close and controversial 10-round affair in 1948.
Gavilán hurt Robinson several times in the fight, but Robinson controlled the final rounds with a series of jabs and left hooks.
He boxed sixteen times in 1949, although he only made one title defense. Robinson won by decision once more in that title, which was a rematch with Gavilán.
Despite a close first half, Robinson dominated the second part of the fight. Gavilán would not be able to start his own epic reign as welterweight champion for another two years.
According to a member of a boxing forum, the user claims that Robinson has had a few controversial wins. He defeated Marty Servo and Rocky Graziano in two contentious decisions in 1941 and 1942.
However, Servo retired after being paired with Rocky Graziano. When SRR faced Artie Levine in 1946, the latter knocked him down on his back, but he survived. Some in the crowd jeered after SRR defeated Georgie Abrams in a tight decision in 1947.
These are a handful of Sugar Ray Robinson’s controversial wins, with some people accepting them and others disagreeing.
Sugar Ray Robinson Began His Career With an Astonishing 40 Straight Victories
Over the course of his 25-year career, boxer Robinson recorded 175 victories and 19 defeats.
Boxing fans referred to him as the “uncrowned champion” since the mob would not compete against him for the world welterweight belt.
He took home the middleweight belt in 1951 after winning the welterweight title in 1946. By 1958, he was the first boxer to win five division world titles.
Robinson’s ability to cross weight classes earned him the nickname “pound for pound, the best.”
He inspired Muhammad Ali’s matador style, which he used to defeat Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title 1964.
SRR was ranked No. 1 in 1984’s “The 100 Greatest Boxers of All Time.” He enjoyed his celebrity status outside the ring, driving around Harlem in a pink Cadillac and attending high-profile nightclubs with a large entourage.
He earned over $4 million, which he spent on lavish expenses, causing him to continue boxing longer than expected.
In 1965, Robinson permanently retired from the sport and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame two years later.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- In Los Angeles, California, USA, Sugar Ray Robinson passed away on April 12, 1989, at the age of 67.
- Robinson married Marjorie Joseph in 1938; however, the marriage was annulled that same year. Their son, Ronnie Smith, was born on September 25, 1938.
