Sugar Ray Robinson
Walker Smith Jr , known as Sugar Ray Robinson , born the May 3rd 1921 and deceased the April 12th 1989, was an American Boxe ur. It is one of the best boxers of all times. It is the idol of Mohammed Ali.
Career
Walker Smith Jr very early attends the room of Crascent Atlhetic club of Harlem where its family migrated. At 15 years, it fights for the first time as an amateur, fly category, and this in spite of the refusal of his mother. With this intention, it will box under the name of “Ray Robinson” thanks to a license that its manager, George Gainford, uses whereas its holder has just given up the boxing rings some time before.After a title with the Gloves Goldens delicious at the feathers, Sugar Ray whose prize list carries to discussion (some credits it with a prize list perfect amateur whereas others think that he knew two reverses vis-a-vis Billy Graham), carries out its professional beginnings with the Madison Square Garden of New York the October 4th 1940 with the same poster as the world shock of the Welterweights between Henry Armstrong and Fritzie Zivic. As of September 1941, Ray Robinson progresses so quickly that it is already classified in the most serious applicants for this reason. Elected official boxer of the year 1942, it connects 32 new victories (22 before the limit) in particular over two ex-champions: Zivic and Angott or on Servo the Marty hope.
Jake LaMotta put an end to its impressive series of victories (40 as a pro and 135 as an amateur) the February 5th 1943.
He becomes world champion of the welterweights the December 20th 1946. He preserves his title until in 1951. He passes then in average weights, category in which he gains the world title as of the February 14th 1951 vis-a-vis Jake LaMotta during the 13th recovery. He loses his title the July 10th 1951 then regains it in the tread the September 12th vis-a-vis Randy Turpin. Already elected boxer of the year in 1942, it is again indicated better boxer of the year in 1951. It preserves its title in 1952, in particular beating Rocky Graziano on KB as of the 3rd recovery. Sugar Ray gains the world title in a third category, the heavy light ones, on June 25th, 1952 by putting KB Joey Maxim at the 14th recovery. He announces then his retirement the December 18th 1952.
He is of return on the boxing rings to the end of the year 1954 and regains the world title of the average weights the December 9th 1955. He loses this title the January 2nd 1957 vis-a-vis Gene Fulmer, but at the time of revenge on May 1st 1957 regains it on a hook of the left to the fifth recovery. The same applies vis-a-vis Carmen Basilio which beats it the September 23rd 1957 but loses the March 25th 1958. It loses then its title the January 22nd 1960 vis-a-vis Paul Pender, but is also inclined at the time of revenge.
Ray starts then the long list of its engagements in “excess”. In front of Fulmer in March 1961, then Giardello in June 1963… In order to reabsorb its tax liabilities, it boxes through Europe and the United States, reduced such its shade, to fight hopes or “second knives” for less than 700 dollars… It disputes its last combat the November 10th 1965. Its professional path extends thus from the October 4th 1940 with the November 10th 1965.
Ray will make some films, then will open a night club with Harlem, before the tax department seizes to him, and will create a foundation in order to help the disinherited young people.
He dies on April 12th, 1989 with Los Angeles, of the continuations of the disease of Alzheimer.
Style and influences
Ideally proportioned, Sugar Ray Robinson combined power, speed and precision. Designer with the seldom equalized purity, it could transform himself into frightening striker. Jack Newfields analyzes “All that one dreams to have enter the cords, Ray Robinson held it. Gestural ease, untied leg movement, the fluidity and precision of the jabs, elegance in its displacements, the lightning in its two fists, the innate direction of dodgings and the science of the pretenses, the speed of execution, and the gesture right at the crucial moment. A whole dream! ”. Defensively, Ray used all the boxing ring grace a fabulous mobility. Its skill to block or avoid the blows would undoubtedly have made jealous immense the Jack Johnson.Ever really put except combat before the distance, its some voyages to the carpet (10!) (Grispos, LaMotta, Levine, Beautiful, Villemain, Graziano, Giardello, Wilf Greaves (twice) and Archer (at the time of its ultimate exit) made a success of this exploit!) proved that it also had a great capacity of recovery.
Often regarded as more “perfect” the combatant of the history, his boxing exceeded the concepts of beauty and magic. Even Mohammed Ali (which had come to beg it to become its manager before his Olympic tournament of Rome, and which was used to him well later (in March 1965) occasionally as welfare man!) acknowledged: “Ray Robinson was the single boxer better than me of all the history. At one time when its potential adversaries were hard truths (Servo, Zale, LaMotta, Cerdan, Graziano, Fulmer, Basilio…), Ray transformed this brutal sport into true art”.
External bonds
- Official site
- a biography of Sugar Ray Robinson
Simple: Sugar Ray Robinson