Robinson, "Sugar Ray"
[Walker Smith Jr.]

Boxing

b. May 3, 1920, Detroit, MI
d. April 12, 1989

Career Record

Other Resources

Walker Smith Jr. began boxing in Harlem shortly after he moved with his mother to New York City at the age of twelve. When he was fifteen, he wanted to enter a tournament but was told he needed an AAU membership card, which he couldn't get until he was sixteen. He borrowed a card from a friend, Ray Robinson, and became the 1940 Golden Gloves lightweight champion under that name.

His trainer, George Gainford, told a writer, "He's a sweet fighter, sweet as sugar," and from that point on he was known as "Sugar Ray." After winning all 89 of his amateur fights, Robinson became a professional on October 4, 1940, with a 2nd-round knockout of Joe Etchevarria.

Robinson won 40 consecutive professional bouts before losing a 10-round decision to Jake LaMotta in 1943. He didn't suffer another loss for more than eight years.

Welterweight champions Freddy Cochrane and Marty Servo refused to fight Robinson. The New York State Athletic Commission took Servo's title and announced that the winner of the Robinson-Tommy Bell Fight on December 20, 1946, would be the new champion. Robinson won a 15-round decision. In his first defense, he knocked out Jimmy Doyle, who died after the fight, and Robinson donated most of his winnings to the Doyle family.

After five defenses, Robinson met LaMotta for the world middleweight championship on February 14, 1951. In a fight called the "St. Valentine's Day massacre" because of the punishment LaMotta took, Robinson won on a 13th-round knockout.

Robinson lost the title when Randy Turpin of England took a 15-round decision on July 10, 1951, but he regained it by knocking Turpin out in the 10th round on September 12.

On June 25, 1952, Robinson tried for the world light heavyweight title against Joey Maxim, and he might well have won if it hadn't been for 115-degree heat at ringside in Chicago. He was well ahead on points in the 13th round when he took a wild swing, missed, fell to the canvas, and could no longer continue because of heat prostration.

Robinson retired for more than a year after that fight, but he returned in 1954 and on December 9, 1955, he won the middleweight title once again. Gene Fullmer took the championship with a 15-round decision on January 2, 1957; Robinson regained it with a 5th-round knockout on May 1; Carmen Basilio won it with a 15-round decision on September 23, 1957; and Robinson regained it with a 15-round decision on March 25, 1958, becoming the only fighter ever to win a championship five times.

After losing the championship to Paul Pender on a 15-round decision on January 22, 1960, Robinson failed in his attempt to win it for the sixth time when Pender won another 15-round decision in a rematch. Robinson also had two shots at the National Boxing Association title against Gene Fullmer, but the first fight was a draw and Fullmer won a decision in the second.

Robinson continued boxing through 1965, then retired at the age of forty-four. He won 174 bouts, 109 by knockout; lost 19, 1 by knockout; fought 6 draws and 2 no-contests. Wildly popular in Europe as well as the United States, Robinson won a great deal of money fighting and spent it lavishly on pink Cadillacs and a remarkable entourage that at times included a golf instructor, barber, voice teacher, drama coach, masseur, trainers, secretary, and a dwarf mascot.

International Boxing Hall of Fame