The good Sugar Ray Robinson had retired from boxing, had been singing and tap-dancing for 3 years. He didn’t have a lot success, so he got here again to the ring in 1955. He was nonetheless in form although, mentioned in his autobiography he would run 5 miles a day earlier than a gig after which dance for 5 hours at night time.
In that 12 months he goes 6-1, and within the course of takes the world middleweight championship from Bobo Olson with a second spherical knockout. Thinks he must be named Fighter of the 12 months, however that title is given to welterweight champion Carmen Basilio. Sugar Ray says later this was one of many best disappointments of his profession.
Basilio had began off 1955 by beating Peter Müller, thus staking his declare because the primary welterweight challenger. In June he knocks out Tony DeMarco within the twelfth spherical to take the title. He rematches DeMarco later that 12 months and knocks him out once more.
Basilio recalled the circumstances main as much as the largest struggle of his profession: “Properly, we had been ready the place he was on the lookout for an opponent and I used to be on the lookout for an opponent so we thought a Robinson vs Basilio struggle can be factor for the folks. In order that’s what occurred. They had been large world championship fights and I moved up from welterweight into middleweight, to the higher class. One in every of my nice thrills was that I fought him in Yankee Stadium.”
The struggle itself is gorgeous. Continuous, fast-paced motion, as Robinson works his jab expertly all through, however Basilio simply retains urgent, bobbing, weaving, all the time aggressive. Within the late rounds they’re each exhausted, however they hold combating at a savage tempo proper to the tip, neither of them backing down. It’s thrilling to see the 2 males taking themselves past the restrict, working from some bizarre otherplace of honour and mutual respect. They only by no means let up. It was a tough match to attain, as a result of they had been each combating at shut quarters for many of it and at a livid tempo, each throwing and catching, slipping and blocking. In the long run, the playing cards learn 9-5-1 Basilio, 9-6-1 Robinson, and 8-6-1 Basilio, giving the tough and tumble onion farmer the middleweight crown.
Aware of what the general public needed, to not point out what was most profitable, Robinson and Basilio had a rematch six months later which noticed Ray regain his title by determination in one other terrific battle. Like their first conflict, Robinson vs Basilio II would obtain “Battle of the 12 months” honors, as Sugar Ray additional secured his place in boxing historical past by successful the middleweight title for an unbelievable fifth time. And it’s value noting that every time Ray gained the 160 pound title, he beat a Corridor of Famer: Jake La Motta, Randy Turpin, Carl Olson, Gene Fullmer and Carmen Basilio — that’s fairly a line-up.
Robinson is regarded by many, if not most, as the best fighter, pound-for-pound, of all time. His legacy might function tutorial to a few of our newer title holders who appear averse to taking up one of the best opposition out there, who go to nice lengths to keep away from essentially the most deserving challengers. I can’t assist pondering of Floyd Mayweather who, regardless of by no means shedding a struggle, failed to realize the respect of many within the public and even a few of his fellow members of the boxing neighborhood. And everyone knows why.
The actual fact is, it’s one factor to have your boxing expertise held in excessive esteem; it’s fairly one other to be considered a real fighter. An actual warrior exhibits as much as struggle, each time, provides the folks a spectacle, places all of it on the road for satisfaction and respect, historical past and glory. Sugar Ray Robinson suffered defeats in his profession, together with this primary match in opposition to Basilio. But that night time he fought an unbelievable battle, one that folks proceed to speak about greater than fifty years later. Although it exhibits as a loss on his file, it’s remembered as one thing extra. – David Como
