Robinson wins 1939 Golden Glove Championship... as a Featherweight. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88qNlf7cohk&feature=related
I'd definitely say Robinson was much more an offensive fighter than a defensive one, or at least better when he went into offensive mode in comparison to his boxing mode. Don't get me wrong, he was a good out-boxer as well, but I've always thought he was a lot better when he was letting his hands go. He's one of the best combination punchers I've ever seen, and one of the best in a shoot-out. In that sense, I think he's one of a kind, but as an out-boxer I don't think he was really among the best ever, despite what many will tell you. He had an excellent jab and very good footwork, though. He was just a bit too lacking defensively to be be as highly regarded a pure boxer as he is. His defensive skills were sufficient, and when focused on, could in fact be very good, but most of the time his offense was his defense. Even against LaMotta, I thought Ray was in command more when he let his hands go as opposed to when he was moving and jabbing off the backfoot. This was against a badly weight-drained LaMotta, and the number of clean shots Robinson was taking doesn't bode well for his argument as a top defensive fighter. It was only when he unleashed the beast that he was able to halt and even back up the Raging Bull. It's true what you say about his countering ability, but mostly due to his handspeed and instinctive reflexes, rather than innate defensive awareness. That falls more into his offensive skills than his defensive ones.
good post Pea i agree with that i was speaking to JG about Ray Robinson and he provided a great quote hes a consumate professional in all areas. Abit what like Chinx is saying
Why do people always seem to say Robinson was moving backwards when he knocked out fullmer? His feet were clearly set (for the) KO.
Here's Robinson knocking Bobby Dykes silly while moving backwards: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVCI332QjQI 6:45
I'm not knocking SRR, he was the most versatile fighter of all time. I just dont like people re-writing history. I thought I had most of Ray's fights (ca. 20-25), but this Dykes footage is news to me, good stuff. Out of curiosity mate, anymore Rare Robinson footage to be uploaded to Youtube?
I agree it's a bit of a myth (Robinson-Fullmer II that is) but I thought I'd post that video since it fit the topic. Robinson vs Docusen, Fusari, Stretz, Villemain, Stock, Van Dam & Walzack are uploaded. I'm hoping that Robinson vs Angott/Abrams/Becket/Riccio/Flores/Barnes will be there soon for all to see.
One of the most poetically beautiful ko's ever...it's the way Robinson moves right after that flash kd Rocky scored...the way he maneouvers Rocky and moves into position to end it the way he did.
He really didn't have any marks on his face either, kind of like Ali. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TavqZN-GWus
Great post, Pea, and I agree that Robinson was more an offensive fighter than a defensive one; and you make a great point in, "most of the time his offense was his defense." You know, reading FromWithin's great post about Robinson this morning, a couple of things stood out. The first has nothing to do with him as a boxer but everything to do with him as a man, and that's what his wife and son had to say about his abusive behavior towards her. But the second point has everything to do with Ray as a fighter and maybe fighters in general. What his first New York trainer, George Gainford said about Ray not being anything that special at first, but one thing he had was a strong desire to learn. The first to get to the gym and the last to leave, Ray always had a lot of questions about the science of the sport, etc. Gainford later on bragging about his being the greatest trainer because he trained Sugar Ray Robinson, and that claim challenged by ... Why aren't all your fighters as good, then? If you watched Ray's golden glove bout I linked, I think what you saw was a young man with natural gifts but quite raw, and I think this begs the question ... Was it Ray's pride, work ethic, ego, that would not allow him to be satisfied with second best?
Its surely a mixture of all of them. You notice about all the great boxers when they first start they always work hard are first in thegym last out, so could we say that that is what talent is? All of us are capable but only a few are willing.
I know your heart's all in it Greg, and that's beautiful. But there have been some great ones that didn't work so hard. But I agree with you, it surely is a mixture of many characteristics, not the least of which I'm sure is athleticism. But pride seems to stand out as one of the important intangibles. Marciano had it, Ali had it, Ray Leonard had it, the list could go on for quite a while.