Did Sugar Ray Robinson "duck" anyone as champion (WW or MW)?

The Burley fight was supposed to happen before Ray was champion.

 

There was talk, but no groundswell like Pac-Mayweather.

 

Who said Robinson was to fight Cocoa Kid for free? He was to get good money for the fight, he pulled out.

 

Very good call man.

I too was thinking Charley, but didn't realize the fact you brought up. That's why I come to classic :good

 

Longhorn its good to see you again

I dont think so. Robbie was too good a fighter to duck other fighters. Who didnt he fight?

 

Robinson didn't fight Charley Burley in the 1940s when the scuttlebut was
Robbie "avoided' giving Charley Burley a money shot at settling the question of who was the better fighter at that time. I know cause i would hear these conversations at Stillman's gym, and from reading the boxing writers columns. Of course Burley was a few pounds heavier than the taller Robinson
But Burley would have just fought to settle the question of who truly was the better fighter,knowing that Burley at the time was a few pounds over the WW limit..After all Ray Robinson for example fought heavier men than himself in 1945 such as Vic Dellicurti, Jose Basora,Jake LaMotta, whilst Burley fought
Holman Williams that year. So the question is who did Robinson not fight for a TITLE shot, but who did Ray Robinson "DUCK"in his career, that was a threat to himself,to satisfy the public? After all Charley Burley just a few pounds heavier than the taller Robinson was whipping guys 10 or more pounds heavier than himself,repeatedly...Why did Robinson fight heavier guys in non-title bouts,whilst avoiding Charley Burley, Holman Williams, Cocoa Kid,who certainly deserved a shot at Robinson ? We fans at that time knew the answer.Robinson avoided these guys who were far more dangerous than most of his opponents of that time. When I as a youngster would visit Stillman's gym in the 1940s ,fans would talk of a Burley/ Robinson fight,and who was the better fighter. So it was considered feasable at that timeas an over the weight matchup to see who was the better fighter, irregardless of a few pounds difference...It never happened and we at Stillman's gym knew why ?
This is the sole reason that i hold a Harry Greb in higher esteem than Ray
Robinson, because Greb relished challengers from all the top heavier men,
some guys weighing 15-25 pounds heavier on an almost weekly basis.
And whipping them time and again, whilst a Robinson knew his limitations.
Yep Robinson though the GREATEST fighter I saw in his prime ringside, could have, should have given a money shot at Charley Burley, though a few pounds lighter. After all, Robby did fight heavier men before...Cheers...

 

It's somewhat audacious to claim that a fighter like Robinson; a man who fought so very often against ranked men of such dangerous repute may be accused of stricktly 'ducking' anyone.

His early qualms with LaMotta, thriller with Levine and title brawl with Bell were all of a desperate ilk involving rubbery legs and wind-sapping rallies. To claim one to 'duck' is to insinuate some kind of residual fear, and the only thing Robinson was scared of was not being able to live how he wished.

Very interesting fights that were mentioned but didn't transpire were against Zale and Cerdan around 1947/48. Those two would have invoked all kinds of hell.

 

Maybe in the some way that people might accuse Pacquiao of 'ducking' Martinez.... Merited only by their prowess as fighters, being in near weight classes, and whipping their general competition... As a champion, no obligation to fight Burley at all.

 

An arguement can be made for ducking Archie Moore as well although it is sort of in the same line as people making the arguement with Pacquiao vs Martinez. Moore was highly skilled and a decent amount larger but they almost fought until Robinson raised the price.

 

I used the word "ducking",as it was posed in the thread. I would use the word "avoided" rather than fear, which is more appropriate. When Robinson fought Artie Levine whom i met years later,after he retired, Robinson was hit on the button by Artie Levine, and was almost out on the canvass. The referee didn't start the count until he walked Levine to a neutral corner,giving
Robinson precious more seconds to recover...It wasn't wind-sapping rally's against the bigger Levine,but a clean shot. But getting back to the point.
Robinson, could have fought Charley Burley over the weight, as Robbie did fight when he was a WW champion a couple of heavier men in 1945. Ted if that subject was not discussed during that time quite often amongst boxing
fans I would speak to, it wouldn't be a topic of dicussion now.Wouldn't you agree.?I repeat, Robinson did not CHOOSE to fight Charley Burley for a simple reason. The risk, Robinson and George Gainsford, felt ,was not worth the reward ! That bout, if Robinson so chose, would have made this thread unecessary today...However great Ray Robinson ,was he did not tackle bigger men that a Harry Greb or Charley Burley did throughout their careers, and that is a fact...And yes, in 1945 when Robbie tackled Vic Dellicurti, Jose Basora and Jake LaMotta,Burley fought Holman Williams another fighter more deserving than some of Robinson's foes...I am not implying that Burley would have whipped Robinson at a few pounds apart, but Burley sure as heck deserved his shot ahead of many other Robinson opponents of that time....

 

he could of fought him. just as much a floyd mayweather didnt fight joel casamayor

 

Cocoa Kid was sprung on him in the last miniute in an exhibition, which was supposed to be against a journeyman level type

 

Actually Moore walked out on negotiations demanding 50-50 as champion, Robinson wanted 70% of the purse to himself or something and wouldn't budge on it

 

Robinson started boxing as a lightweight and rightfully should have been lightweight champion, he wasn't even a fully fledged welterweight when he was beating Lamotta. Robinson was all about the money though

 

PP, hokum I say. Ray Robinson who I saw several times as a skinny 5ft 11"
welterweight at 146 -7 pounds against Henry armstrong,jimmy McDaniels was a full sized WW in 1943 on.Welterweight was from 136 -147 pounds,and tall Robbie was skinny at 147 pounds. So please P, Ray Robinson was a full size welterweight from 1942 on. He started as a lightweight in 1940 ,right after the Golden Gloves, and had about 25 or so bouts as a gangly lightweight, until he met welterweight Marty Servo in Sept, 1941... From then on he fought as a welterweight until about 1950... And Ray always had a size advantage over all his opponents...