Why did Robinson fight Maxim?

Annihilated is a strong word

 

Indeed - that's why it stood out to me, at the time. I'm a bit hazy on the details so, I can't recall whether it was Kearns, Maxim or the pair of them, who are quoted as being interested in a fight with Marciano. It was mentioned in combination with them talking about a Robinson bout, too. So yes, it would have been a pre-championship Marciano they were referring to.

 

I looked up the temperature range for NYC on 6/22/1952 & on 6/23/1952, the
original scheduled date for the SRR vs Maxim fight, & 6/24/1952:

June 22, 1952
High Temp: 62.1°F *
Low Temp: 59°F *
Observations:Fog, Rain/Drizzle

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the closest available weather station to New York, NY (NEW YORK LAGUARDIA ARPT, NY), reported the following conditions:
High Temp: 64°F *
Low Temp: 60.1°F
Fog, Rain/Drizzle

June 24, 1952
High Temp: 86°F *
Low Temp: 62.1°F *
Fog, Rain/Drizzle

1952-06-25 : Sugar Ray Robinson 157½ lbs lost to Joey Maxim 173 lbs by RTD in round 13 of 15

• Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, USA
• Referee: Ruby Goldstein

• World Light Heavyweight Title (2nd defense by Maxim)

Notes

• The fight was originally scheduled for June 23 but was postponed because of rain.
• Robinson was a slight betting favorite.
• Maxim had a two-inch height advantage, but Robinson had a one-inch reach advantage.
• There was no home TV or radio for the fight. 39 theaters in 25 cities carried the bout on closed circuit television.
• Maxim and Robinson each received 30% of the net gate.
• There was a crowd of 47,968.
• The gross gate was $421,696.
• Maxim was warned for elbowing, and Robinson was admonished for holding.
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  Referee Ruby Goldstein, overcome by the heat, was replaced by Ray Miller after the tenth round.
• Robinson, suffering from heat exhaustion and Maxim's harder punches, was unable to come out for the 14th round. It was the only time Robinson was stopped in 200 professional fights.
• At the time of the stoppage, Robinson led by scores of 10-3, 9-3-1 and 7-3-3. The Associated Press had Robinson ahead 9-3-1, and the United Press had him in front 10-2-1.
• Robinson retired after this fight, but he returned to the ring in 1955.

 

I think Sugar was just looking to be a 3 division champ. As others stated Robinson viewed Maxim as beatable. There was no 168 then so Ray really was never a LightHeavy.

 

He wasnt very good. He was better than some schlub on the street but not in even passable class as a professional. His singing (keep in mind he wanted to be a song and dance man) was absolutely terrible. He was tone deaf. I have a bizarre song and dance number on film that he did with a group of backup dancers (all male dressed in boxing shorts and gloves and all looking very effiminate... not that theres anything wrong with that) and he was absolutely terrible. Its just remarkable that he thought he had talent in this area.

 

Yes, because he wasnt a legitimate lhw. There were guys that werent as good as Maxim but that were stronger, hit a hell of a lot harder, and were more aggressive at 175 that would have literally hurt Robinson. Remember, Ray wasnt even a big MW. Its not like he was draining himself. He could make 160 without even trying and he was already 31, an age when most fighters in that era are through. And frankly, once he had the title why would he want to stay at lhw? Middleweight was a more marquee division, greater dividends, and had more talent that was easier to beat for Robinson. Robinson would have had to work twice as hard to beat guys less talented and wouldnt make any more money defending the lightheavyweight title so why stay? Besides, to be able to say you were a three division champion (in an era when it really meant something) and jumped right into the division to take the title and then left. Thats gold. Theres really no upside to sticking around at 175.

 

That's it.

 

You can't be an ATG in everything

 

https://flic.kr/p/2azuPp1

https://flic.kr/p/2aDUG6R

https://flic.kr/p/27U3P39

 

He wanted to prove to the world that he wasn't as great as Micky Walker.

 

Robinson wanted another title & loved to do things first, Archie Moore was supposed to fight Ray but Maxim took the fight. SRR fought well against a great fighter in Maxim
the funniest remark post fight when Ray was complaining about the heat Maxim said " what did he think that my corner was air conditioned"

 

Amigo I grew up in the Bronx and I can tell you that a humid 85F day in NYC is worse than a 100F dry day in Dallas. The temps and humidity don't drop after sundown as the buildings and sidewalks absorb the daytime heat and they don't let it go.

103F under ring lights at Yankee Stadium, with someone trying to take your head off would be beyond brutal.

 

My post was the weather going into the original fight day, 2 days before the 104 degree sizziller actual fight day.
If the drizzle/fog had be "lighter", maybe the fight would have gone on in mid-60's weather with SRR coming out victorious.