Most fighters over a long career have had victories shrouded in controversy. However, off the top of my head I can not think of any regarding SRR. Anyone chime in on this?
Offhand I can think of his fights with Georgie Abrams, the 5th fight with LaMotta, the first fight with Basora (OK, its a draw not a win, but draws are so subject to controversy I tossed it in), one of the Denny Moyer fights, the Ralph Dupas fight and I think the Castellani fight, but I'm not sure. I know Rocky - who wasn't a big puncher - dropped Ray for the count of '9', but I don't recall the scores.
SRR was the greatest fighter I ever saw ringside, but he had several controversial decisions I can recall. 1- in 1941 and 1942 the almost 6ft welterweight SRR won 2 disputed decisions over the tough young welterweight Marty Servo who became WW champion but stupidly later on was matched with the bigger bombastic Rocky Graziano who damaged Servo's nose forcing him to retire... 2- In 1946 SRR fought the MW neighbor of mine Artie Levine a hard puncher who dropped SRR flat on his back, and Robinson was badly hurt. But the referee mysteriously walked Artie Levine to a neutral corner, then walked back to the fallen Robinson BEFORE he started COUNT ONE. It was estimated SRR was on the canvass for about 17 seconds, before Robby got on his feet. SRR survived the knockdown and kod Levine in the 10th round... 3-In 1947 SRR won a very close decision over Georgie Abrams which was booed by some in the crowd... But with all this, no one I ever saw matched Ray robinson as a welterweight in a very tough division in the 1940s..
Burt, my understanding is that Robinson apparently admitted that Henry Brimm probably deserved the verdict in their second fight, the one which was scored a draw. Do you know much about that one or remember / know of any questioning of the decision? Most accounts I've seen say that Brimm fought unexpectedly well in the first fight and pushed Ray close but that his loss was ultimately fair - but that he had genuine reason to feel a shade hard done by in their return. Any info would be great please, mate. Cheers.
Didn't he have at least 2 controversial fights with Lamotta..:huh I remember reading an article in the Ring mag 20 years ago that Lamotta really beat his ass in one fight but they gave it to Ray because he was about to go into the service..
Chris, I recall that bout when Brimm drew with Robby, but know little of the details except to remind you that Brimm was a MW and SRR was still fighting as a welterweight. We must remember that Robinson who had about 200 bouts was human and no fighter was at his zenith in every bout...And some styles fighters have can even trouble immortals like SRR...
I can't tell if you're making a joke or not since this is over the internet. The fights aren't on film, basically newspaper accounts etc and consensus opinion on this forum laid it out for me.
This is true, despite some people on this forum that want to believe otherwise. My grandad was a local sports reporter in Philly back then who saw all those fights first hand. He thought SRR was the greatest fighter he'd ever seen, but did admit that LaMotta deserved to get the decision in fights 3 and 5, and of course he did win the 2nd fight.
In Raging Bull, one of his fights with SRR was controversial because of him going into the army. Lamotta knocked him down and they gave SRR the UD. Idk how much you can rely on that since it was a movie.
Their fifth meeting was controversial. Robinson won a close SD that was booed. Robinson even admitted it was his hardest fight with Jake. The third fight saw Robinson hurt and badly dropped but he won 5 rounds on all cards and Jake only 2 and 3. To save time the movie combined these two fights.
