How do Robinson's close controversal fights in his prime affect his legacy?

Burt, nobody ringside that night in Cleveland mentioned a long count. I'll keep checking.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...IBAJ&pg=3452,6392540&dq=levine+robinson&hl=en

 

I do find it strage that there is no mention of the long count, which would have surely been an outrage had it lasted over 20 seconds as Levine claims. He also said he knocked down Robinson in the 7th round, which I cannot find anywhere in the newspaper reports.

There may be truth to the count starting later if Levine was in fact sent to a corner Dempsey-Tunney II style, but it is said that Robinson was already on one knee at the count of four. Perhaps he could have made it even if the count was faster, though he may have had less time to shake off the knockdown.

 

well let us not forget that if Marty Servo had not vacated the title, Sugar Ray Robinson may not have ever even been the World Welterweight champion. In fact, i wonder how the Servo Robinson fights would have went if Servo were the champion and was entitled to be given the benefit of the doubt, since the challenger must take away the title from the champion. He may have a shout as a welterweight atg, but he didnt really handle the weight jumping all that spectacularly did he?

Rocky Castellani didnt get to face Ray, until after Joey Maxim had sent softened him and sent him into a short lived retirment. Not really a prime Ray Leonard.

 

To answer the thread question...no, not at all!!

 

Bartfield was a heck of a fighter and the ultimate spoiler for that era. He gave the best fighters of that time period fits with his strength, durability, and style. Furthermore, it could easily be argued that Greb wasnt in his prime when he first lost to Bartfield in a ND bout in Buffalo. If you can stay on even terms with, or beat Mike O'Dowd, Mike Gibbons, TK Lewis, Jack Britton, in addition to being competetive with everyone he fought then its no shame for Greb to have lost one bout out of half a dozen to him...

 

No shame whatsoever...Soldier Bartfield was a tough fighter in his times,gave everyone hell..
i am proud that i and my dad was introduced to Soldier Bartfield in Canarsie NY where he playfuly grabbed me and pummeled my ribs. He was about 55 years old in 1945-6, shorter than me but strong as hell.My dad
pulled me away from the Soldier..He meant no harm..
To think i was in a clinch with a man who fought Harry Greb many times,
means more to me today, than i did as a youngster then..
Harry Greb, who my dad saw murder Tunney in the first fight in MSG,1922,
was his favorite fighter, even though my dad hacked out of Greenwich
Village from 1918 to the day he retired...When Greb died and my dad learned that Greb fought with one eye, Harry became his idol because my dad had lost one eye in a car accident about 1926..With my dad's
handicap, he admired what Harry Greb accomplished tremendously..