Sugar Ray Robinson and the Long Count

"On November 6, 1946, Levine challenged Sugar Ray Robisnon. Robinson claimed Levine hit him with the hardest punch of his career (quite a statement considering Ray's battles he had with other hardhitting toughmen.)when he knocked Sugar Ray down and out for a 21-second long count. Instead of directing Levine back to his corner, the referee walked him to his corner then returned about 10 seconds later to begin the count on Robinson. Robinson came back and KO'd Levine in the tenth round.
Of the fight, the Ring Magazine wrote:

Sugar ... was almost kayoed in the fourth round. A left hook, followed by a right cross, both to the chin, put (him) down and almost out... Sugar rose unsteadily and called upon all his ring skill and stamina to last out the round...Sugar had several other close calls during the course of the evening. Artie's left hooks and resounding right crosses occasionally found their marks and with telling effect. Robinson's class and body punching were taking their toll from the heavier Levine as the bout progressed. Sugar started the tenth with knockout intent. With the round about two minutes gone, Sugar paralyzed Artie with a right to the solar plexus. Then Sugar became a 'killer,' throwing punches with reckless abandon to both head and body with the result that Artie was beaten to the floor.
​

(The Ring, January 1947, page 34)
It is unknown what effect this victory could have had upon both the careers of Levine or Robinson. It is possible to speculate that since Levine had actually knocked Sugar Ray out in this fight that he may have done it again in a rematch, altering the history of boxings greatest pound for pound fighter."



Did sugar really lose this fight then, 21 seconds is a long time a LOT long than the Dempsey-Tunney fight in which Tunney was down for 14 seconds. 21 seconds is nearly half a minute, could it be that Sugar suffered a KO in his welterweight prime, anyone got anymore on this fight?

 

As would we all, it seems really bad how the gretest fights and the grestest fighters have so little in boxing lore in terms of footage, Greb gretest or 2nd greatest fighter ever- no footage. With Sugar all his fights at his peak are not available save a few minutes which dont show much... Wonder if there is anyone here who saw this fight.

 

From an article:

"Up at the count of seven...sick and reeling up at nine and instinctively stalling for time, he did it craftily , as though he had all his senses, not a headful of cobwebs. He wasted a full six seconds as the ref wiped his gloves and wasted seven more seconds before touching gloves with Levine, he had 22 seconds before he began to fight again. He survived the round...he came out bleary eyed and stiff legged and was in trouble in the ninth round. Gainford told him he was getting 'licked'. He threw punches till big Artie was odwn. Th next day he said to have remembered nothing from the fight or the Knockdown."

Sounds like he had a concussion. Seems he was up at nine and still wasted seconds before fighting, technically thats the ref's fault i would have thought, not exactly the same to the TunneyDemspey fight then, he was up and nine but was recuperating by slowing up, as least this is what the article says. Levine's story is much different.

 

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Yeah technially Robinson lost by KO. Ray also thought that the punch Levine gave Doyle damaged his brain and being in a very fragile state he was no longer able to take a punch because of what Levine did to him. Being in that condition and going up against a prime Robinson, its no surprise that it ended tragically. Robinson said it took him a long time to hit hard again after that fight, he was too cautious.

 

You did your homework on this, very nice.

 

yeah but wasnt levine heralded as a KILLER puncher, even more of a hitter than even some heavyweights?