Why Was Robinson Great?

haha

i like it. Saxton was a good boxer in the mould of Robinson but not the same league. Beat Basilio more convinclingly though IMO. Then got destroyed in the rematch in an amzing fight.

Basilios always a problem for boxers like Robinson, Saxton etc...

Saxtons a good fighter in the mould of Robinson. was a talented fighter in his day.

I like it very quick and clever the way he used it. He uses it against LaMotta 3 times in a row at one point

 

Robinson may have been even greater than we know.

He could have easily taken the LHW title from Maxim had that bout taken place indoors or later in the year -and I seem to remember that it was originally supposed to.

Robinson should have gotten the WW title shot far earlier than he did. Like FIVE YEARS earlier. He was avoided like the black plague and was lucky he didn't become another member of Murderers' Row.... Neither Freddie Cochran nor Marty Servo -already beaten by Ray twice, gave him a shot.

Although we all know that he handled Sammy Angott pretty easily twice, what many don't know is that Angott was NBA LW champion during the first bout, and both fighters came in just a pound over the 135 weight limit. Robinson had only 20 fights at the time. When he whipped him the second time, Angott was World LW Champion, though Robinson came in closer to the WW weight limit. Both were non-title fights -Robinson, then called "The Harlem Flash" was shafted twice over.

Imagine: Sugar Ray Robinson....Lightweight Champion of the World, Welterweight Champion of the World, Middleweight Champion of the World, Light Heavyweight Champion of the World. It easily could have happened like this, and probably should have but for a couple of twists of fate.

 

Agreed with the above. Robinson with a little more luck could have been a champion in 4 divisions, which would have been incredible.

I believe it was Charley Burley who said:

"You know, to me the most remarkable thing about Ray's career is that he didn't even get a shot at the welterweight title til he was 26- or the middleweight title til' he was 30! You think he was the greatest? What do you think he'd a been if he'd gotten his chances when he deserved them? You wanna know the truth? If I coulda' got my shot, I wouldn't have risked it fighting someone like Ray."

 

If I were to choose a fight that showed Ray's greatness it would be this one. Graziano is not IMO an all time great. Tough strong, but one dimensional. His game is shown in fights like those he had with Zale. Facing a matador like Robinson it was like facing off against the wind and being hit by a thunderbolt from out of a blue sky.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smvYjLBACw8

 

but it could be said he got more luck than other black fighters. Like the murderers row if they got some of his luck they could have been world champions.

Even his achievements as they stand are pretty amazing.

 

Anybody that has the real "Sugar" outside of their top 2 obviously hasn't seen enough footage of the guy..he had power in both hands, great combinations, and his will to win was unparalleled ---look back at his rematch against Randy Turpin to win back his middlewight title....Hands down the greatest ever- by a landslide....

 

i was looking for this thread but couldnt find it

i watched the 17 mins HLs of Robinson vs Docuson, and it hit me (like a Robinson left hook)

That left handed hook/uppercut Chinx was asking about. It was so effective as you couldnt see it coming, it was thrown at exactly the right angle where you just couldnt see it.

 

took me a while to notice it against Docuson but he dropped him with it.

 

yeh

it looked a great fight though Docuson never gave up right till the end