He loved people around him. ibid.
My dad was a dad to lots of children except his own. ibid. son
I don’t want to take any more of his beatings and I’m tired of his messing around. ibid. first wife to son
There was once a boxer who danced in the ring. A boxer who danced to his own tune. For as long as he kept on winning. A boxer called Sugar Ray Robinson. Reputations s6e3: Sugar Ray Robinson: An American Legend, BBC 1999
The essence of boxing was balance and rhythm, but Robinson’s fists also did their share of the work. ibid.
When the money got serious Robinson began to live the high life. ibid.
Doyle went down in round eight and never got up again. ibid.
Robinson himself refused to romanticise boxing. ibid.
In just twenty-nine days he won five fights, four of them by knockout. ibid.
Years of womenising took their toll. ibid.
Robinson’s nemesis was the taxman. ibid.
Edna Mae could tell a different story of infidelity and cruelty. ibid.
Continues to train for a $700 fight thousands of miles from home. ibid.
119) Jean Stock TKO2: US Fight Commentary TV -
v Gene Stock 27th November 1950 Paris: … Dynamite punches in desperate trouble ... A crushing left hook by Ray Robinson and Stock goes down ... A right to the body and Stock goes down again ... US fight commentary
120) Luc van Dam KO4: US Fight Commentary TV -
v Luc van Dam 9th December 1950 Brussels: [r3] ... van Damme goes down by a beautiful combination ... [r4] ... It’s all over. US fight commentary
121) Jean Walzack Points 10: US Fight Commentary TV -
v Jean Walzack 16th June 1951 Geneva: [r5] ... Robinson gets in with a lightning left hook and Walzack goes down … [r6] ... A combination of punches and Walzack goes down for the second time ... Goes down again. US fight commentary
123) Hans Stretz TKO5: US Fight Commentary TV -
v Hans Stretz Frankfurt 25th December 1950: [r5] ... Ray scores a torrid left hook. Another sharp left by Ray Robinson. A right hand bomb and Stretch goes down ... The left hook ... And Stretch goes down for the third time ... It’s all over. US fight commentary
124) Jake LaMotta VI TKO13: Radio Commentary - TV Fight Commentary TV - Lou Duva - Bert Randolph Sugar - Pete Hamill - Reg & Harry: Robinson v Turpin TV - Ringside: Sugar Ray Robinson TV -
v Jake LaMotta VI 14th February 1951 Middleweight The St Valentine’s Day Massacre Chicago [r1] ... It should be the dream, Bob, of the last ten or fifteen years ... Robinson continues to stab and run ... Here is LaMotta trying to bully Robby away ... LaMotta seems to stagger Robby a bit ... [r8] ... Jake just continues to stalk ... Robby with a flurry of lefts and rights to the head ... [r9] ... LaMotta following him around ... LaMotta staggered ... Robby very accurate now with his left and his right ... [r11] ... It almost bounced the mouthpiece out of LaMotta’s face ... And then Robby out of it ... La Motta falls into a very tired clinch ... A left hand and a right uppercut from Sugar Ray ... It’s a tired LaMotta now; Robby calling his shots ... Robinson right uppercut ... And Jake LaMotta is still on his feet: what is keeping him up there? ... [r12] ... Jake LaMotta with that chin of his running into two fight hands ... Robinson pounds him to the mid-section ... Robinson beleaguers him with lefts and rights ... It’s one of the most merciless beatings I have ever seen ... Robinson tees off on him ... He won’t go down! ... He is utterly powerless to defend himself ... [r13] ... He is tagged immediately ... LaMotta’s head almost snapped off his shoulders ... Robinson with a long overhand right ... Two, three, four, five left hooks on the nose ... And they are going to stop it! Ray Robinson is the new Middleweight champion of the world! Russ Hodges, radio broadcast
v Jake LaMotta VI 14th February 1951 Middleweight The St Valentine’s Day Massacre Chicago [r1] … La Motta right after Ray Robinson … body shot by Jake LaMotta … [r2] … Jake LaMotta has never been down in his career … Body shot: I think that hurt Jake LaMotta … Nice left hook at the bell … [r3] … Straight left [Robinson] … the hand speed … look at the body shots … right hand scores … [r5] … Right hand lead that time by LaMotta … Ray Robinson lands a nice combination … LaMotta continues to come forward … right hand to the ribcage again … [r6] … LaMotta bangs away … good right hand … comes forward … Jake landing some good body shots … [r7] … I’ve got this fight dead even … LaMotta with a left hook … Right hand scored [Robinson] … uppercut … left hook … [r8] … Ray Robinson tries to pick up the pace … nice uppercut … digs to the body … [r9] … Uses the jab [Robinson] … LaMotta throws the right … nice left hook … right hand to the ear … Robinson has really taken command … left hook … right hand … uppercut … another big right … [r10] … Look at the combination … LaMotta keeps coming forward … A whirlwind of problems … nice shot … [r11] … LaMotta’s face does not look good … Look at this action for Jake LaMotta! … What a terrific fight … Wow! … the comeback of Ray Robinson … nails him to the body … Look at the shots he’s landing … [r12] … Heavy shots … target practice … left hook … really hurt Jake LaMotta … the uppercut … right hand … he’s banged the rib again … [r13] … Big right hand … Jake is almost defenceless … Shots landed at will … Right hand … and he has stopped it … What a great night for Sugar Ray Robinson … US fight commentary
I think Jake LaMotta’s line was probably the best: he fought Sugar Ray so many times he got sugar diabetes, you know. And every fight was a great fight. Lou Duva
For Ray Robinson it solidified his credentials. Bert Randolph Sugar
So he goes to Europe. Him and an entourage of thousands. Bert Randolph Sugar
As brutal as that fight was – it was a very tough fight: people were hurting each other – it had the thing that Robinson brought to the whole sport which was it could be beautiful too. It was [a] kind of savage ballet of some kind. Pete Hamill
1951 155 lbs v Jake Motta – The Great St Valentine’s Day Massacre: Age 30 Height 5 feet 11 inches beat Jake LaMotta to take the world title. Wins 6-fight tour of Europe. Reg and Harry: Robinson v Turpin
After fighting five times in twenty-nine days in four countries Sugar Ray returned States side to fight Jake LaMotta for the Middleweight title. Ringside: Sugar Ray Robinson
He finds he is adored in Europe. ibid.
133) Randy Turpin I Lost Points 15: Harry Carpenter - Bert Randolph Sugar -
The story goes – the night before the fight with Turpin he was up late playing cards at the Star & Garter, the pub in Windsor. Harry Carpenter
And so he takes on Randy Turpin. And Turpin has an interesting way of fighting. I must tell you that this is a man who turtles his head when you throw a punch at him. He raises his shoulders up around his chin so you can’t reach him. So he is a legitimate if not great fighter. Bert Randolph Sugar
133) Randy Turpin II TKO10: US Fight Commentary TV - Bert Randolph Sugar -
v Randolph Turpin II 12th September 1951 Middleweight New York [r8] ... Turpin was wild too in spots. The boys get themselves tied up in a lovers’ knot here and smile at each other [r10] ... In trouble: in worse trouble. US fight commentary
In the tenth round Turpin cuts Ray badly over the eye ... And he unleashes not only that right hand in knocking down Turpin but a volley of punches every one of which went through. This was one of the greatest comebacks. Bert Randolph Sugar
He has validated his credentials as an all-time great. Bert Randolph Sugar
135) Rocky Graziano KO3: US Fight Commentary TV -
v Rocky Graziano 16 April 1952 Middleweight Chicago [r1] … A good right over the left [Robinson] … Robbie hurt just a little bit … Very fast first round … [r2] … Graziano with heavy punches … Robinson is content to counter-punch … [r3] … Rocky’s hurt. (Boxers: Robinson & Boxers: Graziano) US fight commentary