Robinson, Sugar Ray, 1920-1989

Variant names

Dates:

Birth 1920-05-03

Death 1989-04-12

Nationality: Americans

Language: English

Biographical notes:

Sugar Ray Robinson (b. Walker Smith Jr., May 3, 1921, Ailey, GA–d April 12, 1989, Los Angeles, CA) was a professional boxer who competed from 1940 to 1965. He moved from Georgia to Harlem, NYC at 12 and made his professional boxing debut in 1940. In 1943, Robinson was inducted into the United States Army, where he served with Joe Louis and the pair went on tours where they performed exhibition bouts in front of US troops.

From 1943 to 1951 Robinson went on a 91 fight unbeaten streak. He held the world welterweight title from 1946 to 1951, and won the world middleweight title in 1951 and again in 1955. Robinson was the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. On November 11, 1965, Robinson announced his retirement from boxing.