Sugar Ray Robinson.

Sugar Ray Robinson. Sugar Ray Robinson (1921-1989), American boxer, who became the welterweight and middleweight champion of the world, and who is considered one of the greatest boxers in history. He was born Walker Smith in Detroit, Michigan. He started boxing as an amateur under the name Ray Robinson after he used the amateur certificate of another fighter to qualify for a bout. He became known as Sugar Ray Robinson after a sportswriter described his fighting style as "sweet as sugar." Robinson had a successful amateur boxing career before winning the welterweight title, his first professional championship, in 1946. In 1951 he relinquished the welterweight title to assume the middleweight title he had won in a 13-round knockout of Jake La Motta. Robinson lost the middleweight title later that year to English boxer Randy Turpin. In 1952 Robinson failed in an attempt to win the light heavyweight title from Joey Maxim. Robinson retired from boxing after this loss but returned to the ring in 1955. That same year he regained the middleweight title by defeating Carl "Bobo" Olson. In 1957 Robinson lost the title to Gene Fullmer, then beat Fullmer in a later match, regaining the middleweight title. Later that same year Robinson lost the title to Carmen Basilio but defeated Basilio in 1958, regaining the middleweight title for the last time. He subsequently lost the title to Paul Pender in 1960. Robinson was the only boxer in history to win the middleweight title five times, and he retired with 175 victories in 202 professional fights. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.