Boxing Memorabilia > Boxing Autographs >
Sugar Ray Robinson Autograph
Vintage Boxing autograph from probably the
greatest pound for pound boxer of all time, the Great Sugar
Ray Robinson. A signed magazine photo that will also come
with an 8x10 photograph of Sugar Ray Robinson in a boxing
pose that will be ideal for framing purposes.
Sugar Ray Robinson
SOLD
Although this charismatic boxer was born Walker Smith Jr., he
is best remembered as "Sugar" Ray Robinson. Born
on May 3, 1921 in Ailey, Georgia, his parents moved the family
to New York when Sugar Ray was a teenager to escape the prevalent
prejudice in the South. It was there, in a Harlem gym, that
he was first introduced to boxing. Sugar Ray visited the gym
frequently, using a borrowed Amateur Athletic Union boxing
card of a friend. The friend's name, incidentally, was Ray
Robinson.
His natural talent in the ring began to draw attention,
and soon crowds gathered to watch Sugar Ray perform. When
future coach George Gainford watched him box for the first
time, Gainford commented that the young boxer's style and
fluid motions were "sweet as sugar." Others agreed,
and the nickname stuck. After winning the New York Golden
Gloves championship in 1940, 19-year-old Sugar Ray turned
pro and never looked back. By 1946, Sugar Ray was the world
welterweight champion. His reign included a 91 fight winning-streak.
He held the title for five years, and then moved onto acquiring
the world middleweight title, which he held five times between
1951-1960. A dominant force in the boxing ring for two decades,
Sugar Ray was 38 when he won his last middleweight title.
In the mid-1960s, Sugar Ray exited the ring gracefully.
"No beefs, George," he told his coach. "Sometimes
we got the best of it in the past."
Sugar Ray's record was 128-1-2 with 84 knockouts at the
pinnacle of his career. Amazingly, in over 200 fights, Sugar
Ray was never physically knocked out (though he did receive
one technical KO). Altogether, he amassed 109 KOs, and finished
with a record of 175-19-6 with two no-decisions. World champion
Muhammad Ali called him "the king, the master, my idol."
In 1997, The Ring magazine named Sugar Ray "pound for
pound, the best boxer of all time." More recently,
in 1999, the Associated Press named him both the greatest
welterweight and middleweight boxer of the century.
