Sugar Ray Robinson

Walker Smith Jr. (Sugar Ray Robinson)

Professional Boxer (1940 – 1965)

Sugar Ray Robinson (born Walker Smith Jr.) was born in Ailey, Georgia and moved with his family to Detroit at an early age living on the same block as Joe Louis. He started his boxing career as a young man and ended his amateur career with an 85 – 0 record winning the 1939 Golden Gloves Featherweight championship. He turned professional in 1940 and during his career participated in four different weight classes, from Lightweight all the way up to Light Heavyweight. Robinson is ranked as the number one boxer of all-time regardless of weight class. His career record is 173 – 19 – 6 with 105 wins by knockout. Between 1940 and 1951 he had a professional record of 128 - 1 – 2 with 91 consecutive wins. In 1999, Ring Magazine named Robinson the “welterweight of the century”, “middleweight of the century” and overall “fighter of the century”. Sugar Ray Robinson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. He passed away on April 12, 1989 at 67 years of age.