Sugar Ray Robinson's Final Fight: The True Pound-4-Pound King

Fifty years ago today, Sugar Ray Robinson, considered by many as being the greatest fighter, pound-for-pound, to ever enter the ring, had his final fight. Boxing in the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Robinson was beaten on points over 10 rounds by the clever and tough Joey Archer.  But, Robinson’s real opponent that night was father time, and at the age of 44, having what was his 201st professional contest, father time won.

It was to be the final fight of a professional career that had begun a quarter of a century before, in 1940.  Robinson had reigned at welterweight and middleweight, and dominated the sport.  In his prime and even past it, Robinson epitomized just why boxing was sometimes known as the ‘Sweet Science.’  Sugar Ray Robinson had been the sweetest ever, sweet and deadly.  When Robinson lost to Archer, grown men shed tears at ringside, as they watched greatness turn into mortality.  It wasn’t that Archer was a bad fighter, he was a very good boxer, and rated number one middleweight contender in the world at that time, but he wasn’t Sugar Ray Robinson.  No one would ever be Sugar Ray Robinson again.  

In his autobiography "Sugar Ray" written with Dave Anderson, Robinson describes his final match:

"At the final bell, I just wanted to get out of that ring. Disappear.Vanish. But, that was impossible.I knew I had to stay there and wait for the announcement and I always had stayed there when I knew the announcer was going to tell me that I had won. While I was standing in my corner, several dozen people gathered in the aisle below me and stood there applauding and looking up at me. Man, that gave me a feeling. 

After the decision was announced, I was turning to climb through the ropes when I saw Millie. "That's alright Honey," looking up at me with tears in her eyes, "You didn't get hurt!"

She meant physically, inside, I was in agony. I wished I could disappear, but when I got to my dressing room, a strange thing happened. All the sports writers were around me, instead of over in
Archer's dressing room. Television cameras were there too. 

After a few minutes, Archer came over to go on TV with me, imagine the winner coming to the loser. He told me, "Ray you were the greatest Middleweight I ever saw."
He made me feel better. Everybody was trying to cheer me up, but some of them tried too hard. The Ray Robinson of old, I remember somebody said to me. You looked like the Ray Robinson of old.
Man, be serious, I thought. I hadn't been the Ray Robinson
of old. I had been an old Ray Robinson" 

Copyright © 2013 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

The Nonpareil: The Original Jack Dempsey

Remembering…Nonpareil Jack Dempsey
December 15, 1862 - November 2, 1895

By Peter Silkov

Long Before the ‘Manassa Mauler’ Jack Dempsey reigned as World heavyweight champion in the 1920s, there was ‘Nonpareil’ Jack Dempsey. This Dempsey was considered one of the greatest boxers ever seen, pound-for-pound. Fast and clever, with a good punch, Dempsey was a boxer-puncher who was decades ahead of his time in his ring generalship. Dempsey could adapt to any style of opponent, and in his prime, he ranked only below heavyweight champion John L Sullivan in fame and popularity. Technically, he was a far greater fighter than Sullivan, and many boxing followers at that time believed that he would be able to beat Sullivan if he was just a stone or so heavier than the 152 pounds, which he weighed at his prime. Fans gave him the name "Nonpareil" because he was considered unrivaled in his fistic prowess.

Nonpareil was the first internationally recognized World Middleweight champion, and helped bring acceptance and recognition to the middleweight division at a time when the heavyweights dominated boxing.

Dempsey was born in Curran, County Kildare, Ireland, on December 15, 1862, but grew up in Brooklyn, New York, after his family moved to America while he was still very young. Dempsey’s real name was John Edward Kelly, and it is not clear why he changed his name to Jack Dempsey, but it is likely to be because he did not want his family to know that he was boxing. After training to be an apprentice Cooper, Dempsey began to box for pay in 1883. 

In just over a year, Dempsey had picked up the Lightweight championship of New York and then the Lightweight Championship of America. On February 3, 1886, Dempsey knocked out John Forgarty out in the 27th round to win the Middleweight Championship of America. One month later, The Nonpareil knocked out George Lablanche in the 13th round, and gained recognition as the World middleweight champion. Dempsey was to hold this title until 1891. In August 1899, Dempsey was knocked out in the 32nd round by George Lablanche, but retained his status as the World middleweight champion as Lablanche had weighed in for the fights at 161 pounds, over the middleweight limit. Lablanche had also knocked Dempsey out with the illegal ‘pivot’ punch. Other than this dubious setback, Dempsey reigned supreme at middleweight until January 14th, 1891, when Bob Fitzsimmons shockingly beat him in 13 rounds. In what was a sensational result at the time, the gangling and freckled Fitzsimmons handed Dempsey a terrible beating, and the Nonpareil gave a great exhibition of courage to last as long as he did, before he was finally pulled out by his corner-men in the 13th round.

Fitzsimmons would go on to become one of the greatest fighters in the ring, and the first man to win world titles at 3 weights, however for Dempsey, it was all tragically downhill after his defeat by Fitzsimmons. After he lost his world championship, Dempsey’s life went into a downward spiral, he started to drink heavily, and then contracted Tuberculosis. He would fight just 3 more times, winning once. His last fight was on January 18 1895, against the Welterweight world champion, Tommy Ryan. Dempsey’s condition and display in the ring was so poor that he was unmercifully jeered and booed from the ring after the fight had been mercifully stopped in the 3rd round. Nine months later, on November 2 (some sources say Nov 1st) 1895, the Nonpareil died of tuberculosis, at just 32.

Nonpareil Jack Dempsey’s final record was 54(23koes)-4-11.

Copyright © 2015 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com