Ray Robinson gives a beating to game journeyman Tony Riccio

[TheGreatA]

Classic Sugar Ray Robinson footage from 1946:

[Only registered and activated users can see links]


Middleweight fight against the competent Bobby Dykes from 1950:

[Only registered and activated users can see links]


Credit goes to baltazarbrothers/jmc617 for uploading this great footage. Perhaps more will follow.

[Xplosive]

He was somethin else.

[Chinxkid]

I really enjoyed that. Bobby Dykes looked good, fast hands! He was the last guy my father signed to fight, though the fight was canceled when they discovered that my dad had a dead right kidney. It was estimated it had been dead for about ten years, throughout his fight career, an old football injury.

[teeto]

I really enjoyed that. Bobby Dykes looked good, fast hands! He was the last guy my father signed to fight, though the fight was canceled when they discovered that my dad had a dead right kidney. It was estimated it had been dead for about ten years, throughout his fight career, an old football injury.
That's the kind of story which is only boxing folklore in today's day and age.

On the video, thanks you a lot GreatA, look how good he was, it's silly. When you say fighting Ray Robinson would be like being trapped in a tornado, well just look at that and it's comical. No didrespect to the opponent though.

[Chinxkid]

That's the kind of story which is only boxing folklore in today's day and age.

On the video, thanks you a lot GreatA, look how good he was, it's silly. When you say fighting Ray Robinson would be like being trapped in a tornado, well just look at that and it's comical. No didrespect to the opponent though.

Yeah T, so much of what those guys did would be folklore today, right? Like how often they fought, as much as a few times a month, how many fights they tallied in a career, fighting with broken bones and so on. Many say that they were just tougher and maybe that's true, but could be it wasn't mindful. That they were just handling the situations they were presented with, which I guess did make them tougher in the end.

[GPater11093]

them old timers were tough as hell

[teeto]

Yeah T, so much of what those guys did would be folklore today, right? Like how often they fought, as much as a few times a month, how many fights they tallied in a career, fighting with broken bones and so on. Many say that they were just tougher and maybe that's true, but could be it wasn't mindful. That they were just handling the situations they were presented with, which I guess did make them tougher in the end.
Defo Chinx, legends, just legends, can't put it any other way

[Chinxkid]

them old timers were tough as hell

Yeah, I agree. But maybe it's because for so many of them life itself was tough as hell. They came up through the Depression, everybody was broke. Well at least the families that were likely to produce a prizefighter were broke. WWII killed what, a few hundred thousand Americans, and Britain I'm sure lost more military and lost many civilians too, it was a harder life. Maybe guys your generation Greg would be just as tough, if they had to be.

[Chinxkid]

Defo Chinx, legends, just legends, can't put it any other way

Can't say they were better off though, T. A fuckin' hard life it was, and I just saw the ramifications, the tail end of it. Fuck it, those dues are heavy. Guys I'd seen around when i was a kid. Guys like Fritzie and Billy Conn and so many of the also rans who were just as tough but maybe not as blessed or even as lucky would have traded it all for a college education and a life in the suburbs.

[GPater11093]

Yeah, I agree. But maybe it's because for so many of them life itself was tough as hell. They came up through the Depression, everybody was broke. Well at least the families that were likely to produce a prizefighter were broke. WWII killed what, a few hundred thousand Americans, and Britain I'm sure lost more military and lost many civilians too, it was a harder life. Maybe guys your generation Greg would be just as tough, if they had to be.

yeh definitly but its not all how you grew up.

I come from an alright family (money wise) nothing had been too tough you know. But i reckon im as hungry as some guy fighting to get outt of poverty cause i love the sort and im choosing to do it. If you get me.

[Chinxkid]

yeh definitly but its not all how you grew up.

I come from an alright family (money wise) nothing had been too tough you know. But i reckon im as hungry as some guy fighting to get outt of poverty cause i love the sort and im choosing to do it. If you get me.

No, you're right. I mean, I got to know a lot of the guys my father grew up with and not all of them were tough guys. We're talking generalizations here. Desire is what it's all about, right? However you come by it!

[GPater11093]

No, you're right. I mean, I got to know a lot of the guys my father grew up with and not all of them were tough guys. We're talking generalizations here. Desire is what it's all about, right? However you come by it!

yeh theres not going to be as much great fighters in a rich time but poor time you get them

[teeto]

Can't say they were better off though, T. A fuckin' hard life it was, and I just saw the ramifications, the tail end of it. Fuck it, those dues are heavy. Guys I'd seen around when i was a kid. Guys like Fritzie and Billy Conn and so many of the also rans who were just as tough but maybe not as blessed or even as lucky would have traded it all for a college education and a life in the suburbs.
I know, i'm just looking in admiration at them but i totally understand, even though i can't really

[Chinxkid]

yeh theres not going to be as much great fighters in a rich time but poor time you get them

I wonder, I don't know but maybe you do, how many of these great fighters had other options going for them? I bet it's more than we would think. Great fighters that didn't go into the ring due to extreme poverty...

[GPater11093]

I wonder, I don't know but maybe you do, how many of these great fighters had other options going for them? I bet it's more than we would think. Great fighters that didn't go into the ring due to extreme poverty...

dont get me wrong every great fighter must love boxing but the hard life probably makes boxing more appealing to them from a younger age.

Look at Duran a real poor kid who fought for the money supposedly but couldnt quit as he loved boxing so much

Now a kid has a lot more options.

[Chinxkid]

dont get me wrong every great fighter must love boxing but the hard life probably makes boxing more appealing to them from a younger age.

Look at Duran a real poor kid who fought for the money supposedly but couldnt quit as he loved boxing so much

Now a kid has a lot more options.

Yeah, if the economy continues to tank and the separation between the haves and the have not's continues to grow, boxing might get the shot in the arm that we've all been hoping for.

Gotta run for an hour or so Greg. Talk later, if you're still up. :good

[cotto20]

That's the kind of story which is only boxing folklore in today's day and age.

On the video, thanks you a lot GreatA, look how good he was, it's silly. When you say fighting Ray Robinson would be like being trapped in a tornado, well just look at that and it's comical. No didrespect to the opponent though.
Shows how good a prime la motta was takeing rays unbeaten record and haveing a 6 fight series with him. Also props to kid gavlian who took a welterweight robinson to the wire in there first fight. Robinson was the greatest followed by hank

[hhascup]

I have the Boxing Gloves for Robinson's bout against Riccio. Tony passed away in September of 2008.

Several weeks before he passed away I talked to him on the phone. He said he would Love to see his son again, as they haven't talked in decades. I happened to have his son's number and I gave him a call. A couple of weeks later, Tony's lady friend told me that she was sitting with Tony in the hospital when a stranger walked in. Tony was in bad shape and for a second or so, Tony didn't even know that it was his son. They both started crying and spent hours together catching up on old times. She said that she couldn't remember when Tony was as happy as that day.

A few days later, Tony passed away and I received a call from Tony's lady friend, saying how grateful they were for making a dying mans wish come true.

[john garfield]

I have the Boxing Gloves for Robinson's bout against Riccio. Tony passed away in September of 2008.

Several weeks before he passed away I talked to him on the phone. He said he would Love to see his son again, as they haven't talked in decades. I happened to have his son's number and I gave him a call. A couple of weeks later, Tony's lady friend told me that she was sitting with Tony in the hospital when a stranger walked in. Tony was in bad shape and for a second or so, Tony didn't even know that it was his son. They both started crying and spent hours together catching up on old times. She said that she couldn't remember when Tony was as happy as that day.

A few days later, Tony passed away and I received a call from Tony's lady friend, saying how grateful they were for making a dying mans wish come true.

Thanks for the touching inside recollection, h.

Wish more precious memories would be posted.

[Chinxkid]

Wow, what a story ^^, and what a gift you gave both of them. Not only did you give Tony a great gift, but his son too, who won't have to carry the guilt of not reconnecting with his father for the rest of his life. Bravo and cheers!!

[GPater11093]

great story

im so glad for Tony and his son that they got to speak to each other

[hhascup]

Thanks guys!

I have a similar one with Bobby Joe Young and his son several years ago.

This guy named Eddie went on one of the boxing forums asking if anyone knew the where abouts of Bobby Joe Young. He said that Bobby was his father and he would like to contact him. I gave out some contact numbers I had on him and I even talked to Bobby about it. He seemed very excited. I didn't hear anything more until about a year and a half later.

Bobby came to me at one of the boxing shows that I was ring announcing and said that they never made contact and if there was some way I can contact his son. Bobby said that he was planning a trip to Ohio and would Love to see him. He told me that he only met his son once in his life.

I went on the web site and looked for hours and I could not find anything. Then I googled Bobby Joe Young and my name and there it was. It had the message that his son had on the forum and he also had a workout gym that he owned. I then looked on line to see if there was a telephone number and low and behold it did. This was around 12:00 Mid-Night BUT I called anyway, and I got a recorder, so I left a message with Bobby's phone number.

The next day, Eddie, the son, calls me up in tears. He said he just got of the phone with his father and they plan to meet when he comes to Ohio.

A month or so passed and I was ring announcing another show in New Jersey and running down from the stands comes Bobby. I really didn't know what to think. He came right into the ring in front of everyone and gave me a BIG hung and he started to break down in tears. He couldn't thank me enough. He said they all met down coming off the plane and they had a surprise party for him and not only did he met he son BUT also many other relatives he hadn't seen since he was a young man. He spent several days with his son and as far as I know, they still keep in touch.

I LOVE these kind of stories. As I was writing this, I started breaking down myself.

These are the little things that we do for people that mean so much to them.

[GPater11093]

again such a great and brillaint story

[Chinxkid]

Reading your story, I almost broke down. Beautiful, these are the things that matter in life. To the untrained eye it might seem funny how emotional and sensitive a lot of fighters are, but if you think about it, not at all. There's something very fitting about guys who engage in battle for a living having such access to that side of themselves as well, since it's really just the flip side of the same coin. Love this stuff HH, thank you!

[john garfield]

Thanks guys!

I have a similar one with Bobby Joe Young and his son several years ago.

This guy named Eddie went on one of the boxing forums asking if anyone knew the where abouts of Bobby Joe Young. He said that Bobby was his father and he would like to contact him. I gave out some contact numbers I had on him and I even talked to Bobby about it. He seemed very excited. I didn't hear anything more until about a year and a half later.

Bobby came to me at one of the boxing shows that I was ring announcing and said that they never made contact and if there was some way I can contact his son. Bobby said that he was planning a trip to Ohio and would Love to see him. He told me that he only met his son once in his life.

I went on the web site and looked for hours and I could not find anything. Then I googled Bobby Joe Young and my name and there it was. It had the message that his son had on the forum and he also had a workout gym that he owned. I then looked on line to see if there was a telephone number and low and behold it did. This was around 12:00 Mid-Night BUT I called anyway, and I got a recorder, so I left a message with Bobby's phone number.

The next day, Eddie, the son, calls me up in tears. He said he just got of the phone with his father and they plan to meet when he comes to Ohio.

A month or so passed and I was ring announcing another show in New Jersey and running down from the stands comes Bobby. I really didn't know what to think. He came right into the ring in front of everyone and gave me a BIG hung and he started to break down in tears. He couldn't thank me enough. He said they all met down coming off the plane and they had a surprise party for him and not only did he met he son BUT also many other relatives he hadn't seen since he was a young man. He spent several days with his son and as far as I know, they still keep in touch.

I LOVE these kind of stories. As I was writing this, I started breaking down myself.

These are the little things that we do for people that mean so much to them.

MORE! MORE! MORE! hh...'n any of you other posters who have personal stories, please share 'em.