He was the middleweight champion of the world, the best fighter, pound for pound, in the modern prize ring. And he was smart enough to see what was happening that summer night in 1951 when Britain's Randy Turpin swarmed all over him to take a clear-cut, 15-round decision.
Sugar Ray Robinson's old wicked grace and his panther's skill were just a fraction off, and the snap was fading from his punch. But the beaten champ was too proud to retire. Sugar Ray went home to Harlem and worked hard to get in shape for another crack at Turpin.
That September, in the Polo...
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