The Champ Gives a Lesson

Harlem's Sugar Ray Robinson, welterweight (147 Ibs.) champion of the world, danced in his corner almost unnoticed. All eyes in Philadelphia's Municipal Stadium were on the challenger, Cuba's Gerardo ("Kid Gavilan") Gonzales. Most of the 27,805 customers seemed to think that the Cuban had a real chance for the crown.

Dapper, comfort-loving Ray Robinson nas not been a popular champion. He has fought only when he felt like it and has been known to change his mind about a match after the contracts were signed. Moreover, in Harlem, where he owns and operates four businesses (including Sugar Ray's Cafe), even his friends suspected that the champ had grown soft on easy living. But Sugar Ray, beaten only once in 98 professional fights, proved last week that he still had everything under control.

After deliberately letting Kid Gavilan set a fast pace for five rounds, Robinson opened his bag of tricks. He set traps and sprung them with a master's touch (e.g., following three left jabs with a left hook instead of an orthodox right). By the 10th round, ringsiders had the feeling that they were watching a precision machine. In the 14th round, Sugar Ray was in such confident command that he stuck out his tongue at Joe Louis, who had picked Gavilan to win.

Though Sugar Ray lacked some of the fire that once earned him the reputation of being, pound for pound, the best fighter in the business, he easily won the judges' decision. Said one veteran ringsider after it was over: "When Robinson defends his title, every professional prizefighter in the U.S. should pay his way in to learn how."

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