This is how we reported Sugar Ray Robinson’s sensational victory over Carl ‘Bobo’ Olson for the world middleweight title in Boxing News.
IF you want to make Sugar Ray Robinson laugh, just go up to him and say “They never come back”. For Sugar Ray regained the world’s middleweight title for the second time by knocking out champion Carl “Bobo” Olson in two rounds in Chicago on December 9, 1955.
Olson was a 3-1 on favourite to retain the crown. “The longer it goes the worse it will be for Robinson” the critics said.
What they didn’t bargain for was a quick win for Ray. But that’s exactly what happened.
The first round was about even. Robinson appearing to be boxing more effectively, and Olson seemed happier at close-quarters.
Then came the second – and last. There were brief flurries by Olson, spells of clinching, and the dramatic climax.
A left to the body started it. Olson was hurt. And down came his hands. Almost with the same motion up came Robinson’s right
uppercut. Olson spun round, and fell flat on his face.
The champion started to move at “three”, but at “nine” he had only managed to roll over on to his back. He had been well and truly kayoed.
Before the fight Ray had a bit of a shock when he was served with a £30,000 tax lien, which meant that he would not be able to touch his £15,000 purse.
He retired in December 1952, and turned his attentions to the music hall with his tap-dancing act. But the lure of the ring proved too great, for he commenced a comeback at the beginning of this year.
Robinson unleashed a verbal attack on those who had treated his comeback as just another publicity stunt.
Overcome with emotions, he said afterwards: “I took about as much abuse as a man can from some people who did not have confidence in my comeback. It became a ghost with me, but it’s all over now. It’s wonderful to be champion again.”
Oh, yes, there was a “return” clause. This should take place at San Francisco within 90 days, but Jim Norris, president of the IBC, said he could give no information as to when or where.
Olson said he would welcome a return fight. “But first I want to get straightened out, and I don’t know when I’ll do it.”
This was a reference to his impending divorce suit, which his manager blamed for Carl’s apparent lack of fire. “His mind wasn’t on the job,” he declared.
This was the third time Robinson had beaten Olson, and there is no doubt of his ability to do it again.
There are those, however, who say that Olson was softened up by Archie Moore, who kayoed him in three rounds earlier in the year.
This may be so, and while taking none of the credit away from Sugar Ray, it has still to be proved whether he is the best middleweight in the world.
Those who may cause him a lot of trouble are Frenchman Charles Humez and hard-hitting Argentinean Eduardo Lausse. The former has been clamouring for a chance for some years, and is likely to be the next challenger.
A crowd of 12,441 witnessed the contest. The gross gate was £37,000. Radio and TV fees amounted to £28,000. Olson’s purse was £22,000 and Robinson’s £15,000.
