At the historic Chicago Stadium on 16th April 1952, Sugar Ray Robinson, faced off against Rocky Graziano in a middleweight title match. Harlem's Robinson, with an impressive record of 131-2-2 and a weighing in at 157¼ lbs, was making the 2nd defense of his 2nd reign as World Middleweight Champion. His challenger, Graziano, hailing from New York, entered the ring with a 67-8-6 record and a weight of 159¾ lbs. This high-stakes face-off was expertly overseen by referee Tommy Gilmore.
A crowd of 22,254 boxing fans flocked to the stadium, generating a gross gate of $252,237.66. Robinson secured a purse of $82,208.40, while Graziano walked away with a purse of $68,507.
The fight was intense from the beginning. However, it was not without controversy. Graziano received a stern warning for rabbit punching. Nevertheless, this admonishment did not dampen the high-spirited bout.
The match culminated dramatically in the third round. Graziano caught Robinson off-guard with a looping right, sending the reigning champion to one knee. However, in the absence of a mandatory 8-count rule, Robinson quickly rose to his feet, demonstrating his determination and resilience. This minor setback seemed to light a fire in the champion, and within a minute, Robinson delivered a stunning right to Graziano's jaw, sending him to the canvas.
At 1:53 in the third round, Robinson was declared the winner by knockout, successfully defending his title and bolstering his status as one of the greatest boxers of his era. This victory against Graziano further cemented Robinson's legacy.
The last chapter of this saga came later in the year when Robinson announced his retirement from boxing in December 1952, thus relinquishing the middleweight title.
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