On this day in 1951, one of boxing’s great rivalries finally came to an end.
The term pound-for-pound goes hand-in-hand with Sugar Ray Robinson’s remarkable 201-fight career that lasted from 1940 to 1965.
Many still regard the fighter who was born Walker Smith Jr. to be the greatest fighter that ever stepped through the ropes of a boxing ring.
Like every iconic fighter, the American legend needed great rivals to take his career to new heights.
Manny Pacquiao may have fought Juan Manuel Marquez four times in their classic rivalry but Robinson went several steps further than this.
Who is the greatest boxer of all time?
Sugar Ray Robinson ended his rivalry with Jake LaMotta by stopping him in their sixth bout
Boxers used to compete so much more frequently that you could even have rematches take place the same month as the previous bout.
This was the case when Sugar Ray Robinson scored his second victory over Jake LaMotta to avenge his loss that took place just several weeks before their trilogy on February 5, 1943.
Two years later, Robinson would record his fourth and fifth wins over LaMotta and after having now competed against him in 52 rounds, there was only one way he could improve upon these wins.
‘The Bronx Bull’ was always competitive with his fellow American despite losing, and while he had moments of success in their sixth and final bout, he was stopped in the 13th round.
Robinson won The Ring middleweight title on this day in 1951 in a bout that was later dubbed ‘The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre’ due to the amount of damage that was dealt to LaMotta in particular.
This is in reference to the famous 1929 murders of seven gang members in Chicago by a rival gang who were disguised as police officers.
What is the greatest rivalry in boxing history?
Comment below which feud takes the top spot and why.
Sugar Ray Robinson’s rivalry with Jake LaMotta landed on the big screen in a classic movie
The rivalry between Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta is so legendary that it was always going to be difficult to capture in a movie.
Their history with one another was a key point of the 1980 Martin Scorsese movie about LaMotta’s life and career, ‘Raging Bull’.
The movie more than lived up to the legacy of both fighters and is widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time regardless of genre.
Robert De Niro’s iconic portrayal of LaMotta saw him win his second Academy Award.
Receive a digest of our best Bloody Elbow content each week direct to your mailbox