From 1943 to 1951 Robinson went on a 91-fight unbeaten streak, the sixth-longest in professional boxing history[8] behind Pedro Carrasco with 93,[9] Jimmy Wilde with 95,[10] Buck Smith with 102,[11] Packey McFarland with 104,[12] and Young Griffo with 107.

His father was a cotton, peanut, and corn farmer in Georgia, who moved the family to Detroit where he initially found work in construction.

Robinson originally aspired to be a doctor, but after dropping out of DeWitt Clinton High School (in the Bronx) in ninth grade, he switched his goal to boxing.

[22] He circumvented the AAU's age requirement by using an ID card from a youth named Ray Robinson, who had quit boxing.

Zivic and his corner protested the stoppage; James P. Dawson of The New York Times stated "[t]hey were criticizing a humane act.

[31] After winning the third LaMotta fight less than three weeks later, Robinson then defeated his childhood idol: former champion Henry Armstrong, whom he only fought because the older man was in need of money.

Robinson served with Joe Louis, and the pair went on tours with the Special Services division where they performed exhibition bouts in front of U.S. Army troops.

He argued with superiors who he felt were discriminatory against him, and refused to fight exhibitions when he was told African American soldiers were not allowed to watch them.

[25][33] In late March 1944 Robinson was stationed at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, waiting to ship out to Europe, where he was scheduled to perform more exhibition matches.

When he woke up on April 5 in Fort Jay Hospital on Governor's Island, he had missed his sailing for Europe and was under suspicion of deserting.

The fight was called a "war", but Robinson was able to pull out a close 15-round decision, winning the vacant World Welterweight title.

Among the fighters he defeated in those non-title bouts was future world champion Kid Gavilán in a close, controversial 10-round fight.

[41] In 1950 Robinson fought George Costner, who had also taken to calling himself "Sugar" and stated in the weeks leading up to the fight that he was the rightful possessor of the name.

[48][49] It is stated in his autobiography that one of the main considerations for his move up to middleweight was the increasing difficulty he was having in making the 147 lb (67 kg) welterweight weight limit.

Robinson traveled with his flamingo-pink Cadillac, which caused quite a stir in Paris,[53] and an entourage of 13 people, some included "just for laughs".

In London, Robinson lost the world middleweight title to British boxer Randolph Turpin in a sensational bout.

[56] Three months later in a rematch in front of 60,000 fans at the Polo Grounds,[44] he knocked Turpin out in ten rounds to recover the title.

With the fight in jeopardy, Robinson let loose on Turpin, knocking him down, then getting him to the ropes and unleashing a series of punches that caused the referee to stop the bout.

[61] In the Yankee Stadium bout with Maxim, Robinson built a lead on all three judges' scorecards, but the 103 °F (39 °C) temperature in the ring took its toll.

He bounced back, however, and defeated Rocky Castellani by a split decision, then challenged Bobo Olson for the world middleweight title.

Basilio's handlers had lobbied heavily for it on the basis that he had never won the award, and Robinson later described this as the biggest disappointment of his professional career.

[65] But in the fifth, Robinson was able to win the title back for a fourth time by knocking out Fullmer with a lightning fast, powerful left hook.

Boxer Neil Morrison, at the time a fugitive and accused robber, signed up for the fight as Bill Henderson, a capable club fighter.

[73] Famed sports author Pete Hamill mentioned that one of the saddest experiences of his life was watching Robinson lose to Archer.

[76] He also appeared in a few films including the Frank Sinatra cop movie The Detective (1968), the cult classic Candy (1968), and the thriller The Todd Killings (1971) as a police officer.

[79] Robinson met his second wife Edna Mae Holly, a noted dancer who performed at the Cotton Club and toured Europe with Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway.

[26][42] Hall of Fame fighters Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Roberto Durán and Sugar Ray Leonard have ranked Robinson as the greatest pound-for-pound boxer in history.

[26] His glamorous restaurant, Sugar Ray's, hosted stars including Frank Sinatra, Jackie Gleason, Nat King Cole, Joe Louis, and Lena Horne.

[103] According to ESPN's Ron Flatter: "He was the pioneer of boxing's bigger-than-life entourages, including a secretary, barber, masseur, voice coach, a coterie of trainers, beautiful women, a dwarf mascot and lifelong manager George Gainford.

[104] In 1962, in an effort to persuade Robinson to return to Paris—where he was still a national hero—the French promised to bring over his masseur, his hairdresser, a man who would whistle while he trained, and his trademark Cadillac.