68 years ago

Date: 1st May 1957

Venue: Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois

Title: World Middleweight Title

Promoter: John Pribble & Irving Slott

Tv: ABC

Gene Fullmer
( 40 - 3 - 0 )
Weight: 159¼ lbs

Sugar Ray Robinson
( 140 - 5 - 2 )
Weight: 159½ lbs

The highly anticipated rematch between Ray Robinson and Gene Fullmer took place on Wednesday 1st May 1957, at the famed Chicago Stadium. The fight marked the first defense of the World Middleweight Title by Gene Fullmer, promoted by John Pribble & Irving Slott, the event, officiated by referee Frank Sikora, attracted a crowd of 14,757, generating a gross gate of $158,643 and a net gate of $124,647.

Fullmer won the title from Robinson four months earlier with a 15-round unanimous decision at New York's famed Madison Square Garden.

Fullmer, the 3½-1 favorite, boasted a record of 40-3-0 leading into the fight. He was prepared to defend his title against Harlem's Robinson, a dominant former champion with a staggering record of 140-5-2. Both fighters weighed in at roughly the same, with Robinson tipping the scales at 159½ lbs and Fullmer, slightly lighter, at 159¼ lbs.

The rematch was broadcast live by ABC on television and radio, bringing in receipts totalling $100,000. The live broadcast served not just as a spectacle for sports fans, but as a momentous occasion for boxing history, setting the stage for what would become one of the most memorable knockouts in the sport. Both fighters received an equal share of the revenue, each pocketing $67,394.

Before the fight began, notable figures such as Carmen Basilio, Kid Gavilan, Joe Louis, and Barney Ross were introduced in the ring. The Illinois Athletic Commission, mindful of the allegations of 'rabbit punching' and continuous holding from their first bout, cautioned the referees to penalize any violations. All three official scorecards placed Fullmer ahead at 19-18, with the fight being scored on the five-point must system.

The climax of the fight came in the 5th round when Robinson delivered what he later described as "the most perfect punch of my career," a left hook to the chin that knocked Fullmer out at 1:27. This knockout, much to the shock of Fullmer and the amazement of onlookers, sealed Robinson's victory.

In the aftermath of the knockout, Fullmer confessed, "I didn't know anything about being hit...The first thing I knew, I was standing up...I said, 'What happened?' He said, 'They counted to ten.' Up to then, I didn't know."