72 years ago

Date: 25th June 1952

Venue: Yankee Stadium, The Bronx, New York

Title: World Light Heavyweight Title

Promoter: Alexander Schiff

Tv: Closed Circuit Television

Joey Maxim
( 78 - 18 - 4 )
Weight: 173 lbs

Sugar Ray Robinson
( 132 - 2 - 2 )
Weight: 157½ lbs

The evening of June 25th, 1952, witnessed a remarkable boxing event at Yankee Stadium, New York. Originally scheduled for June 23, the match was postponed due to rain and, when it finally took place, the arena was filled to its brim with 47,968 spectators. The event, promoted by Alexander Schiff, featured a clash between Joey Maxim, with a record of 78-18-4, and Ray Robinson, boasting an astonishing record of 132-2-2. At stake was Maxim's world light-heavyweight title. Despite Robinson's superior record and status as the slight betting favorite, the eventual outcome surprised everyone.

The event was indeed a spectacle, with Maxim tipping the scales at 173 lbs and Robinson at 157½ lbs. Maxim, hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, held a two-inch height advantage over Robinson, a Harlem, New York native. Nevertheless, Robinson, defying his smaller stature, had a one-inch reach advantage over his opponent, indicating a potential edge in boxing technique and skill. Despite this riveting setup, there was no home TV or radio coverage for the fight. Instead, 39 theaters across 25 cities broadcasted the bout via closed-circuit television, a testament to the gravity of the event.

Both fighters had their own style of combat, but the bout was marred by infringements, with Maxim warned for elbowing and Robinson admonished for holding. However, as the fight proceeded, it was not the infractions but the sweltering temperature of 103 degrees that began to take its toll. So intense was the heat that Referee Ruby Goldstein was overcome by it and had to be replaced by Ray Miller after the tenth round. The heat, coupled with the physical exertion of the match, began to level the playing field.

It was Robinson who bore the brunt of the stifling conditions. Although he was leading with scores of 10-3, 9-3-1, and 7-3-3 at the time of the stoppage, he was plagued by heat exhaustion. Maxim's heavier punches added to his distress, causing a shift in the bout's momentum. Robinson, unable to endure the punishing combination of the heat and Maxim's forceful punches, was unable to come out for the 14th round.

In a turn of events, Maxim emerged as the winner by retirement in round 13. It was the only time in 200 professional fights that Robinson was stopped, a testimony to the extraordinary circumstances of the fight. Both fighters took home 30% of the net gate, the gross gate amounting to a staggering $421,696.

The aftermath of the fight saw Robinson retiring from the ring, only to make a return in 1955