Pichli blog me humne aapko mahaan boxer Sugar Ray Robinson ke baare me bataya tha, jinhone apni boxing career ke dauran army me bhi apni service di thi. Halanki army me Robinson ko apne senior officers se नस्लीय(racial) bhed-bhaav ka bhi saamna karna pada tha. Robinson ka iss baat ko lekar apne seniors se humesha argument bhi hota tha. Ek baar Joe Louis aur Robinson special service division ke saath “exhibition bouts” yaani ki “प्रदर्शनी मुकाबलों” ki performance, U.S army troops ke saamne dene waale the. Lekin iss exhibition ko dekhne ki permission African-American soldiers ko nahi thi, jis wajah se Robinson ne exhibition me perform karne se mana kar diya.
March 1944 ke antt me Robinson ko Brooklyn ke Fort Hamilton me tainaat kiya gaya tha, waha pe Robinson Europe jaane ki taiyaari kar rahe the, taaki woh aur exhibition matches ko perform kar sake. 1944 ke 29march ko, Robinson apne barrack se gaayab ho gaye. Jab woh 5 April ko Governor’s Island sith, Fort Jay Hospital me uthe, toh unhe iss baat ka ehsaas hua ki ki unhone Europe jaane waali ship miss kar di hai aur ab unhe “deserting” karne ke shak se dekha jaa raha hai. Armed forces me “deserter” unn logon ko kaha jaata hai, jo apni service ko bina inform kiye chod dete hai. Aisa hi kuch Robinson ke saath bhi hua, kyunki unhone apni Europe jaane waali ship miss kar di thi, issi wajah se unhe armed forces dwara “deserter” maana jaa raha tha. Robinson ne bataya ki woh 29th March ko apne barracks ke seedhiyon se gir gaye the. Robinson ke anusaar unhe amnesia hai aur unhe 29th se lekar 5th April ke beech me kya hua, iss baare me unhe kuch bhi nahi pata aur naa hi unhe kuch yaad hai. Robinson ke file ke anusaar, 1 April ko ek anjaan insaan ne Robinson ko sadak pe paaya tha aur unhe hospital pahuchaane me unki madad ki thi. Apne examination me “Jay Hospital” ke ek doctor ne paaya ki Robinson apni ghatna ke baare me sach keh rahe the. Robinson military authorities dwara bhi examine kiye gaye, jisme unhone daawa kiya ki Robinson mental deficiency se guzar rahe hai. June 3 1944 ko Robinson ko military dwara “Honourable Discharge” de diya gaya aur issi ke saath Robinson ke 15 mahino ke military career ka antt hua. Apne ek interview me Robinson ne kaha ki kuch galat press coverage ne unhe iss ghatna ke baad, ek “deserter” ghoshit kar diya tha. Apne military safar ke baad Robinson ne Joe Louis ke saath apni close friendship ko banaye rakha aur dono war ke baad business me chale gaye. Un dono ne Saath milakar New York me, alcohol distribution ke business ko shuru karne ke baare me socha. Lekin kyunki woh black the, iss wajah se unhe business ke liye license nahi di gayi.
1946 tak Robinson ne kul 75 matches khela, jisme se ek match draw raha tha. Robinson ne Welterweight ke saare top contender ko hara diya. Halanki unhone mafia ke saath corporate karne se saaf mana kar diya, jo unn dino boxing ko control karte the. Issi wajah se unhe Welterweight championship me hissa lene nahi diya gaya. Halanki 1946 ke December me aakhirkaar Robinson ko Welterweight championship me hissa lene ka ek mauka mila. Iss match me Robinson ka saamna Tommy Bell se hona tha. Robinson, Tommy Bell ko ek baar pehle hi hara chuke the. Yeh inn dono ke beech re-match thi. Tommy Bell Robinson ko haraane me kaamyaab ho rahe the, lekin Robinson bhi haar nahi maan’na chahte the aur antt me 15 round ke match ke baad Robinson “Welterweight championship” jeet gaye. 1950 tak Robinson non-title matches me bhi apna naam kama chuke the. 1950 me Robinson ka mukabla George Costner naam ke ek boxer se hua, jo bhi khud ko “sugar” kehta tha. George ke anusaar woh “Sugar” naam ka asli hakdaar tha aur naaki Robinson. Robinson ne match shuru hone se pehle kaha “hume apne gloves jarur takraane chahiye kyunki yeh ek maatra round hone waala hai.” Jaise hi George Costner ring ke beech me aaye, Robinson ne kaha “Tumhara nahi balki mera naam Sugar hai.” Aur aisa kehte hi sirf 2 min 49 sec me Sugar Ray Robinson ne George Costner ko hara diya.
June 1947, Robinson ke liye bara ajeeb raha. 4 non-title bouts jeetne ke baad Robinson ko ab pehli baar apne title ko bachane ke liye, Jimmy Doyle ke saath fight karna tha. Halanki Robinson fight karne se peeche hat gaye, kyunki unhone apne sapne me dekha tha ki woh Doyle ko maar denge. Priest aur minister ne Robinson ko fight karne ke liye kaha. Halanki Robinson ka sapna sach ho gaya. June 25, 1947 ke match me Robinson, Doyle pe bhaari pade aur kaafi accha score banaya, lekin 8ve round me Robinson ke waar se Doyle zameen pe gir kar behosh ho gaye aur iss kaaran ussi raat Doyle ki maut ho gayi. Robinson ne kaha ki unpe “Doyle ki maut ka kaafi bura prabhaav pada” Doyle ki maut ke baad, Robinson pe murder aur criminal act ke charges lagane ki dhamki di gayi, lekin kuch bhi nahi hua. Wahi jab Robinson ko pata chala ki Doyle match ke paison se apni maa ke liye ek ghar khareedne waale the, toh Robinson ne apne aage khele gaye 4 matches ke paison ko Doyle ki maa ko de diye, taaki woh apne liye ghar kahreed sake aur Doyle ka sapna bhi pura ho sake.
1950s me Robinson ne middleweight me jaane ke baare me thaan liya. Halanki iske peeche do kaaran the, pehla yeh tha ki Robinson ko Welterweight ki weight limit maintain karne me dikkat aa rahi thi, jo ki kareeb 67kg thi. issi wajah se unhone apni limit badha di. Dusri wajah thi “paise”. middleweight Robinson ke liye financially फायदेमंद saabit hone waali thi, kyunki uss zamane me iss division me kayi bade naam shaamil the. 1950 me “Pennsylvania State middleweight” title ke liye, Robinson ne Robert Villemain ko haraya aur “middleweight title” apne naam kiya. Ussi saal apne title ko bachane ke liye Robinson ne Jose Basora ko haraya, jinke saath pehle kheli gayi ek match, draw ho gayi thi. Pehle hi round me Basora ko 50 sec me hara kar Robinson ne ek naya record haasil kiya tha, jise 38 saal tak koi tor nahi haasil kar paaya.
Aage jaakar Robinson ne ek baar phir LaMotta ko haraya aur Issi ke saath LaMotta ke saath khele gaye 6 me se 5 matches me, Robinson ki jeet hui thi. Iss jeet ke baad Robinson Europe ke tour pe gaywoh poora continent ghume. Robinson ki Flamingo Pink Cadillac, Paris me charcha ka vishay rahi. LaMotta ko harane ke baad Robinson France me ek hero ban gaye the. France ke log LaMotta ko nahi pasand karte the, kyunki LaMotta ne 1949 me French boxer Marcel Cerdan ko haraya tha. Iske alawa jab LaMotta se re-match khelne ke liye Marcel jaa rahe the, toh unki plane crash me maut ho gayi thi, jis wajah se French LaMotta se nafrat karne lag gaye. Robinson uss dauran France ke president Vincent Auriol se, upper-class logon ke liye rakhi gayi party me mile the.
Toh darshakon aapko kya lagta hai, aage Robinson ki zindagi me kya naya mod aayega? Jaan’ne ke liye padhte rahiye humare iss blog ko, jiska naam hai Bollygrad studioz.
TO BE CONTINUED…PART-2
