Boxing ke itihaas ki jab baat ki jaati hai toh isme Sugar Ray Robinson ka naam humesha shaamil hota hai. Kayi baar toh Robinson ka naam mahaan boxer Mohammad Ali se bhi pehle liya gaya hai.
Toh chaliye jaante hai aakhir kon the yeh mahaan boxer.
Sugar Ray Robinson ka asli naam Walker Smith Jr. tha. Robinson ka janam Georgia ke Ailey(ऐले)me 3rd May 1921 ko hua tha. Robinson ke pita ka naam Walker Smith Sr. aur maa ka naam Leila Hurst tha. Robinson apne 3 bhai-behanon me se sabse chote the. Robinson ki 2 badi behan Marie aur Evelyn thi, jinka janam 1917 aur 1919 me hua tha. Robinson ke pita ek kisaan the, jo Georgia me cotton, peanut aur corn ke kheton me kaam karte the. Robinson ke pita, pariwaar ko Ailey se Michigan(मिशिगन) ke sehar Detroit(डीट्रॉइट) le gaye, jaha pe unhe construction ka kaam mila. Iske baad Robinson ke pita ne do jagah kaam karna shuru kar diya taaki woh apne pariwaar ko financially support kar sake. Robinson ke pita cement mixer aur Sewer worker ke taur pe kaam karte the, jiske liye woh har subah 6 baje uthte the aur aadhi raat ke aas-paas waapas aate the. Robinson batate hai ki unke pita hafte ke 6 din kaam karte the aur unhe apne pita ke saath sirf Sunday ko wakt bitane ka mauka milta tha. Robinson kehte hai “mujhe apne pita ke saath aur wakt bitane ka mann karta tha.”
12 saal ki umar me Robinson ke maata-pita alag ho gaye aur unhe apni maa ke saath New york ke Harlem aana pada. Harlem ek aisa jagah tha, jaha pe jyadatar black community ke log hi rehte the. Robinson ko bachpan me ek doctor banna tha, lekin jab woh “DeWitt Clinton High School” se 9th grade me drop out huye, toh Robinson ki interest Boxing ki yor gayi. Jab Robinson 14 saal ke the toh woh apne pehle Boxing tournament me shaamil huye. Halanki Robinson ko waha jaakar pata chala ki tournament me shaamil hone ke liye unhe “AAU” membership card ki jarurat hai, jo unhe tabhi milegi, jab woh legally 16 saal ke ho jaayenge. Lekin Walker Smith a.k.a Sugar Ray Robinson kisi se haar maan’ne waalon me se nahi the. Issiliye unhone tournament me shaamil hone ke liye, “Ray Robinson” naamak ek purv boxer ki ID ka istemaal kiya. Asal me Ray Robinson ne Boxing chod di thi, jis wajah se William Smith a.k.a Sugar Ray Robinson ko tournament me shaamil hone ke liye ek mauka mil gaya tha. Ab kyunki Walker Smith ne apne career ki shuruat Robinson naamak ek boxer ke ID se ki thi, issi wajah se woh aage tak issi naam se Boxing ke field me bane rahe aur issi wajah se Walker Smith, Ray Robinson ban gaye. Wahi ek din fight ke dauran ek mahila ne Walker ko kaha tha ki woh “Sugar jitne sweet hai”. issi wajah se Walker Smith ka naam “Sugar Ray Robinson” pad gaya. Apne young age me Robinson diggaj boxer Henry Armstrong aur Joe Louis ke fan the. Yaha tak ki 11 saal ke Robinson jab Detroit me the toh ussi block me 17 saal ke Joe Louis bhi rehte the.
Wahi Robinson bhale hi ring me naam kama rahe ho, lekin ring ke baahar woh kabhi-kabhi musibat me bhi phans jaate the, kyunki Robinson apne young age me Street gang me shaamil the. Robinson ne sirf 16 saal ki umar me hi shaadi kar li thi aur unka Ronnie naam ka ek beta hua. Halanki jab Robinson 19 saal ke the tabhi unka divorce ho gaya. Robinson ne apna amateur career, 69 knockouts ke saath 85-0 ke record se khatam kiya. Robinson ne 1939 me New York ka “Golden Gloves Featherweight championship” jeeta tha. Wahi 1940 me Robinson ne, New York ka “Golden Gloves lightweight championship” bhi jeet liya. Apne armature career me dhamakedaar safalta ke baad, 1940 me Robinson ne apna Professional boxing debut kiya. Apne debut ke pehle hi saal Robinson ne apne yor se khele gaye saare match jeete. 1941 me Robinson ne World Champion Sammy Angott ko haraya. Ussi saal unhone Future champion Marty Servo(मार्टी सर्वो)aur former champion Fritzie Zivic(फ्रिट्ज़ी ज़िविक ) ko bhi haraya. Robinson aur Angott ke beech ki ladai lightweight limit se thodi upar ki thi. Kyunki Angott nahi chahte the ki woh apni “lightweight” title ko khoye. Aage chal kar Robinson ne kuch aur matches jeete, jiske baad Robinson ka saamna Jake LaMotta(लामोटा) se hua. Jake aage chal kar Robison ka bada rival bana. Robinson ne Jake ko bhi fight me hara diya. Iske baad Robinson ne kuch aur matches jeete. Apne acche performance ki wajah se Robinson ko “Fighter Of the year” ka title diya gaya. Saal 1942 ko, Robinson ne bade aaram se khatam kiya. Uss saal Robinson ne bina ek bhi match haare kul 14 matches jeete the. Robinson ka record 40-0 ka jaa raha tha lekin phir unhone apni zindagi ki pehli haar se saamna kiya. Robinson, LaMotta se huye re-match me haar gaye. LaMotta ke jeetne ki khaas wajah uski weight thi, jaha Robinson 66 kg ke the wahi LaMotta ki weight 73 kg thi. Match me LaMotta ko poore 7 kg ka faida mila aur usne 8th round me Robinson ko ring se baahar kar diya aur match jeet liya. Yeh match Robinson ke purv hometown Detroit me hua tha, jisne record tod bheed ko attract kiya tha. Shuruat me Robinson sahi jaa rahe the, lekin baad me LaMotta ne fight ka control apne haath me liya aur Robinson ko hara diya. Iss match ke 3 hafte baad hi Robinson phir ek baar ring me LaMotta ke khilaaf utare, lekin iss baar Robinson jeet kar waapas aaye. Issi ke baad Robinson ne apne childhood idol Henry Armstrong ko haraya, iss match ko Robinson ne sirf issiliye khela tha, kyunki uss dauran Henry ko paison ki jarurat thi. 1943 me Robinson army me shaamil ho gaye. jaha pe unke saath Robinson ke childhood idol Joe Louis bhi the. Robinson ne Army ko apne asli naam Walker Smith ke taur pe join kiya tha. Joe aur Robinson special service division ke sang tours pe bhi gaye, jaha pe unhone American army ke saamne “exhibition bouts” yaani ki “प्रदर्शनी मुकाबलों” ko perform kiya. Robinson ki military career 15 mahine ki thi, jis dauran woh kayi baar musibat me bhi pade. asal me Robinson apne senior adhikaari se racial भेदभाव ki wajah se humesha behas karte the. Robinson ke anusaar unke senior issliye unse bhed-bhaav karte the kyunki Robinson black the.
Toh darshakon aapko kya lagta hai aage kya hua hoga? Kya Robinson apne seniors ko sabak seekhaane me kaamyaab ho paayenge, yaa phir unhe aur bhi dusri musibaton se guzarna hoga? Jaan’ne ke liye padhte rahiye humari yeh blog, jiska naam hai Bollygrad studioz.
To be continued… part-1
