Sugar Ray Robinson middleweight ka title jeetne ke baad kaafi jyada popular ho chuke the. Apne European daure pe unhe fans ka kaafi pyaar mila. Iske alawa Robinson ko khaas, France ke tab ke President rahe Vincent Auriol ne unhe ek badi party me invite kiya. Ek Black hone ke bawajood Robinson ne apna naam uss daur me banaya, jab Blacks ko European aur Americans dwara kuch nahi samjha jaata tha. White supremacist ke ghatiya soch pe Robinson ki safalta bhaari padi.
Robinson ka Berlin me boxer Gerhard Hecht (गेरहार्ड हेच) ke saath match tha, jisme Robinson ke knockout punch ki wajah se unhe disqualified kar diya gaya. Asal me Robinson ne apne opponent ke kidney pe punch maar diya tha. Iss area me punch maarna bhale hi America me legal tha, lekin Europe me yeh illegal maana gaya. Baad me iss fight ko “no-contest” ghoshit kar diya gaya, jiska matlab tha match ka wahi, bina kisi decision ke radd ho jaana. Iske baad London me British Boxer Rudolph Turpin dwara, Robinson apna “World middleweight” title haar gaye. Issi match ke 3 mahine baad Robinson aur Turpin ke beech re-match hua, jise dekhne 60,000 se jyada log aaye the. 10 round ke iss match me Robinson ne Turpin ko hara kar apna “middleweight” title waapas haasil kar liya. Iss match ko jaise hi Robinson ne jeeta, Harlem ke logon ke beech khushi ka mahaul jaag gaya, sab log sadak pe utar aaye aur naachne lage. 1951 me Robinson ko Ring Magazine ke taraf se dobaara “Fighter Of the Year” chuna gaya. 1952 me Robinson ne Olson ke saath re-match khele, jisme unki jeet hui. Iske baad Robinson ne former champion Rocky Graziano ko sirf 3 round ke knockout me hi hara diya. Phir Robinson ka “World Light-heavyweight champion” Joey Maxim ke saath match hua. Yankee stadium me ho rahe iss match me, Robinson ne teeno judges ke scorecard pe lead haasil kiya. Halanki uss din garmi bahut thi. Ring ka temperature 39° C tak jaa chuka tha. Iss heat ka sabse pehle referee pe asar pada aur use dusre referee se replace karna pada. Tezi se fight kar rahe Robinson, iss heat ke dusre victim bane aur 13ve round me woh zameen pe gir gaye, jis kaaran agle round ke bell pe woh koi jawaab nahi de paaye. Iss wajah se unhe iss match me haarna pada. Maxim se haarne ke baad Robinson ne apna title chod diya aur woh khel se retired ho gaye. Iske baad Robinson entertainment industry me aa gaye, jaha pe unhone singing aur Tap dancing me apna haath azmaaya. Halanki teen saal baad, jab Robinson ke show-business me girawat aane lagi aur unhe asafalta ka saamna karna pada, toh Robinson ne waapas boxing me aane ka vichaar kiya. 1954 se Robinson ne apne career me waapasi karne ke liye, dobaara apni training shuru kar di.
1955 me Robinson ne ring me waapsi ki. Robinson ka dancer ke taur pe kaam, unhe 3 saal tak physically fit banaye rakha, bhale hi woh uss dauran boxing se door the. Robinson batate hai ki jab woh France me as a dancer debut karne waale the, toh uske liye woh har subah 5 mile daurte the aur har raat 5 ghante ki dance practice karte the. Yahi kaaran raha, ki unhe apne retirement ke baad dobaara boxing me waapsi karne me koi khaas pareshaani nahi hui. Yaha tak ki Robinson kehte hai ki jo training woh apne dancing career ko established karne ke liye karte the, woh boxing ki training se kayi jyada mushkil thi. 1955 me apne waapsi ke saath hi unhone 5 match jaha apne naam kiya, wahi boxer Ralph ke saath hui ek match me Robinson ki haar hui. Iske baad Robinson ne Bob Olson ko middleweight title ke liye challenge kiya. Robinson ne Bob ko 2 round ke knockout me hi hara diya aur teesari baar apne naam Middleweight title haasil kiya. Apne career me dobara dhamakedaar waapasi karne ke baad, Robinson ko bharosa tha ki unhe ek baar phir “Fighter Of the year” ka award milega. halanki yeh award uss baar Walterweight Carmen Basilio ko diya gaya. Asal me Carmen ke handlers ne pairavi kar kaha, ki Carmen ne abhi tak ek bhi award nahi jeeta hai, issiliye woh iss title ke jyada hakdaar hai. Robinson apne autobiography me “Fighter Of the year” title naa milne ke baare kehte hai, “Mai abhi tak iss baare me bhul nahi paaya hu aur naa hi kabhi bhulunga” Robinson ke liye yeh haar, unke professional career ke liye bahut badi nirasha thi. 1957 me Robinson apna title Fullmer se haar gaye. Fullmer ne apna aggressive aur forward moving style ka istemaal kar, Robinson ko control karne ki koshish ki aur unhe hara diya. Halanki iss match ke dauran Robinson Fullmer ki kamzori samjh gaye aur jab unn dono ke beech re-match hua toh do round tak, Robinson pehle humla kar rahe the. lekin jaise hi 3rd round shuru hua waise hi Robinson ne apna tarika badal liya aur Fullmer ko unki yod aane diya. 4th round me Robinson achaanak attack mode pe aa gaye aur Fullmer ko chaunka diya. Iske baad jab Fullmer apne punches ke saath Robinson ki yod badha, toh Robinson ne wahi chaal chali jo Fullmer ne pichle match me chala tha. 4 round tak inn dono boxers ke beech match kaafi accha chala, lekin 5th round ke aate hi Robinson ne Fullmer ko fast speed se hara diya aur “Middleweight” ka title, chauthi baar haasil kiya. Fullmer ko uske career ke 44 matches me koi nahi hara paaya tha. lekin yeh kaam Robinson ne turant hi kar dikhaya aur sirf 5 round ke match me jeet haasil kar li. Robinson ko aksar apne weight ko maintain karne me dikkat aati thi. Ek baar match shuru hone se 20 ghante pehle tak, Robinson bhukhe rahe the. Robinson ko 1957 aur 1958 me bhi “Fighter Of the year” ka title diya gaya.
1960s ka daur Robinson ke liye thoda utaar-chaadv se bhada tha. jaha woh matches jeet rahe the, wahi kayi matches me unhe haar ka bhi saamna pad raha tha. 1965 me Robinson apna dusra no-contest bout khel rahe the. Halanki jis opponent ke saath Robinson ki match hone waali thi woh asal me ek ढोंगी tha. Boxer Neil Morrison, uss daur ka भगोड़ा aur ek aaropi लुटेरा tha, jisne “Bill Henderson” naamak ek kaabil club fighter ke naam ka istemaal kar, Morrison fight me shaamil hua. Yeh match puri tarah se asafal rahi. Morrison pehle round me do baar नीचे गिरा aur dusre round me ek baar. Iske baad Morrison ke bekaar fight ki wajah se referee tang aa gaya aur yeh kehte huye ring chod diya ki “Henderson ने कोई लड़ाई नहीं लड़ी”. Iss match ke dusre hi round me dare huye Morrison ne, apni haar khud maan li aur 1 min 20 sec ke andar Robinson match ko jeet gaye.
Aage jaa kar kayi sports guru ne Robinson ke career ko reflect karte huye kaha ki “Robinson ka Archer se haarna, unke zindagi ka सबसे दुखद दिन tha.” Robinson jab Archer se match haar bhi rahe the, tab bhi log ne unhe standing ovation de rahe the. 11 November 1965 ko Robinson apne career se humesha ke liye retired ho gaye. Robinson boxing me itihaas bana kar gaye aur unhe “all time leaders in knockout” ke list me ek alag pehchaan mili. 1965 ke dauran Robinson ke saare paise khatam ho gaye. Unhone 4 million dollars jo apne career se banaye the, woh saare kharach kar diye. Aisa daur aa gaya ki trophy rakhne ke liye unke ghar me thik se ek furniture bhi nahi thi. 1960s ke antt me Robinson kayi TV shows aur filmon me kaam karne lage, jinme se ek “Mission Impossible” bhi hai. Robinson ki personal life ki agar hum baat kare, toh unhone dusri shaadi Edna se ki, jo ki famous dancer thi. Edna aur Robinson ki mulakaat bhi kaafia alag andaaz me hui thi. Edna aur Robinson ne 1944 me shaadi kar li. Halanki 1962 me dono ka divorce bhi ho gaya. Edna aur Robinson ka ek beta tha, jiska naam “Ray Robinson Jr.” tha. Divorce ke baad Robinson ne 1965 me Millie se shaadi kar li aur dono Los Angeles me bas gaye. Mille ko lekar Edna aur uske bete ne daawa kiya hai, ki Millie unhe Robinson se milne nahi deti thi aur Robinson ko drugs dekar control karti thi. Yaha tak ki Robinson apni maa ke funeral me bhi nahi jaa paaye. Robinson ko drugs ki wajah se huye agitation ke kaaran, hospital me ussi dauran admit bhi kiya gaya tha. Robinson ke aakhiri dino me Edna aur Ray Robinson Jr. Ko unse milne nahi diya gaya. Mille ke drugs ki wajah se Robinson ki health khraab huye jaa rahi thi.
Jiske baad 1989 me 67 saal ki umar me Robinson ki Alzheimer ke kaaran maut ho gayi.

The End.

Part-3