Sugar Ray Robinson's mistake

[rightsideup]

I remember seeing something or reading something about Carmine Basilio
introducing himself to Sugar Ray out side his club. Sugar blew him off and Carmine who was just starting to get rated at welterweight never forgot the slight and vowed to whup the great Robinson if they ever met in the ring.
Carmine then became welter champ and challenged sugar for middleweight honors and won. They fought again with sugar swelling up carmine's eyebrow and earning a points victory. Does anyone know why there was not a third fight?

[Daddy T]

that's an interesting story I hadnt heard it before but I do know that when cassius clay was starting out he went up to meet Sugar ray and Ray brushed him aside like he was nothing and clay never forgot it either after that he swore he'd never treat a fan like that and would always treat them right ... sounds like Robinson may have made a habit of it

[NVSemin]

It can be totally different, really.
One you have talent, there are so many bad people who just want to use you start messing around. This arrogance can be a defensive move so to speak based on experience of being hurt or fooled or used. I heard James Toney was similar until he got to know the person better, then he would open up and appear a totally different guy.

[Ray Corso]

Imagine yourselves (if you can) being one of the most popular athletes in the world along with the Greatest boxer then & now!!! Do you really think your feeling the same all the time or cordial every day? Do you know how many fans Sugar Ray has met in his life? This is just another ridiculous topic by fans who think an athlete needs to be "the perfect star" and has to be on que at all times!
Their humans who need to have their ups & downs just as we do! Robinson was known as a very engaging man but he was also a businessman who tried to reach out to his neigbors with employment opportunities and was taken advantages more times than not!!! Most pro boxers were poor businessmen because they' weren't educated men or they wouldn't have been boxers!!!!!????? Ray.


as for Carmen fighting Ray again, I think Carmen stayed at welter and Ray was esablished at Middle by then and I think welter was to tuff to make as he got older! Not sure but Carmen was a natural welter!

[TBear]

We have to remember that once these guys get big and reach celebrity statis they get no peace. If they go to a private restaurant for a quiet meal, their dinner is constantly interrupted by strangers with no respect for their privacy. A lot of them enjoy the attention and like the fans but it gets to the point where they would rather not be bothered. Many times we think "wow he's rude" but take into consideration that they have lives too and want to live it. After years of greeting fans and signing autographs they still have the right to be left alone if they wish.

[rightsideup]

Fellows my intent was not to bring attention to sugars slight of Carmen to put ray in a negative light but to show how a determined athlete such as basilio would use it as motivation to give the p4p best boxer all he could handle. This motivation is similar to how Duran motivated himself to fight Leonard because of all the prefight attention and money going Rays way.

[TBear]

Fellows my intent was not to bring attention to sugars slight of Carmen to put ray in a negative light but to show how a determined athlete such as basilio would use it as motivation to give the p4p best boxer all he could handle. This motivation is similar to how Duran motivated himself to fight Leonard because of all the prefight attention and money going Rays way.

I understand that now. My response wasn't directly related to your point I guess. I noticed the was another thread about how Hearns was not friendly towards some fans and there is also a similar thread in the nsb about top rank fighter being like that also. I guess I was taking up for the fighters.

Ray might have had an issue with Carmen beyond our knowledge and you were right that it was probably motivation for Basilio. You were also right about Duran who earned respect in the ring and resented the golden image and money Ray Leonard was getting.

[Anthony342]

Yeah I can understand that but it can still hurt your image if a fan has a bad encounter with anyone famous. I mean, if they are quoted in a newspaper or become successful or even famous, they can tell a huge audience how rude someone seemed to them. It doesn't always mean they're a bad person to everyone. I mean, we've all had people that were rude to us, yet nice to others for some reason. It doesn't really change that negative encounter too much. So I understand the celebrity's standpoint, but the fan's point of view should be understood as well. Yeah, it might not be a good time. It's all about context really. Like, what time of day it is, where it takes place. Is the person in a hurry to leave or at some kind of autograph signing. I don't really see what's wrong with acknowledging a fan and thanking them for their support as long as they move on after that if the person is busy. And it couldn't hurt to ask for an autograph or photo and if they're a good person, they could just graciously decline. While I'm not a fan of his at all, I heard a great quote from Rob Zombie where he had a negative experience at some convention with some filmmaker and he said that person must not have been a fan of anything, because fans always remember those experiences. It's just a few forgettable seconds to the star, but a fan remembers that for the rest of their lives.

[elpistolero92]

Sugar Ray made many mistakes out of the ring but in the ring made only one?