Table of Contents
- Sugar Ray Robinson is one of the greatest boxers of all time, pound for pound
- The legendary boxer had a disturbing dream that came to pass
- Sugar Ray dreamt that he killed Jimmy Doyle during a bout in the ring and told the story of his dream before fighting the young boxer the next day
Sugar Ray Robinson chilling story of a dream that came to pass is one of the most unfortunate moments in sports. Sugar Ray, born May 3, 1921, as Walker Smith Jr., is one of the greatest boxers of all time, pound for pound.
The American, who turned professional in 1940, lost just 19 fights in over 200 bouts. He won 109 of his fights by knockouts.
Robinson fought 91 fights without losing between 1943 and 1951. His 91-fight unbeaten streak is the third-longest in professional boxing history.
Sugar Ray was a complete boxer. The boxing great was efficient with both hands and possessed great speed and precision. He could fight by any style – he could brawl in one round and come out counterpunching in the next fight. He is the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times, a feat he accomplished after defeating Carmen Basilio in 1958.
Sugar Ray Robinson. Photo/ Los Angeles Times.
As of April 2025, BoxRec ranks Sugar Ray as the greatest boxer, pound for pound, of all time. The Ring ranked Sugar Ray number one in their magazine’s list of “80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years” in 2002. Bert Sugar, who was a boxing analyst and a historian, ranked Sugar Ray as the greatest fighter of all time.
What Was Sugar Ray Robinson Dream?
Sugar Ray Robinson dream came on the night of June 25, 1947. He was scheduled to fight Jimmy Doyle when he had the haunting dream.
Sugar Ray dreamt that he killed Jimmy Doyle during a bout in the ring. He told the story of his dream prior to fighting Jimmy Doyle the next day.
In the dream, Sugar Ray landed a devastating strike that knocked Jimmy to the canvas. Jimmy was unable to rise, and Sugar Ray heard the crowd shouting ‘he’s dead’.
“In the dream, Jimmy Doyle was in the ring with me. I hit him a few good punches, and he was on his back, his blank eyes staring up at me, and I was staring down at him, not knowing what to do, and the referee was moving in to count to 10 and Doyle still wasn’t moving a muscle and in the crowd I could hear people yelling, ‘He’s dead, he’s dead,’ and I didn’t know what to do. Then I woke up.” Sugar Ray Robinson wrote in his autobiography, as per Sportscasting.
The dream disturbed Sugar Ray such that he wanted to stop the fight before it started. However, the fight promoters, who would have lost money if the fight had not happened, tried to convince Robinson that it was just a dream.
They brought in a Catholic priest, who also assured Robinson that it was just but a dream. As a result, Sugar Ray Robinson decided to continue with the fight.
Sugar Ray Robinson’s Dream Comes To Pass
Jimmy Doyle was an ambitious 22-year-old boxer who wanted to defeat Sugar Ray so as to claim his welterweight title.
Sugar Ray had fought four non-title bouts when he stepped into the ring to face Doyle. Sugar’s dream came to pass in the eighth round of the fight as he landed a left hook on Jimmy Doyle’s left face.
Sugar Ray Robinson dream. Photo/ Scrapdigest – Latest MMA NEWS.
Just like he dreamt, the punch sent his opponent to the canvas. The match’s referee began the count but noticed it was unnecessary since Doyle was unconscious.
Jimmy was rushed to the hospital, where he died later that night, as per Wikipedia. Sugar Ray said Jimmy Doyle’s death was ‘very trying’.
What Happened After Jimmy’s Death?
Sugar Ray Robinson spoke to reporters after the fight, telling them he had a feeling that his dream would come to pass. Criminal charges, including murder, were threatened against Sugar Ray in Cleveland. However, none of them materialized.
In as much as Robinson blamed himself for the punch that knocked down Jimmy, it is not him who is to carry the cross for the young fighter’s death.
Jimmy had taken a lot of injuries in his previous fights such that his native, California, would not sanction his fights anymore. Hence it was the responsibility of the commission in Cleveland to ensure his well-being when he faced Sugar Ray.
