One More Knockout for Sugar Ray Robinson With New U.S. Postage Stamp
What: The U.S. Postal Service immortalizes six-time world boxing
champion Sugar Ray Robinson by dedicating a postage stamp in
his honor during the Golden Gloves finals at Madison Square
Garden in the same ring where Robinson fought many of his
fights.
Who: Sugar Ray Robinson, II, Robinson's son and co-author of his
father's biography, Pound for Pound.
Joe Frazier, World Heavyweight Champion, 1970 to 1973.
Carlos Ortiz, three-time World Champion: twice Lightweight,
once Jr. Welterweight.
Jake LaMotta, World Champion boxer who is known for breaking
Robinson's undefeated stretch of 40 professional fights.
Robinson was best man at LaMotta's sixth wedding.
Mark Breland, 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time
Welterweight Champion.
Joey Giardello, World Middleweight Champion who fought and
beat Robinson.
Arturo Gatti, International Boxing Federation Welterweight
Champion.
Emile Griffith, five-time world boxing champion who knew and
sparred with Robinson.
Bill Gallo, Sports cartoonist for the New York Daily News who
characterized many of Robinson's fights and also became
friends with Robinson.
Bert Randolph Sugar, boxing historian, author and former
editor of Ring Magazine.
Thomas Day, USPS Senior Vice President, Government Relations.
When: The bouts begin at 7:30 p.m. and the ceremony will take place
at approximately 9 p.m. during the intermission between
fights. A room is available following the ceremony for one-
on-one interviews.
Where: Daily News Golden Gloves Tournament Finals
The Theater at Madison Square Garden
8 Pennsylvania Plaza (33rd St. off 8th Ave.)
New York, NY 10001
Media should enter through the green awning entrance
Background: The U.S. Postal Service immortalizes six-time world champion
boxer Sugar Ray Robinson -- who started his career by winning
the Golden Gloves tournament -- by honoring him on a
commemorative stamp. Resembling a vintage fight poster from
the 1940s and '50s, the stamp design features block lettering
and a halftone image of Robinson created from a photographic
portrait made during his peak fighting years.
In his prime, Robinson was virtually unbeatable in the ring.
He reigned as the undefeated world welterweight champion from
Dec. 20, 1946 until Feb. 14, 1951, when he won the world
middleweight title for the first of five times. According to
The Ring Record Book, Robinson fought a total of 201 bouts,
winning 174 (109 by knockout) against only 19 losses, six
draws, and two no contests. Of those 19 losses, 15 occurred
after he was 35 years old; 10 came after he turned 40; and
five during the last six months of his career at 44. Heat
exhaustion contributed to the only technical knockout he ever
suffered. In 1999 a panel of experts named him "Fighter of
the Century."
CONTACT: Mark Saunders, +1-202-268-6524, cell: +1-202-320-0782, mark.r.saunders@usps.gov, or Pat McGovern, +1-212-330-3307, cell: +1-917-837-0942, patricia.mcgovern@usps.gov, or Tom Gaynor, +1-718-321-5773, cell: +1-917-453-2739, tom.gaynor@usps.gov, all of the U.S. Postal Service; or Gary Baronofsky, gary_baronofsky@dkcnews.com, or Sid Dinsay, +1-212-685-4300, sid_dinsay@dkcnews.com, both of Golden Gloves. SOURCE U.S. Postal Service
