We recently added the programme for Sugar Ray Robinson’s fight at Paisley Ice Rink to the collections. His visit to Scotland was a big deal and the charismatic and charming Robinson attracted a lot of coverage. He was photographed and filmed pulling pints whilst wearing a snazzy houndstooth jacket in Leith, Edinburgh and gambling with a big pile of chips at the St Tropez Casino in Glasgow. He made an appearance at Ibrox on the day of a Rangers home game against Dunfermline and to balance things out he accompanied the Celtic squad on drums for a new recording of the Celtic Song.
All this activity was an attempt by promoter Peter Keenan to sell tickets for what was an exhibition bout arguably of little consequence. Robinson was a legend and a five times world champion but he was 42 at the time of his visit and his glory days were long behind him.
It worked as the fight sold out. Paisley Ice Rink is not as unlikely a venue for an international boxing bout as it might sound. It opened in 1940 when it was regarded as state of the art, it could seat 5000 spectators and had a restaurant, cafe, milk bar and shop. Muhammad Ali fought at the same venue in 1965 when he was world champion. It closed in 1973 and today the site is home to a Tesco supermarket.
Robinson’s opponent was Mick Leahy (1935-2010) born in Cork, who had become the British middleweight champion in 1963. Robinson showed some of his old magic in the ring and the crowd gave him vocal support. However he seemed to tire towards the end of each round. The fight went the full ten rounds and the referee decided Leahy was the winner on points. Sugar Ray would retire the following year. Sadly Leahy’s boxing career would end around the same time, when he lost the sight in his left eye in a car crash. Robinson lost the fight but his reception in Scotland meant he went home with a spring in his step.
Below are some images from his visit to Scotland.
Sugar Ray Robinson arrives at Prestwick airport ahead of his fight in Paisley. This photograph suggests he did not travel light.
Above Robinson drums at a recording of the Celtic Song. Robinson toured Scotland to boost ticket sales for the forthcoming bout, but sadly not in his famous pink Cadillac which he had to leave in the States. He was presented with a plaque by Edinburgh City Council and made an honorary member of a Leith social club. Sugar Ray visited both Rangers and Celtic football clubs. At Ibrox he failed to make contact with a football thrown to him prior to kick off on front of a crowd of 40,000.
Sugar Ray Robinson wrote a column for the Daily Express during his stay. “The new column – with the big punch”. Here he wrote about his life in boxing; his meetings with Winston Churchill, the late President Kennedy and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor who were “two of the most charming people I ever met” and his impressions of Scotland. Just before he left Scotland he gave the Express an interview in which he graciously accepted defeat and said he hoped to have another attempt at the world title.