Ivan Robinson

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Ivan Robinson boxer
Data
Birth Name Ivan Robinson
Fight name Mighty, Mighty Mouse
Weight class Featherweight, lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight
nationality United StatesUnited States US-american
birthday February 27, 1971
place of birth Philadelphia
style Left-hand boom
size 1.75 m
Combat Statistics
Struggles 46
Victories 32
Knockout victories 12
Defeats 12
draw 2
Profile in the BoxRec database

"Mighty" Ivan Robinson (born February 27, 1971 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ) is a former American boxer . He was one of the best amateur boxers in the United States and was a professional American and North American champion of the NABF and world championship challenger of the IBF . He became famous for two spectacular victories against two-time world champion Arturo Gatti , with the first duel between the two being voted Ring Magazine fight of the year .

He was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame in 2013 .

Amateur career

As an amateur boxer, he won the featherweight Pennsylvania Golden Gloves in 1988 . In 1989 he entered the International Canada Cup in Ottawa and won the gold medal in featherweight. He had beaten Wesley Sunshine from Canada, Alberto Ramirez from the Dominican Republic and the British Peter Richardson without losing a round. At the National Golden Gloves 1989 , he only lost in the final against the eventual Olympic champion Óscar de la Hoya and thus won the silver medal in the featherweight division.

At the 5th Junior World Championship in 1989 in Puerto Rico , he was eliminated in the quarterfinals by a narrow point defeat (36:38) against Russian Dmitry Shurshakov.

In 1990 he was US runner-up in featherweight after he was again inferior to Óscar de la Hoya just on points in the final.

In 1990 he also won the silver medal in featherweight at the 2nd Goodwill Games in Seattle . He defeated the extremely strong Bulgarian Kirkor Kirkorow (European Champion 1989, Vice World Champion 1989 and World Champion 1991) in the quarter-finals and the Russian Faat Gatin (Vice-European Champion 1991) in the semifinals . In the final, he finally lost again to his compatriot Óscar de la Hoya just on points.

In 1991 he finally became the American featherweight champion. This time he did not meet his rival Óscar de la Hoya, as this had risen to lightweight. At the 6th World Championships in Sydney in 1991 , he won the featherweight against the Portuguese José Fernández, but retired in the second round of the tournament just on points (47:49) against the later silver medalist Park Duk-Kyu from South Korea.

In 1992 he still took part in the eliminations for participation in the 25th Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona ; At these Olympic Trials in Massachusetts , Robinson won against Kenneth Friday and Michael Clark (reigning National Golden Gloves Champion), but was disputed in the final on points against reigning US champion Julian Wheeler. His last chance to take part in the Olympic Games would have been the box-offs in Arizona two weeks later . But here, too, Robinson lost extremely controversially with 25:27 against Julian Wheeler, which led to tumult in the audience and criticizing articles from daily newspapers. Robinson had been denied his dream of participating in the Olympic Games, which had existed since 1984. Julian Wheeler later retired from the games in Barcelona, ​​already in the first round, while Robinson's former rival Óscar de la Hoya won the only gold medal in boxing for the USA with his 1st place in the lightweight.

Professional career

Ivan Robinson switched to the professional camp in 1992, was managed by Eddie Woods and coached by Odell Cathay and Bouie Fisher, who had already coached record world champion Bernard Hopkins and four-time heavyweight world champion Hasim Rahman .

Robinson won each of his 23 fights in the first four years of his professional career, 10 of them by knockout (knockout) . In addition to a number of build-up opponents , he also beat the multiple New York champion Kevin Marston (14 wins-4 losses) by knockout in the first round, as well as the aspiring Juan Negrón (22-1) and the later Mexican champion Isaac Cruz García each by winning points.

On October 17, 1995, he won in his hometown of Philadelphia by winning points against the undefeated Latino IBF champion Demetrio Ceballos (14-0), the US lightweight championship. He defended this prematurely on May 21, 1996 in Philadelphia against Sammy Mejías (15-2). On July 21, 1996 he defeated the later, Intercontinental Champion of the IBF and WBO , Emanuel Augustus unanimously on points.

On December 21, 1996, he entered the ring in Uncasville ( Connecticut ) to fight for the IBF lightweight world title against the undefeated Australian Philip Holiday (29-0), who was already playing his fifth defense of the title against Robinson. Robinson has now been ranked second in the world by the IBF. The duel turned out to be a bitter defeat for Robinson; he lost over 12 rounds unanimously on points and had to take 555 counted hits, which according to computer records (CompuBox) was a new record in a championship fight. Not yet recovered from this defeat, he also lost the fight for the US lightweight title seven months later, by knocking out Israel Cardona (25-2).

After two build-up wins against Dezi Ford (21-12) and Manuel de León (5-16), he entered the ring on August 22, 1998 in Atlantic City against Arturo Gatti (29-2, 24 Ko's), the short had previously resigned his IBF world title in super featherweight and had risen to lightweight. Due to the enormous popularity of Gatti and his impressive ring battles and knockout victories, this duel was broadcast by HBO on TV.

Robinson was already announced by the TV commentators as a blatant outsider and when he moved into the ring of Gatti's hometown, showered with boos. After the two defeats against Holiday and Cardona as well as the successes against two below-average build-up opponents, which were only achieved through points wins, Gattis was expected to win early and quickly. Unexpectedly for everyone, Robinson dominated the fight and showed enormous boxing talent; he was clearly superior to his opponent in speed and technique. Gatti suffered several lacerations, but was able to send Robinson to the ground in the fourth lap. This was counted to eight, but then took back control of the fight. Only in the tenth and last lap did Gatti bring Robinson to the brink of further precipitation. Robinson stumbled into the ring ropes twice but did not go down. Robinson was finally declared the points winner (98-93, 96-94, 93-96; 287: 283) due to his far superior hit ratio of 400: 274. The Ring Magazine chose the duel for the boxing match of the year and to the surprise of the year .

A rematch was immediately arranged, which was agreed again on December 12, 1998 in Atlantic City and over 10 rounds. The rematch was equally spectacular; Gatti was again badly drawn and received a point deduction for low striking, while Robinson dominated the fight again. After 10 rounds, Robinson won again, this time unanimously (95:94, 95:94, 97:92; 287: 280) on points.

In his next fight on April 17, 1999, he boxed in California against the Gatti conqueror and former WBU world champion Angel Manfredy (26-3), but was clearly defeated on points.

Robinson celebrated his last major victory on September 3, 1999 in North Carolina; he was with a unanimous victory over James Crayton, North American champion of the NABF in the lightweight. He then rose to the light welterweight division and finally to the welterweight division, and by the end of his career in July 2008 he still fought 15 fights, of which he could only win four. He suffered defeats against well-known world champions such as Antonio Díaz (32-2), Jesse Leija (40-5) and Julio César Chávez (106-5).

Against the later WBA world champion Vivian Harris (16-1) and the future Latino champion of the IBF Luis Alberto Santiago (13-3), he still reached a draw.

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personal data
SURNAME Robinson, Ivan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Mighty; Mighty Mouse
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American boxer
DATE OF BIRTH February 27, 1971
PLACE OF BIRTH Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , USA