remembering stevie robinson

boxerbob · Post by **boxerbob** » 08 Mar 2007, 12:23

the cinderella man

recently watched for the first time the robinson vs davidson fight for the vacant wbo featherweight title and it got me thinking of robinsons reign as champion.

stevie robinson never got it easy and i can remember paul hodkinson , duke mckenzie and colin mcmillian all being favourites to beat him.

the above 3 fighters were very good genuine world class fighters and if u add in freddy cruz you will see that robinson fought and beat convincingly 4 world class fighters in a row.

stevie made 7 sucessful defences of the wbo title with 4 stoppages , not bad indeed , remember robinson was only beten by a prime naseem hamed.

robinson was an honest down to earth fighter who lived the fairy tale and i think is one of the uks best and most liked champions of the last 20 years

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 08 Mar 2007, 12:40

Shit I thought he was dead for a minute the way you said that.

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 08 Mar 2007, 13:36

Yes, a lot of great memories about Steve Robinson. What a story. Unfortunately the only time I saw live was the beginning of the end, when Ramirez stopped him.

Goz · Post by **Goz** » 08 Mar 2007, 14:27

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Shit I thought he was dead for a minute the way you said that.

Yes it was perhaps an unfortunate thread subject title!

A great rags to riches story, you rarely get that in any other sport.

caster · Post by **caster** » 08 Mar 2007, 14:59

Remember seeing him lose a few times on undercard matches when, to me, he looked as though he'd won handily-I always thought he was a good fighter.

Taki... · Post by **Taki...** » 08 Mar 2007, 15:28

Great story and a nice humble fellow too.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 08 Mar 2007, 16:12

He gave Cassius Baloyi a right handul in a show that was televised on BBC Wales after the Hamed/Ramirez defeats.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 08 Mar 2007, 16:25

Terence wrote:My favourite fighter as a teenager. I was buzzing when he beat McMillan with the body shot.

Naz may have had the skills but he was a class below Steve in terms of being a decent guy.

Anyone remember him being broken-up by Harrison?

Steve was a little vulnerable in those days, but not many people remember Steve doubling up Harrison with a body shot about 30 seconds before going down in the first round. Steve's legs just went after could never recover.

I think its the most I have seen Scott hurt in his career. Which makes me think Prime for Prime there would have been no comparison.

SticknMove · Post by **SticknMove** » 08 Mar 2007, 16:57

Terence wrote:My favourite fighter as a teenager. I was buzzing when he beat McMillan with the body shot.

It was Duke McKenzie he beat with the single body shot wasn't it? I can't remember the McMillan fight to be honest.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 08 Mar 2007, 18:17

SticknMove wrote:
Terence wrote:My favourite fighter as a teenager. I was buzzing when he beat McMillan with the body shot.
It was Duke McKenzie he beat with the single body shot wasn't it? I can't remember the McMillan fight to be honest.

The McMillian fight was a bit of a mini classic (as was the Hodgkinson bout). McMillan started off well, made Stevo look a bit foolish - but was only pitta pattering with his punches. Robinson came on in the later part of the fight to take a close, but just, decision.

The early rounds were in some ways a bit like Holyfield vs Lewis 1, do you award McMillan the rounds for landing more (but were they really scoring blows?)..... Last half was clear Robinson, he was doing more work and landing more punches.

I think the squeezing his frame to fit 9 stone was starting to take its toll on Steve at the McKenzie fight.... just seemed to be a bit more lethargic than usual, and never really had it back. Only time I can ever remember him looking back to his McMillan, Hokko beating best was when he destroyed the then highly touted Andrew Matabola on the comeback. That was vintage Robinson.

He should have moved up to 9 stone 4 long before Hamed.... A fight with him and Barry Jones would have been great.

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 09 Mar 2007, 05:28

I really liked Stevo. Okay he wasn't a true world champion. He beat only British fighters. But has anyone beaten so many good/world class Brits?

Hodkinson, Davison, McMillan, Duke - that's some list. He came from nowhere to become a success, & at one point was the highest paid featherweight in the world apparently. It was a great run for a British boxer and a pleasure to watch.

Warren had him all set up for the Naz fight, planning it so Stevo didn't have a good preparation etc. Naz obviously too fast anyway, but Naz really let himself down that night. Horrible little gloating big eared wanker.

Robinson deserved a better 'exit' from his time at the top - he was treated like crap. I think he also had a fight with Welcome Ncitia - the world class South African - and got robbed away from home.

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 09 Mar 2007, 05:37

Steve must have been completely shot to sh#t by the end. Who was that journeyman who outpointed him in his last fight in 2002? Saw that fella live, fought like a complete novice, no skill whatsoever. Could not believe when i looked over his record and saw a win over Robinson.

Beyond belief

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 09 Mar 2007, 06:39

overhand_right wrote:Steve must have been completely shot to sh#t by the end. Who was that journeyman who outpointed him in his last fight in 2002? Saw that fella live, fought like a complete novice, no skill whatsoever. Could not believe when i looked over his record and saw a win over Robinson.

Beyond belief

Wasn't it Steve Conway, currently doing Okay as a Light Middleweight.

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 09 Mar 2007, 06:48

You would have to define 'okay' mate. Yeah it was Steve Conway. I saw him fight some terrible Polish prospect in december, cuffed and mauled his was to a 6 or 8 rd points loss. He had no skill and he also looked a couple of stone overweight, all roll of flab and jiggling breasts.

How on earth he could even outpoint a shot Robinson is beyond me. He looked the type of raw novice that a 45 year old ex pro would just show up at the gym having not trained in years and bang him about pretty easily.

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 09 Mar 2007, 07:48

Didn't Conway last 5 rounds with Alex Arthur? Or am i thinking of someone else.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 09 Mar 2007, 08:18

overhand_right wrote:You would have to define 'okay' mate. Yeah it was Steve Conway. I saw him fight some terrible Polish prospect in december, cuffed and mauled his was to a 6 or 8 rd points loss. He had no skill and he also looked a couple of stone overweight, all roll of flab and jiggling breasts.

How on earth he could even outpoint a shot Robinson is beyond me. He looked the type of raw novice that a 45 year old ex pro would just show up at the gym having not trained in years and bang him about pretty easily.

I think your being a bit harsh. He won the IBO title last year against a very decent operator. He beat him twice, once in a non title fight, and then a second time when the title was on the line. He probably deserves a fight for the British title (he should definately be before the likes of Woolcombe and Concepion).

Yes, he did go 6 rounds with Arthur and did okay untill Arthur landed a peach of a left hook. Never was going to win, but was hanging in there.

Robinson was hurt early and never recovered in memory serves me. Again testimony that his once Iron chin was shot.

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 09 Mar 2007, 09:00

Im not being harsh at all, just completely honest.

He is fat and flabby and boxes with his arms and legs all over the place like a complete novice. No issue against the guy personally but just did not have talent at all. The fact that he won a made up IBO title holds no weight whatsoever, its more an indictment of boxings lack of regulation.

Steve Conway, world champion? puuuuhlease!!!!

Dirk Kelly · Post by **Dirk Kelly** » 09 Mar 2007, 09:07

Didn't he come in and win the WBO title at really short notice, days or even hours??

Remember reading about him after he won the title, some paper titled him the fighting warehouse man who'd gone from earning £150 a week to a world champion.

Always seemed a good honest champion who didn't deserve the disrespect that Naz gave him.

Priff · Post by **Priff** » 09 Mar 2007, 10:19

I'd agree he was shot and the end and it wasn't great to watch.
I recall McGuigan after a Robinson loss at the end of his career say something like,
"fair do's to the winner, but he's not fit to lace Steve Robinson's boots".