BoxRec

Mr.Johnson wrote: ↑25 Mar 2018, 23:39 I believe I found a discrepancy with the records here at BoxRec concerning the World Middleweight Championship fights between Robinson and Basilio back in 57/58. Their BoxRec records do not list a title on the line for either of those bouts.
http://boxrec.com/en/boxer/9625 Robinson
http://boxrec.com/en/boxer/8997 Basilio
After their first fight the ring announcer states that Basilio is the Middleweight Champion of the World.
https://youtu.be/n_GPxz5D7vo?t=9m
Before their second fight the ring announcer states that it is for the World's Middleweight Championship.
https://youtu.be/VQDfNoRmd4s?t=54s
The NBA, the recognized governing body at that time, does not have those fights listed as title fights on the BoxRec NBA Middleweight Title Fights page. Robinson shows to have defended the title against Fullmer on May 1, 1957 which would prove that was the title he had on the line when he fought Basilio during his next fight 4 months later on September 4th. There is also a noticeable gap in title fights where there are no defenses on this list during the times when both of their fights occurred until Basilio fought Fullmer for the "Vacant" title in 59.
http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/NBA_W ... tle_Fights
If you look at Basilio's wiki, it does show that he took the title from Robinson and then lost it to him on the rematch.
http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Carme ... rnal_Links
With the same for Robinson.
http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Sugar ... rnal_Links

Kalan wrote: ↑27 Mar 2018, 01:53 Carmen Basilio was only a 5'6" Welterweight and gave up 5 inches of height and a lot of weight to Robinson... Basilio had already lost 12 fights and wasn't a super good boxer... Yet he was able to jab Robinson often, catch him with combinations, and dealt out significant punishment to Robinson to secure the decision and the World Middleweight Title..

I don't think the short, slow Basilio would have a prayer of beating Errol Spence or Terence Crawford .... and the way Robinson fought the 1st Basilio Fight the same would apply to him... Spence or Crawford would beat the crap out of him.