BoxRec

Most experts will tell you that Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest fighter of all time. He was at his best as a welterweight where he was champion from 1946 until 1950. Robinson was undefeated below 147 pounds, more than 100 fights without a loss. He started out as a lightweight and within months was ranked in the top 10 and even scored a win over reigning NBA lightweight champion Sammy Angott in a non-title bout. Angott’s title was not at stake that night since Sugar Ray weighed in at 136 pounds- just one pound over the limit. After moving up to welterweight, many contenders refused to fight Robinson, even after he became champion. He was, after all, in the middle of a streak that would see him go 132 fights with only one loss, and that to a hall of fame bound middleweight in Jake LaMotta. The few who were bold enough to challenge him had just one obstacle in their way. They first had to beat tough Tony Pellone.

http://fightbeat.com/article_detail.php?AT=446

Now here's a guy who deserves a write up- Pellone was a real slugger- nice tribute

I don't know what you would consider proof- but it's an accurate statement. The winner of many of his fights were expected to challenge Robinson.
Most of the write ups would mention that the winner would get a title shot- it was the case for his fights with janiro, graham, fusari, gavilan, and taylor. It didn't always work out that way but he was definetly the man to beat for many years.

..i recall gene burton being considered sugar ray's gatekeeper....though pellone might have been so too...i remember pellone...just not in this context....though it could well be true.

In NY it was Pellone- Teddy Brenner would say -if they can beat Pellone they can get a title shot-
Pellone fought 17 or 19 main events at MSG-that's huge and, I think he fought the most main events at the St. NIcholas

..very interesting ...and thanks for pellone's record...i've been trying to check it out on boxrec but the clicking on has been so slow i just gave up. seeing pellone's record reminds me of vince foster...a welterweight who came roaring out of the west and scored a kayo over tough tony. the new yorkers..provincial as always...went wild over him....geez...a new face from the hinterlands. then foster was matched with charley fusari, who kayoed him in the first round. the ring magazine headline for the fight was "fusari bursts foster's bubble"..when the magaine itself was one who helped create the bubble. foster was killed ...soon after..i think...in car wreck.

back to gatekeeper...i think i was misusing the term...i'm really talking about "policeman ". this was a fighter who was managed by the same guy who managed the champion. his job was to box the leading contenders and either report on their style and ability.....to see what a match with the champion would be like..or if it would even take place. sometimes they had different managers....but there wa something of a gentleman's agreement between the two pilots. i think that was true in the case of gainsford and burton's manager....though gainsford did manage burton for a time. a more specific case was blinky palermo who managed both champion ike williams and arthur king. king was ike's policeman.

if there is a different definition of gatekeeper, one you had to beat to get to the champion, a case could be made in a fashion for jerry quarry. the touted undefeated mac foster couldn't get by him and sunk out of the ratings. ron lyle was taken to camp by him and derailed lyle's title contention for a while...and ernie shaver got cold cocked by quarry in one round....and shaver had to put together some more wins before he got his title shot.

at least quarry got his title shots....poor arthur king, a talented lightweight, had no chance to advance to a title shot because of the management situation.

..decagon..the wrestling analogy is excellent and thanks for posting it,a well as the rest of your post.

re: blinky palermo and williams and arthur king...i double checked my memory on this before i made my post...the ring magazine used to run a page called MANAGER'S DIRECTORY" which had a page of who managed who whom. the one i checked was november 1949....and palermo lists ike williams as world's lightweight champion..and several other fighters...dan bucceroni for example...and arthur king..lightweight.

the list of guys king didn't fight is most interesting and to me a tad mysterious. i would have checked king's record myself on box rec..but as i wrote...i haven't been able to open the damn thing...and except for some old record books box rec is the only source i have for non-champion fighters and i like a source other than my memory.

You guys are real sleuths- experts even.

Hey Decagon- add Johnny Saxton to you list.

Did any of u read the article on the link?

Jaclem- read the part about the Foster fight- thats some crazy stuff