Ivan Robinson
"Mighty" Ivan Robinson ( born February 27, 1971 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ) is a retired, American professional boxer. He was one of the best amateur boxers in the United States and worked as a professional American, and North American champion of the NABF and world title challenger to the IBF. Notoriety he Achieve especially for two spectacular victories against two- time world champion Arturo Gatti, the first duel of the two was elected to the Ring Magazine Fight of the Year.
In 2012 he was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame and in 2013 into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame.
Amateur career
As an amateur boxer he won the 1988 Pennsylvania Golden Gloves featherweight. In 1989 he joined the International Cup in Canada in Ottawa and won the gold medal in the featherweight. He had thereby Wesley Sunshine from Canada, Alberto Ramirez of the Dominican Republic and the British Peter Richardson beaten without losing a round. With the National Golden Gloves in 1989, he only lost in the final to eventual Olympic champion Oscar de la Hoya and thus won the silver medal in the featherweight.
At the 5th World Youth Championship in 1989 in Puerto Rico, he was parted in the quarterfinals by concise point defeat ( 36:38 ) against the Russians Dmitry Shurshakov from.
In 1990 he was American Vice featherweight champion after he again Oscar de la Hoya was narrowly defeated on points in the final.
In 1990 he also won the silver medal in the featherweight in the second Goodwill Games in Seattle. He defeated in the quarterfinals of the extremely strong Bulgarians Kirkor Kirkorov ( European champion in 1989, vice-champion in 1989 and world champion in 1991 ) and in the semi-finals the Russians Faat Gatin ( Vice European Champion 1991). In the final he finally succumbed shortly after points again his compatriot Oscar de la Hoya.
In 1991 he was finally American featherweight champion. This time he did not hit his rival Oscar de la Hoya, as this had risen to lightweight. At the 6th World Championship in 1991 in Sydney, he won the featherweight against the Portuguese José Fernández, but different in the second round of the tournament just by points ( 47:49 ) against the eventual silver medalist Park Duk -Kyu of South Korea from.
In 1992, he took in part to the elimination fights to participate in the 25th Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona; In these Olympic Trials in Massachusetts, Robinson won against Kenneth Friday and Michael Clark (President National Golden Gloves champion ), but different in the final debate on points against the reigning U.S. champion Julian Wheeler from. His last chance at the Olympic Games in part to increase, two weeks later held box -offs in Arizona would have been. But even here, Robinson lost extremely controversial with 25:27 against Julian Wheeler, which led to riots in the stands and criticizing articles from newspapers. Robinson was thus to be existing since 1984 dream to participate in the Olympic Games, been denied. Julian Wheeler later divorced at the Games in Barcelona, already in the first round, while Robinson's former rival Oscar de la Hoya took his first place in the lightweight, the only gold medal in boxing for the United States.
Professional career
Ivan Robinson joined yet turned professional in 1992, was managed by Eddie Woods and trained by Odell Cathay and Bouie Fisher, who has already coached world champion Bernard Hopkins and four-time heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman.
Robinson won in the first four years of his professional career, each of his 23 fights, 10 by knockout ( Ko). Besides a number of construction opponents, he suggested the possibility multiple New York Champion Kevin Marston ( 14 wins, 4 losses ) by Ko in the first round, as well as the emerging Juan Negron (22-1 ) and the later Mexican champion Isaac Cruz García by periods victory.
On October 17, 1995, he won in his hometown of Philadelphia by points victory against the undefeated champion of the IBF Latino Demetrio Ceballos (14-0 ), the U.S. champion title at lightweight. This he defended on 21 May 1996 in Philadelphia prematurely against Sammy Mejía ( 15-2 ). On July 21, 1996, he defeated even the later, Intercontinental champion of the IBF and WBO, Emanuel Augustus by unanimous decision.
On 21 December 1996, he stepped in Uncasville (Connecticut) to fight for the IBF world title at lightweight against the unbeaten Australians Philip Holiday ( 29-0 ) in the ring, who played against Robinson his already fifth title defense. Robinson was led by the IBF now in 2nd place their world rankings. However, the duel developed for Robinson to bitter defeat; He lost over 12 rounds by unanimous decision and had to put counted 555 hits, which was a new record in a championship fight, according to computer records ( CompuBox ). Not yet recovered from this defeat, he seven months later also lost the battle for the U.S. Masters title in the lightweight, by Ko against Israel Cardona ( 25-2 ).
After two victories against construction Dezi Ford ( 21-12 ) and Manuel de León ( 5-16), he went on 22 August 1998 in Atlantic City against Arturo Gatti ( 29-2, 24 KO's) in the ring, the short had previously resigned his IBF world title in super featherweight and had risen to the lightweight. Due to the enormous popularity of Gatti and his impressive ring battles and knockout wins, this fight was televised by HBO.
Robinson has already been announced by the television commentators as underdogs and showered it feeds into the ring of Gattis hometown booed. After the two defeats against Holiday and Cardona, as well as come only through point victories to conditions successes against two below-average structure opponent, was calculated using a fast and premature victory Gattis. For all unexpected, but Robinson dominated the fight and showed enormous, boxing talent; he was superior to his opponent in speed and technique clearly. Gatti suffered multiple lacerations, Robinson, however, was able to send in the fourth round to the ground. This was one to eight, but then took back control of the fight. Only in the tenth and final round brought Gatti Robinson again to the brink of another precipitate. Robinson stumbled twice in the ring ropes, but did not go to the ground. Robinson was finally due to its far superior hit ratio of 400:274, for points winner ( 98-93, 96-94, 93-96; 287:283 ) explains. The Ring Magazine chose the duel in a boxing match of the year and to the surprise of the year.
A rematch was immediately agreed, agreed in Atlantic City and about 10 rounds again on 12 December 1998. The rematch was similarly spectacular; Gatti was redrawn hard and received a point deduction for hitting low, while Robinson dominated the fight again. After 10 rounds Robinson won again, this time even unanimously ( 95:94, 95:94, 97:92, 287:280 ), on points.
In his very next fight on April 17 in 1999, he punched in California against the Gatti -slayer and former WBU World Champion Angel Manfredy ( 26-3 ), subject to that, however, clearly on points.
His last significant victory celebrated Robinson on 3 September 1999 in North Carolina; he was with a unanimous points victory over James Crayton, North American champion in the NABF lightweight. Subsequently he rose to the light welterweight and welterweight and finally into denied until his career end in July 2008 for 15 fights, of which he was able to win only four. He suffered defeats against known world champions such as Antonio Diaz ( 32-2), Jesse James Leija ( 40-5 ) and Julio César Chávez ( 106-5 ).
Towards the later WBA champion Vivian Harris (16-1 ) and the future master of the IBF Latino Luis Alberto Santiago ( 13-3 ), he reached in each case a draw.