Boxer's Nose

[marbleheadmaui]

I used to work with and be friends with an ex-pug who had about 50 professional fights mostly at middleweight, including one with Sugar Ray Robinson. His nose had been broken so many times during fights that it was almost flat on his face, there was little bone or cartilage left. Super guy, I ask him one time what Robinson was like, and he had a one word reply: "Baaaaad!"

Who was it?

His first name was Ray, but I don't even recall his last name now. If I did, even though his name wasn't all that recognizable in the boxing world, we could still look it up in BoxRec.

This was back in the early 70's in Tampa, Florida were I lived for a few years after getting of the military. (U.S. Air Force) Ray and I both drove trucks for the same company, and sometimes after work we'd visit the local watering holes in Tampa and look for some women to pickup. hehehe.

What made me think about him, was the nose, if you put a finger on it, it went almost completely flat.

In 1950 a Ray Barnes dropped a 10-round decision to Robinson, one week () after Robinson TKO'd Cliff Beckett .

Ray Barnes - Boxer

Your basic journeyman. But he was in there with some awfully good names, Robinson, the Cocoa Kid and Tommy Yaroz (even though it was a faded Yaroz). Being able to say you went the distance with Ray Robinson is no small thing.