Top 5 Greatest trilogies in boxing: Pt.3 Sugar Ray vs. LaMotta
Welcome to part three of our five-part series highlighting the greatest and most influential rivalries in boxing history. While the term “trilogy” often defines legendary rivalries, some feuds go beyond three bouts — evolving into deeply personal, career-defining sagas. In this installment, we explore one such epic rivalry — the unforgettable series between *Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta*, a brutal and beautiful collision between two of boxing’s most iconic figures.
Sugar Ray Robinson vs. Jake LaMotta: A Six-Fight War of Will and Skill
When Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta stepped into the ring for the first time in 1942, few could have predicted the rivalry would span six fights and nearly a decade — defining both fighters’ legacies in radically different ways. Robinson, often considered the most complete boxer in history, was all elegance, timing, and rhythm. LaMotta, known as the “Bronx Bull,” was the walking embodiment of raw toughness, pressure, and unbreakable will.
Their first fight on October 2, 1942, marked the beginning of a stormy saga. Robinson won a close decision, but just five months later, LaMotta did the unthinkable. he beat Sugar Ray in their rematch, handing him his first professional loss. It was a major upset and a moment of glory for LaMotta, who always believed his relentless style could break even the slickest fighters. In their third fight, Robinson adjusted and reclaimed victory with smarter movement and cleaner counters.
Though their first three bouts happened within five months, the rivalry didn’t end there. They fought again three more times, culminating in the most famous encounter of all: the “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” in 1951. their sixth and final clash. By then, Robinson had become a boxing superstar, while LaMotta was nearing the end of a brutal career.
In that fight, Robinson punished LaMotta with one of the most sustained beatings ever seen in a ring. Yet despite being outclassed, LaMotta refused to go down. Bloodied and battered, he endured all 13 rounds until the referee stopped it. That image — of LaMotta absorbing combinations without falling — became legend, symbolizing the heart of a fighter who couldn’t be broken. He famously quipped, “You never got me down, Ray,” a line later immortalized in the film “Raging Bull”.
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What made this rivalry so iconic wasn’t just the wins and losses, but the story it told: “speed vs. strength, finesse vs. force, poise vs. pain”. Sugar Ray Robinson’s brilliance shone brightest against LaMotta’s resistance, and LaMotta’s toughness seemed to find its truest test in Robinson’s fists. It was a relationship forged in fire — one that brought out the greatness in both.
Though not a traditional trilogy, the Robinson-LaMotta rivalry remains one of the most powerful in boxing — six fights that painted a complete picture of war, respect, and unmatched willpower.
READ MORE: Top 5 Greatest trilogies in boxing: Pt.2 Barrera vs Morales
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