Boxing in The 1950s - 1952

1952

• March 13- Sugar Ray Robinson retains his world Welterweight title, defeating future world champion Carl Olson, by a fifteen round unanimous decision, San Francisco. Robinson donated all of his earnings for this fight, except for $1 dollar, to the Damon Runyon cancer fund.
• April 16- In a highly anticipated bout, Sugar Ray Robinson retains his world Middleweight title with a third round knockout of former world champion Rocky Graziano, who had knocked Robinson down seconds before losing the fight, Chicago.
• May 19- Yoshio Shirai becomes Japan's first world champion in boxing history, defeating Dado Marino by a fifteen round decision for the world Flyweight title, Tokyo, Japan.
• June 5- Jersey Joe Walcott and Ezzard Charles complete their four fight rivalry, with Walcott retaining the world Heavyweight title, by a fifteen round unanimous decision, Philadelphia.
• June 25- Sugar Ray Robinson suffers from heat exhaustion and loses by knockout for the only time in his career, when Dr. Alexander I. Schiff orders him not to continue after round thirteen of his challenge of world Light Heavyweight champion Joey Maxim, under 104 heat degrees, in New York. Both Robinson and referee Ruby Goldstein have to be hospitalized after the bout. Goldstein had to leave the fight in round ten, being substituted by Ray Miller for the rest of the fight.
• September 23- Rocky Marciano becomes world Heavyweight champion, with what many have referred to as the greatest punch in boxing history, knocking out Jersey Joe Walcott in thirteen rounds, at Philadelphia.
• October 15- Jimmy Carter regains the world Lightweight title, defeating his former conqueror Lauro Salas, by a fifteen round unanimous decision, Chicago.
• November 15- Jimmy Carruthers becomes Australia's first world boxing champion in history, by knocking out South Africa's first, Vic Toweel, in the first round to gain the world Bantamweight title, Johannesburg, South Africa.
• November 15- Yoshio Shirai retains his world Flyweight title with a fifteen round decision over former world champion Dado Marino, at their Tokyo rematch.
• December 17–36 year old Archie Moore wins the world Light Heavyweight title by beating Joey Maxim by a fifteen round unanimous decision, at St. Louis.