[Rocco Del Sesto]

Going to look at some of Tommy Martin's opponents starting with his last opponent before he went to the states and then was his last last career fight after moving back to England......

Al Robinson - HW, England
Did a little re-rating but as always kept the original rating that was in my DB, that done by LeeSkye back when?

Photo I found in a Boxing News issue at the time of his Gerry McDermott fight late in his career. Updated his fighter bio some and added some notes on some fights that i could find in some magazines I have.

Career Record: W36(kO 30) / L24(KO 10) / D3

Unknown information has been left blank

DOB has been estimated

Birth name: Albert Edward Robinson

Original rating by LeeSkye

A handfule of Robinson fight accounts that could be found (Rocco):

Ring April 1940 - Short account of Al Robinson vs Tommy Brown bout on 1/14/40. After taking a beating in the fourth round, Tommy Brown, Hackney retired.

Ring May 1940 - In what would be his last fight at home as he makes his way to the US, Tommy Martin, Deptford, beat Al Robinson in the 9th round at Belle Vue, Manchester.The referee stopped the fight which was held on 2/12/40.

Ring July 1940 - 3/11/40 - Corporal Al Robinson of the R.A.F. knocked out Corporal George Last of the R.A.F. in the seventh round.

An interesting tidbit also in the July 1940 Ring were listed British N.B.A Ratings "up to April 30, 1940". In the heavyweights, Mr. Al Robinson was ranked 9th.

Ring Feb 1942 - 10/11/41 Al Robinson vs Tom Reddington. It was not a very big crowd at Granby Halls, Leicester who watched Robinson with about a 28 pound advantage over Reddington battle to a 10 round draw. Robinson gave Reddington fits with a right hand counter every time Reddington led with his left and in the third, Robinson connected putting Reddington down on the deck for a count of nine. After that though, Reddington fought better defensively making the heavier Robinson miss with his punches. In the late parts of the bout, Reddington, after making Robinson miss with his lumbering swings, scored with a left to the face and managed to pile up points to pull out the draw called by the referee.

Ring March 1942 - 11/24/41 - Sergt. Al Robinson, 211 of Leeds and R.A.F. and Sergt. instructor George Markwick, 185, of Cuckfield and heavyweight champion of the Army, fought a very thrilling heavyweight battle as described by John s. Sharpe in "Timely Chatter From Great Britain". Besides being outweighed by 26 pounds, Markwick conceded about 5 inches in height.Markwick though, displayed good fighting skill to outmaneuver Robinson. Eventually though, Robinson's weight and height advantage began to pay dividends by the seventh round.In the seventh round, Robinson caught Markwick with a right to the side of his head, sending him down for an eight count.Seven times Markwick was put down for counts and seven times continued to get back up. Eventually though, referee, Ben Green stepped in and stopped the fight in that seventh.

Ring May 1942 - 02/02/42 Sergt. Al Robinson of Leeds and the R.A.F., all 6ft 4in, 212 pounds of him, scored a sensational one round victory over Tommy Martin, Deptford in a scheduled 10. Robinson put Martin away with a right to the jaw putting Martin on his back. BoxRec notes Martin was down three times, John S. Sharpe's account in "Timely Chatter From Great Britain" only noted the one knockdown.It was Martin's last career bout (listed in BoxRec)

Ring Feb 1944 - 10/25/43 - Al Robinson of Leeds and the R.A.F. vs Al Delaney of the Canadian Army fought in the chief supporting bout at The Royal Albert Hall in London in an early card promoted by Jack Cappell and Jack Solomons marking the reopening of the Hall to boxing per this article by John S. Sharpe. Delaney secured a points decision in the 10 round bout that didn't exhibit anything very exciting to watch. Delaney was marked the clear winner.
In this issue, the Annual Ring Rankings, for 1943, Al Robinson was listed in the Group 4 of Heavyweights, the last tier ranking.

Ring April 1944 - 01/05/44 - Martin Thornton of Eire was too hard of a puncher for Al Robinson, Leeds to handle. Thornton battered Robinson dropping him for two long counts of eight and nine before the fight was stopped in the 3rd round. Robinson had managed to drop Thornton in the first round for a count, but that was apparently the high point of the fight for big Al. Interesting accessment made in John S. Sharpe's account of this fight, on Al Robinson's career. "Robinson was a good prospect, but bad matchmaking by somebody connected with the blond Leeds man has made him just another fighter". This was the fourth straight defeat for Robinson in a string that would reach 11 straight.

Ring Dec 1944 - 09/18/44 - Ken Shaw, Dundee earned a close points win in an 8 rounder against Al Robinson. Shaw was considered one of the young up and coming fighters, this earning his 6th win against 1 loss and 2 draws.Shaw dropped Robinson for an eight count in the first round but then Robinson floored Shaw for an eight count in the second round.Shaw was cut bad bleeding profusely from his lips, but he remained the more aggresive fighter to end up with the popular decision.

Ring Feb 1945 - 10/30/44 - The Al Delaney, canada vs Al Robinson, Leeds fight was actually a replacement for a scheduled bout between Freddie Mills and Martin Thornton, when because of war duties, Mills was not able to make the bout. The fight between Delaney and Robinson was described as an affair "notoriously lacking in science, but was a real stand up and slug affair". Delaney who was 20 pounds in weight under Robinson was doing most of the "running" throughout the fight. Neither fighter landed any really good blows, but Delaney ran up the more points to get the 8 round decision.

Ring March 1945 - 12/06/44 - Tom Reddington, 198, won an 8 round decision over Al Robinson, 212. Not much action in this one as it was described as "dreary". Reddington generally displayed the better boxing skills making Robinson miss badly at times. Robinson sustained a cut over his left eye in the first round, but it didn't seem to affect him any.

Ring July 1945 - 03/15/45 - Jock Porter, 182, from Elgin, Scotland, former ABA heavyweight champion, made a successful professional debut in Great Britain by forcing the referee to stop the bout in the 5th round of a scheduled 8 against Al Robinson, 210. Porter's first professional bout was in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Porter attached early going for a kayo win, dealing punishment which had Robinson bleeding badly from the nose and mouth.Robinson was floored in the fourth for an eight count, continued on gamely taking plenty of punishment, but in the fifth the referee decided enough was enough and stopped the fight for Porter's victory.

Ring Oct 1946 - 06/29/46 - Al Robinson, 216, scored a sensational first round KO of Jock Porter, 193. Three left hooks to the face from Porter stung Robinson and then he counter attacked sending Porter down for three counts of ninve each before finally being floored the fourth time and Porter didn't get up.

Ring Dec 1946 - 08/26/46 - Al Robinson had an easy win over George Markwick(BoxRec has his name Marwick, but Ring magazine accounts was spelling it Markwick).Markwick was subsituting for Pat Duffy of Ireland and was floored for counts of nine, nine, four and three in the first round and then was knocked out after four seconds into the second round.(BoxRec notes it as :14 in the second).

Ring Dec 1946 - 09/06/46 - Two British Boxers went to Copenhagen, to take part in contests againsts Denmark's "best boxers". One of those British Boxers was Al Robinson of Leeds who was to meed up and coming Carl Nielsen (4-0 at the time). It was a sold out show in K.B. Hall. Nielsen, was apparently just too fast for Robinson as Al was not able to get himself set by the hard hitting Nielsen who work Robinson down. In the seventh round with blood streaming from a cut overr the right eye, Nielsen floored Robinson with a left hook followed by a right swing. Al was counted out.

Boxing News 11/12/47 - 11/03/47 - Len Bennett was disqualified in the 2nd round for an alleged low blow ending the fight in a chorus of booing.

Boxing New 03/17/48 - Short piece about Al Robinson rushing off to catch the 10.45 back to Leeds after he stopped Gerry McDermott in Leyton. Robinson worked as an electrician in a power plant. In the 8 round scheduled bout in Leyton, the referee stopped it in the fifth round between for a victory for Al Robinson 203 over Gerry McDermott, 185.

Boxing News 03/24/48 - 03/15/48 - Al Robinson was too good for Joe Kerry, Irland and the towel was tossed in by Kerry's corner at the end of the 2nd.

Boxing News 04/21/48 - 04/16/48 - Frank Ronan, Fulham outpointed Al Robinson over 8 rounds in "an uninspiring contest". Ronan had a good left but didn't seem to know what to do with his right to follow up.Robinson caught Ronan once or twice with his right but without hurting Ronan.

Boxing News 06/30/48 - 06/17/48 - Al Robinson and Bill Brennan, Royston, put on a good fight. Robinson the more experienced fighter, but he younger Brennan gradually wore down Robinson.In the fourth round Brennan suffered a cut eye but he didn't give in to Robinson's left and punching furiously he earned a points win in the 6 rounds over Robinson.