KAPLAN: THE SEARCH FOR JIM ROBINSON
By Boxing News November 13th, 2005
In February of 1961, a fighter named Jim Robinson, allegedly out of Kansas City, climbed into a Miami Beach ring with 19-year-old Cassius Clay as a last-minute substitute and was summarily dismissed inside of one round. By virtue of that bout, Robinson became a footnote in history, but in a bizarre way, he has become much more significant. As the Ali legend became firmly established and the “industry” surrounding him grew and grew, collectors and those in the literary world sought out each of The Greatest’s opponents for commercial purposes. The only one they could not find was Jim Robinson. To this day, his fate is not known, despite the efforts of autograph dealers, historians, even private investigators, to the point where his disappearance has become a cult legend of sorts, in and of itself.
Hank Kaplan, the world’s foremost boxing historian and archivist, is one of those people who has looked for any trace of Robinson, to no avail. He discusses the story with Charles Jay of Boxing Channel Radio.
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November 15th, 2005 at 10:32 pm
was this man known as “slim” jim robinson?
November 16th, 2005 at 2:47 pm
I found Jimmy Robinson back in 1979. Sports Illustrated ran about twenty profiles I did on all the old Ali opponents in a “Where are they now” piece. I found Jimmy living on the streets in Miami. He was in bad shape then. I’m pretty sure he must have passed away.
The guy in New England contacted me a couple of years ago.
Mick Brennan
November 21st, 2005 at 12:43 pm
Mick
In what issue did that article appear? I’ve been looking for it.
Thanks
November 22nd, 2005 at 8:00 pm
September 1980. He was known as “Sweet” Jimmy Robinson.
Good luck,
Mick Brennan.
February 18th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
Dear Hank, I am a nephew of yours and I would like to get in touch with you. Please email me if you have a chance. Thanks very much. Hope to speak to you soon.
March 17th, 2006 at 2:51 pm
WHILE EVERYBOY IS LOOKING FOR JIM ROBINSON 3 ALL TIME GREATS-FRANK {HARLEM COFFEE COOLER}CRAIG,LUTHER {SLUGGER}WHITE AND THE COCOA KID A MEMBER OF THE FAMOUS BLACK MURDERERS ROW ALL VANISHED AFTER THERE BOXING WAS OVER ,THE LAST I CAN SFIND ON CRAIG WAS THAT HE WAS STILL BOXING IN BOOTHS IN LONDON AT THE AGE OF 73 IN 1937,WHITE JUST UP AND WAS GONE .WHILE I BELEIVE COCOA KID WAS NOT FROM PUERTO RICO AND NAMED LOUIS HARDWICKE I BELEIVE HE WAS JUAN CEPERO FROM CUBA AND MAY HAVE GONE BACK THERE AFTER RETIREMENT
March 30th, 2006 at 7:40 pm
Snoop,
The Cocoa Kid thing interests me as he fought a friend of the family (Freddy Camuso out of Fall River). Cocoa Kid fought monsters! If I may ask, how did you come to assume he was Juan Cepero from Cuba?
April 27th, 2006 at 4:52 am
DINO WHEN I WAS A KID JERSEY JONES TOLD ME THAT WHEN KID CHOCOLATE FIRST CAME HERE COCOA KID FOUGHT FOUGHT ON SEVERAL OF HIS UNDERCARDS ALSO LOU HARDWICK WAS ANOTHER FIGHTER FROM GA WHO FOUGHT IN PUERTO RICO SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS BILLED FROM AMERICA (GA) HARDWICK THEN RETIRED IN 1931 BECAME FREDDY MILLERS SPARRING PARTER IN CINNCINATTI I BELEIVE HE DIED IN DAYTON OHIO 1975. I THINK COCOA KID USED HIS LICENSE AFTER HARDWICK RETIRED SO HE WOULD NOT BE DEPORTED .HE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN CEPERO BUT FOR SURE HE WAS NOT HARDWICK
AND Y WOULD HE NEED A PHONEY ID IF HE CAME FROM PUERTO RICO JOHNNY BOS
July 15th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
Dear Hank,
I’m writing for Boxing Digest again–covering fights for them in Argentina where I’m now living. Going to do a piece on Jorge Castro and have dusted off a piece I wrote years ago on Fredie Brown and need photos. Would like to see you when I’m in Miami. Or visit me in Argentina.
Best,
Joe
December 2nd, 2006 at 9:47 am
I am trying to find information for my Dad, re: Louis Cocoa Kid Hardwick. Whatever happened to Cocoa Kid? thanks, Carol Layer
June 25th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Hi Hank,
Nice article inthe Orland Sentinel Friday.
Call me about preserving it and some of yor other artifast.
Ruben
866-770-6131 ex 2506
January 13th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
We are looking for Jim Robinson again. I have started the Jim Robinson Research Project. If anyone has ANY information on Jim Robinson, let me know at travrosty@LL.net thanks Travis Roste we have a couple of new leads to follow up on if anyone wants to help.