On Apr. 9, 1951, world boxing middleweight champion Sugar Ray Robinson defended his crown in Oklahoma City by knocking out Don Ellis at 1:36 of the first round of their scheduled ten-round non-title fight at the Municipal Auditorium. Robinson weighed 157 pounds, Ellis of Atlantic City weighed in at 168.

$5,000 of the proceeds from the bout went to Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF).

Robinson retired after twenty-four years from boxing in 1964 with a record of 174–19–6 (2 no contests) with 109 knockouts in 201 professional bouts, and is ranked among the all-time leaders in knockouts.