At 23, the Hawaiian-born challenger had developed considerably since his 12th-round stoppage loss to Robinson in October 1950. Fighting in his adopted hometown, Olson forced the pace, working the body instead of staying at range against Robinson’s superior speed.
The 31-year-old champion was making the first defense of the belt he had regained from Randy Turpin six months earlier. Delays caused by a back injury and his mother’s illness had disrupted his preparation.
Olson took advantage by making the middle rounds competitive. Robinson even went down on one knee during the 10th after missing a left hook and losing his balance. It was not ruled a knockdown, and Olson backed away as Robinson got up.
That was as close as the challenger came to turning the fight.
The final five rounds belonged to Robinson, who used his speed and footwork to take command down the stretch. A strong finish in the 15th sealed a unanimous decision, with scores of 86½-78½, 85½-79½, and 84½-80½.
Afterward, Robinson gave full credit to his opponent, calling the contest “as tough a battle as I ever had.”
The crowd of 10,033 produced a reported gate of $63,053. Robinson kept just $1 of his purse and donated the remainder to the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund.
Going the distance in defeat was far from the end for Olson. He captured the world middleweight championship in 1953, setting up two more fights with Robinson. Both ended with Olson being knocked out.
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