Sugar Ray Robinson, widely regarded as the greatest fighter who ever lived, once revealed how both his career and his famous nickname were born out of poverty, persistence, and a little white lie. Robinson forever remains in the conversation as the best boxer of all time after an unbelievable run of over 200 professional fights, 174 wins, and over 100 knockouts. Despite losing almost 20 times, Robinson created a legacy few could match. Humble Beginnings in Poverty Speaking on a throwback TV interview, Robinson explained that growing up during the Depression with his mother working in a laundry and two sisters to help feed, life was tough. “I can remember eggs a penny apiece, three cents for a quarter of milk, you know, things were rough at that time,” Robinson recalled. “I learned you could go and have fights, and if you won, you got a 17-jeweled Waltham watch. You could sell it back for 12 bucks.” That was enough incentive for a hungry teenager. But there was one problem: Robinson wasn’t old enough. “I went out there, and the guy looked at me and said, ‘Yes, son, what can I do for you?’ I said, ‘I came to fight.’ He said, ‘Oh, you did? How old are you?’ I was 15 and lied and said I was 16. He said, ‘Well, son, you have to be 18, and you have to have an AAU card. You have to be 18 years old to get that.” From Walker Smith Jr to Sugar Ray Robinson Crushed, Robinson returned to his Harlem neighborhood until fate intervened as Walker Smith Jr. was about to get a name upgrade on two levels. “There was a guy who worked as a bartender on the corner. His name was Ray Robinson. I went in and told him, ‘Let me have that piece of paper, that’s your birth certificate.’ I was supposed to give him back his name,” Robinson smiled. And so, Ray Robinson was born. But the “Sugar” still had to be added. “One night fighting in Watertown, New York, a writer named Max Kase saw me. I was coming out of the ring after one of my first few knockouts. I never used to knock anybody out. “This one time, I did, and as I was coming out, he said to my handler, ‘That’s a sweet-looking kid you got.’ Then a lady in the front row said, ‘He is sweet as sugar.'” From that moment, “Sugar Ray Robinson” became etched into history as the name of the man who would go on to become a six-time world champion and the gold standard for greatness in the sport. About the Author Phil Jay is a veteran boxing journalist with over 15 years of experience covering the global fight scene. As Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News since 2010, Jay has interviewed dozens of world champions and reported ringside on boxing’s biggest nights. [View all articles by Phil Jay] and learn more about his work in combat sports journalism.

Sugar Ray Robinson, widely regarded as the greatest fighter who ever lived, once revealed how both his career and his famous nickname were born out of poverty, persistence, and a little white lie. Robinson forever remains in the conversation as the best boxer of all time after an unbelievable run of over 200 professional fights, 174 wins, and over 100 knockouts. Despite losing almost 20 times, Robinson created a legacy few could match. Humble Beginnings in Poverty Speaking on a throwback TV interview, Robinson explained that growing up during the Depression with his mother working in a laundry and two sisters to help feed, life was tough. “I can remember eggs a penny apiece, three cents for a quarter of milk, you know, things were rough at that time,” Robinson recalled. “I learned you could go and have fights, and if you won, you got a 17-jeweled Waltham watch. You could sell it back for 12 bucks.” That was enough incentive for a hungry teenager. But there was one problem: Robinson wasn’t old enough. “I went out there, and the guy looked at me and said, ‘Yes, son, what can I do for you?’ I said, ‘I came to fight.’ He said, ‘Oh, you did? How old are you?’ I was 15 and lied and said I was 16. He said, ‘Well, son, you have to be 18, and you have to have an AAU card. You have to be 18 years old to get that.” From Walker Smith Jr to Sugar Ray Robinson Crushed, Robinson returned to his Harlem neighborhood until fate intervened as Walker Smith Jr. was about to get a name upgrade on two levels. “There was a guy who worked as a bartender on the corner. His name was Ray Robinson. I went in and told him, ‘Let me have that piece of paper, that’s your birth certificate.’ I was supposed to give him back his name,” Robinson smiled. And so, Ray Robinson was born. But the “Sugar” still had to be added. “One night fighting in Watertown, New York, a writer named Max Kase saw me. I was coming out of the ring after one of my first few knockouts. I never used to knock anybody out. “This one time, I did, and as I was coming out, he said to my handler, ‘That’s a sweet-looking kid you got.’ Then a lady in the front row said, ‘He is sweet as sugar.'” From that moment, “Sugar Ray Robinson” became etched into history as the name of the man who would go on to become a six-time world champion and the gold standard for greatness in the sport. About the Author Phil Jay is a veteran boxing journalist with over 15 years of experience covering the global fight scene. As Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News since 2010, Jay has interviewed dozens of world champions and reported ringside on boxing’s biggest nights. [View all articles by Phil Jay] and learn more about his work in combat sports journalism.

YouTube video by Rhythm Boxing

YouTube video by Rhythm Boxing