CANASTOTA, NY – MARCH 25, 2012 – The International Boxing Hall of Fame announced its flags will fly at half-staff in memory of boxing writer Bert Sugar. He passed away today surrounded by family at Northern Westchester Medical Center in Mount Kisco, NY. He was 74.
2005 Hall of Fame Inductee Bert Sugar
Born June 7, 1937 in Washington, DC, with his trademark fedora and cigar, Sugar was a fixture at ringside and one of the most recognizable figures in boxing. Sugar graduated from the University of Maryland and attended law school at the University of Michigan. After passing the bar in the District of Columbia, he briefly practiced law before relocating to New York City where he excelled in the advertising world, creating the famous “N-E-S-T-L-E-S, Nestles makes the very best” ad campaign. By the early 1970s, Sugar pursued his passion for boxing and writing and became editor of Boxing Illustrated. From 1979-1983 he served as editor-in-chief of The Ring and in 1998 founded Fight Game magazine. A prolific writer, Sugar has penned over 80 books, including Sting Like a Bee, Inside Boxing and The 100 Greatest Boxers of All Time. His articles have appeared in noted publications, including Sports Illustrated, Sports Business Journal and The New Yorker. Additionally, he was a longtime contributor to HBO Boxing. The flamboyant Sugar also appeared in several motion pictures, including Rocky Balboa, Play it to the Bone, Night and the City and The Great White Hype. In 1990, Sugar was the recipient of the Boxing Writers Association’s Nat Fleischer Award for “Excellence in Boxing Journalism.”
“Bert Sugar was a truly colorful character in the sport of boxing,” said Hall of Fame Executive Director Edward Brophy. “His quick wit and amazing knowledge about boxing made him a fan favorite as a writer and as a commentator. As the boxing community mourns his passing, the Hall remembers him and his contributions to the sport.”
In 2005, Sugar was elected into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.