[Sportschosun, Reporter Lee Ji-hyun] BTS member Suga has finally met boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard, who influenced his stage name.
Legendary American boxer Sugar Ray Leonard shared a photo of himself with Suga in Los Angeles on social media on the 11th, reminiscing about their special meeting.
The released photo shows Suga and Leonard standing side by side and looking at the camera. Suga held a pair of red boxing gloves in his arms and raised a fist, while Leonard also clenched his fist and struck a boxing pose with a bright smile.
Leonard said, "I still smile when I think about the unforgettable night I spent in Los Angeles," adding, "Meeting Suga of BTS was truly a special moment."
He went on to praise Suga, saying, "He was as kind, humble, and down-to-earth as anyone could hope for." Leonard also said that he watched BTS’s concert at SoFi Stadium with his family, adding, "It became a night we will never forget."
Leonard particularly amused fans by ending his post with the witty line, "Some memories are truly sweeter than sugar." The phrase plays on his name, “Sugar,” and Suga’s stage name, “SUGA.”
The story behind Suga’s stage name is what makes the meeting even more noteworthy.
For a long time, Suga’s stage name “SUGA” was known to have been created from the first letters of “Shooting Guard,” the position he played in basketball during his school years. This explanation remains on Big Hit Music’s official profile.
However, Suga revealed a different story in an interview with WIRED last April. When the members mentioned “Shooting Guard,” Suga corrected them, saying, "No. I just said that because I was too lazy to explain," before mentioning legendary boxer Sugar Ray Leonard.
Suga explained that he did not create the name himself; it was suggested by producer Bang Si-hyuk, who liked boxing. According to Suga, Bang Si-hyuk connected the image of a boxer known for technical punches with Suga’s “technical rap style” and gave him the name “SUGA,” removing the “R.”
Leonard also reacted after learning the story. Last April, he expressed his delight on social media after hearing that he had influenced Suga’s stage name. He said he was grateful that his name had been passed on to a global K-pop star and expressed his respect for Suga. About five months later, the two finally met in person.
Leonard, a 1976 Montreal Olympics gold medalist, is a boxing legend who won world titles in five weight classes after turning professional. Alongside Roberto Durán, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler, he was known as one of the “Four Kings” who defined boxing in the 1980s and left his mark on the sport’s history.
The meeting appears to have taken place after Leonard visited BTS’s Los Angeles concert venue with his family. BTS held world tour concerts at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on the 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 6th, drawing a total of 282,000 attendees across the four Los Angeles shows alone.
olzllovely@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
