'I was amateur flyweight champion of Connecticut at the time and we used to fight the Salem-Crescent A.C. from Harlem, New York. Black kids who could really fight. Anyway, I saw this real tall kid come in and when I said to my manager, 'Who's that?' he said, 'That's the guy you're gonna fight.' I said, 'Be serious, look at that guy.' You see, at the time, I was a flyweight. I weighed about 105 pounds, and this guy was about 128, a featherweight. So Buster said, 'Dont worry, don't worry. He can't be any good fighting you.' Well I fight this guy and he's all over me. He's too good. Too big. He's punching me and punching me and I'm just trying to hang in there. When it ended and the guy won I heard his name was Ray Roberts. Later on I find out that, too, is a phony name because he was really Sugar Ray Robinson and he was also the Golden Gloves Featherweight Champion. Since, Ray, who fought his amateur career under his real name, Walker Smith, was amateur, he couldn't pick up any money in New York, and so he came to Connecticut where amateurs were allowed to fight for money. This was in 1938.' - Willie Pep
'I was with George [Gainford] in Hartford, Connecticut. The promoter there had George bring me up to fight this kid who was unbeaten. I got the decision, a close one, it broke his winning streak. But he was some fighter, a little Italian kid. 'What's his name again?' I asked somebody after the fight. 'Willie Papaleo,' he said, 'but around here, Willie Pep.' In later years, WiIlie Pep would win the world featherweight championship, and he was the best boxer I ever saw. After that victory, I was getting dressed when a Hartford policeman marched in with one of the local amateur boxing officials. 'Gainford,' the cop said, 'you and your fighter better come with me.' 'What for, officer?' Gainford stammered. 'What's going on? What's wrong?' 'Some of the people around here think your fighter has to be a pro if he beat Willie Pep here. I'm going to have to lock you both up for the night until the people here can check with the AAU in New York in the morning.' George exploded, but it didn't do us any good. We went to jail.' - Sugar Ray Robinson
