Toledo is known for a lot of things… Jamie Farr, “holy” puns, the Mud Hens, and being shit on by John Denver. But so far, the boxer’s iron fists aren’t yet synonymous with our city made from Glass. This Friday though, that’s all about to change.
One of the premiere fighters on the planet in the 135-pound weight class, Toledoan Robert Easter Jr., AKA "Trouble", is about to smash his name into your memory banks— and that goes harder for anyone unlucky enough to stand across the mat from him.
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Trouble lands a punch on Agrenis Mendez at the DC Armory in Washington DC on April 1. Photo Credit: Premier Boxing Champions
The Toledo native will be carrying the pride of the finest city in Northwest Ohio on his shoulders as he steps into the ring at Santander Arena in Reading, Pa. on Friday, September 9 to throw down against Ghanaian fighter Richard Commey.
Since going pro in 2012, Toledo’s own “Trouble” has gone undefeated at 17-0, with 14 of those fights ending in a KO. That stands for Knock Out if you aren’t hip to the verbiage of the “sweet science” of putting up your dukes. Of course, to complicate matters somewhat, Easter Jr.’s upcoming opponent, Commey, is undefeated as well. Posting a record of 24-0 with 22 KOs, the fighter out of Accra, Ghana isn’t going to be a slouch— not that Easter Jr. is sweating the bout any.
If you don’t happen to have a ticket to the fight, you can always check out the action on Spike TV this Friday, September 9 at 9 pm EST. And just so you can act like the barroom expert on the matter, we got to spar with the Toledo-bred lightweight boxer over a few rounds of questions. Yeah, no way are we actually stepping in the ring with him.
TCP: First up, how did you get the nickname “Trouble?”
Robert Easter Jr.: My first fight, I was going by my street nickname E. Bunny. After my second fight, people saw I was knocking guys out easily and a friend of mine said, “Man, you’re giving these guys some trouble. You’re going to be trouble at 135, and that sounds like a cool nickname for you too.” So after that, I just stuck with “Trouble.”
You like that better than E. Bunny?
REJ: Hahaha, E. Bunny’s more of a family name. It’s a street nickname that I was brought up with, so … I like that for a nickname, but in the ring … Trouble.
Speaking of family, your dad’s been your trainer, yeah?
REJ: Yeah, my dad’s been my trainer as long as I’ve been boxing.
What’s that like? Is it cool or does he go extra hard on you?
REJ: Yeah, it’s cool because he’s been in the ring, he actually was a professional boxer as well, so I get the inside scoop. Since he’s been in there, I know he’s not telling me anything wrong. He actually did it, so that’s kinda cool.
What was it like growing up in Toledo? What did you get into?
REJ: I didn’t really have a rough childhood — for one thing, I was always in the gym. It was just hanging around family and friends for the most part of it. It was alright for me growing up because I could step aside the other stuff outside of the boxing gym in the inner city. You know with all the violence and gangs and stuff. Being at the gym actually kept me away from all of those things.
So you did grow up in a rough area?
REJ: Yeah, you could say that, but the gym was a way to get away from all that.
Do you still live in Toledo?
REJ: Yeah, I’m currently still living in Toledo.
You were an Olympic alternate in 2012 … how does that work? Is it something you had to sign up for or do they come to you?
REJ: Oh you know, I placed high enough in the last tournament to qualify for the Olympics, so that made me the Olympic alternate. I got to live the Olympic experience, going up there with all those guys and training with those guys. It was a great experience.
So you actually got to go to London with the Olympic crew?
REJ: Oh yeah, I was up there in London, yeah.
Is the Olympic Village as wild as everyone says it is?
REJ: The alternates didn’t actually get to stay in the Olympic Village, we were somewhere else. We didn’t get to experience that part, but we got to experience the other stuff outside of the Olympic Village.
You’re undefeated. Being undefeated for so long, has a pressure built up around that? Does being undefeated bring its own issues?
REJ: Uhhh … no. It’s not any pressure. A loss doesn’t define a fighter. Muhammad Ali had several losses and went down as one of the world’s greatest and a legend, so it doesn’t put any pressure on me. Boxing is boxing. As long as I’m doing what I’m supposed to do and perfecting my craft, and working hard every day then yeah, I should stay undefeated and will be undefeated.
The NFL has blown up over concussions and brain damage — do you have any worry about long-term effects?
REJ: Sometimes I think about that, but that’s why I work on not getting hit, at the gym, I work on not taking that much damage as far as sparing with the other guys. In the long run, you got a life ahead of you, so you’ve got to protect that as well.
Do you have a pre-fight ritual?
REJ: No, I don’t go by that. Long as I train and stay focused, I leave it to God’s hands.
With every fight you have, does it get easier or does it get harder?
REJ: I wouldn’t say it gets harder. The guys that I’m going in against just have better records. the competition isn’t any harder, but the other guys, they’re doing their job and they have good records. But when we meet, that’s when I crush them.
Do you wanna throw a shoutout to the boxing gym where you train?
REJ: Yeah, Glass City Boxing! I’ve been at Glass City Boxing since I was nine years old, so that’s like a second home to me.
Last question: what’s the prediction for this fight on Friday?
Damn. It’s hard to argue against those odds. Make sure you catch the fight because we’ve got a feeling that in 25 years, it’s going to be one of those moments you’re going to be claiming you saw happen live.
