The British challenger had a record of 332. He was among the very best of his generation and put on some incredible performances in his fights. Ray Charles Leonard, known as the boxing champion "Sugar Ray" Leonard (after the champion boxer Sugar Ray Robinson), was born on May 17, 1956 in Wilmington, North Carolina to Getha Leonard and Cicero Leonard, who boxed in the Navy. All Rights Reserved. "At the end of the fifth round, I got cramps in my stomach and it kept getting worse and worse", Duran later said. His partner was Anna Trebunskaya. Hearns, 320 with 30 knockouts, won the WBA Welterweight Championship in 1980, scoring a second-round knockout of Jos "Pipino" Cuevas in Detroit, Michigan. During the night Durn was admitted to a hospital with stomach pains, and discharged the following day. Afterward, Leonard retired again, saying, "For sure, my career is definitely over for me in the ring." After several comebacks, Leonard ended his professional career with 36 wins, three losses, and one draw. himself. It was the first knockdown of Leonard's professional career. [95] He has since made public appearances to bring attention to the issue of child sex abuse, declaring himself a "poster child" for the cause and encouraging victims to report their abuse.[96]. This would be Leonard's first professional fight without Angelo Dundee. Sugar Ray Robinson turned pro in 1940 and won his first 40 fights. The fight began as expected, Leonard boxing from a distance and Hearns stalking. In his testimony, Leonard confirmed his wife's claims and went on to reveal that the problems of their marriage were not due to drug and alcohol use.[90]. Sugar Ray Robinson died just about broke, he suffered 19 career defeats and he didn't beat as many world champions in consecutive fights (there were of course far less world champions back in . Hearns, with too much faith in his powerful right hand, lost to Sugar Ray Leonard in their first match. N o classic. [64] Hearns was guaranteed $11 million and Leonard was guaranteed $14 million. Death Year: 1989, Death date: April 12, 1989, Death State: California, Death City: Culver City, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Sugar Ray Robinson Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/sugar-ray-robinson, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: April 13, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. By his last retirement in 1991, boxer Sugar Ray Leonard had become the first fighter to win titles in five divisions-every weight class from welteweight to light heavyweight. .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Muhammad Ali liked to call Robinson "the king, the master, my idol." Leonard yelled "Yeah!" After hurting Hearns with a right, Leonard exploded with a combination of punches. At the age of 20 (1977), Leonard won his first professional fight, only setting the stage for a collection of the most memorable fights in all of boxing history. He stayed home a lot, reading comic books and playing with his dog. Robinson's ability to cross weight classes caused boxing fans and writers to dub him "pound for pound, the best," a sentiment that has not faded over the years. Leonard blamed his poor performance against Norris on lack of motivation, a rib injury, moving down in weight, and divorce, which was being litigated while he was in training. Which boxers did sugar ray Leonard lose to? On May 1, 1986, Leonard announced on a Washington, D.C. talk show that he would return to the ring to fight Hagler. Fans flinched as much as Sugar Ray Leonard himself when Roberto Duran landed a right-handed punch on Leonard's left eye late in the 11th round of their . Hagler's undisputed status ended when the WBA stripped him of the title for choosing to fight Sugar Ray Leonard instead of mandatory challenger, Herol Graham. Montreal Not long after this fight ended, a rematch fight was scheduled. Leonard ended the series with his hand raised in victory, but the boos couldn't be hidden and many fled the arena long before the final bell. Sugar Ray Robinson held the world welterweight title from 1946 to 1951, and by 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. Leonard was on a eight-fight win streak with 25 KO wins. His older brother, Roger, started boxing first. Leonard learned of the suit several days after returning home from the Olympics. There was a capacity crowd of about 4,600. However, he was able to outpunch Hagler along the ropes and got the better of several bristling exchanges. Later, when he made . Floyd bounced back and won two in a row over Sanchez to secure his spot in Atlanta. [82] Leonard's boxing promotional company was dissolved in 2004. Leonard was also the subject of a Seinfeld episode (season 6, episode 22) where George tries to flatter his boss by saying he looks like Sugar Ray Leonard. In the second, he dropped Aldama with a left to the chin. Correa was instructed not to spare the whip. Blood flowed down his forehead and the bridge of his nose but stayed out of his eyes. By 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. Roberto Duran Speaks: The Untold Story Is Finally Revealed!, Bill Brubaker, The Boxing Writers Association of America, List of light middleweight boxing champions, "Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray Leonard lead the way", "The Fabulous Four Hagler, Hearns, Duran, and Leonard", "Ring Magazine's 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years", "Who is the greatest fighter alive? We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Their six-year-old son, Ray Jr., served as the ring bearer. Six years later, Robinson captured the middleweight title for the first time by defeating Jake LaMotta. He never liked being called "The Hit Man," and after going nearly 14 rounds with nemesis Sugar Ray Leonard under the bright lights at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Tommy . Leonard testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs in 2009. 17 May 1956 -. "I've had it. Leonard and his wife, Bernadette, founded the Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and its annual Walk for a Cure. Leonard competed on season 12 of Dancing with the Stars, which premiered on Monday, March 21, 2011, on ABC. Foreman had an 84 inch reach. [80], Leonard has also worked as an actor. Hagler's corner was much more reserved prompting Clancy to comment: "They're talking to him like it's an IBM meeting or somethingno emotion." Leonard responded with a furious flurry, landing few punches but whipping the upset-hoping crowd into a frenzy. Leonard moved up to the junior middleweight division and faced Kalule on June 25, 1981, at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. Leonard started to do better by the fifth round, finding some punching room and throwing numerous multi-punch combinations. The Panamanian seized the evening and gave it what shape and momentum it had. Bonds was a southpaw, which made him a good opponent for Leonard, given that his next opponent was scheduled to be the WBA Light Middleweight Champion Ayub Kalule, a southpaw. [88] In 1984, they had another son, Jarrell. Robinson wouldn't go by his birth name for the rest of his career. Just five months after one of the greatest fights in modern boxing history, Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran met in a rematch that somehow managed to transcend the original. However, Lalonde later told HBO's Larry Merchant that he didn't have any trouble making weight.[59]. [49], Before the fight with Howard, Dave Jacobs rejoined Leonard's team in a limited role. [53], Many were surprised that Hagler, a natural southpaw, opened the fight boxing out of an orthodox stance. Many consider the 1976 U.S. team to be the greatest boxing team in the history of the Olympics. Leonard had no answer for the skillful, younger, faster man. Sugar Ray Robinson turned pro in 1940 and won his first 40 fights. Leonard pledged he would support his son, even if he had to scrap plans to attend college. Judge Stuart Kirshenbaum had Lalonde ahead 7675. Wherever he went, he brought a large entourage of trainers, women and family members. The nickname stuck. . His speech, entitled "Power" (Prepare, Overcome and Win Every Round), is consistently booked with major Fortune 500 companies throughout the United States and abroad. For three rounds Durn drove at Sugar Ray with a fury, and there were moments when it seemed the fight could not last five. In round fourteen, after staggering Hearns with an overhand right, Leonard pinned Hearns against the ropes, where he unleashed another furious combination, prompting referee Davey Pearl to stop the contest and award Sugar Ray Leonard the Unified World Welterweight Championship. The fight ended with Hagler and Leonard exchanging along the ropes. Hagler did better, but Leonard's superior speed and boxing skill still allowed him to control the fight. Judge Jos Guerra scored the fight 118110 for Leonard. . Robi is the daughter of Paul Robi, one of the original Platters, and she is the ex-wife of Lynn Swann. Leonard started boxing at the Palmer Park Recreation Center in 1969. Afterward, Leonard announced, "I'm finishedI've fought my last fight. The bout took place on June 20, 1980 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada. [74], Leonard said he planned to have a series of tuneup fights before fighting a champion. Leonard is also the godfather of Khlo Kardashian and has appeared on many episodes of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. The first fight occurred in '81 and was a highly anticipated welterweight unification match. He became known as Sugar Ray Robinson as an under-aged boxer, after using a fellow boxer's Amateur Athletic Union card to fight in a show. Late in the round, Leonard dropped Benitez with a left. Dundee was unhappy with that amount. Roger won some trophies and showed them off in front of Ray, goading him to start boxing. As an amateur, he took an Olympic gold medal in the light-welterweight class at the 1976 Games in Montreal. But even though it was bereft of some of the normal fight card touches, this show offered a fun presentation of boxing that never mocked the sport. If you moved, he was lost."[57]. Shirley was the only judge to give Leonard a 108 margin in the twelfth. As a boy growing up in Detroit, Sugar Ray Robinson was neighbors with heavyweight champion Joe Louis. No. On June 12, 1989, Leonard defended the WBC Super Middleweight Championship in a rematch with Thomas Hearns at Caesar's Palace. He took control, attacking and driving Leonard against the ropes, bulling him back, hitting him with lefts and rights to the body as he maneuvered the champion against the ropes from corner to corner. Leonard served as host and mentor to the aspiring fighters on The Contender. It ended in 1990, after HBO was not offered an opportunity to bid on the telecast rights to Leonard's fight with Terry Norris. However, less than a week after the fight, Leonard said he planned to fight again. Many felt that Hagler deserved the decision because he was the aggressor and landed the harder punches. I didn't want anyone to tell me my career had to end." During divorce proceedings, Juanita Leonard testified that her husband physically abused her while under the influence of alcohol. Dave Jacobs, a former boxer, and Janks Morton volunteered as boxing coaches. Hearns (left) had not lost in his 32 fights before facing Leonard. Hagler's punches lacked snap and, although he was scoring solidly to the body, he looked nothing like the powerful fighter who had dominated the middleweight division for the previous five years. Round nine was the most exciting round of the fight. Leonard, having slowed down, was obliged to fight more and move less. Leonard used constant lateral movement and won by a lopsided twelve-round unanimous decision over a listless Durn. Kalule got up but the referee waved it off. He has also appeared in several movies, including I Spy and most recently The Fighter (2010), starring Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg. "I decided to search for a substituteI resorted to cocaine. On March 28, 1981, Leonard defended his title against Larry Bonds, the WBC sixth-ranked contender, at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. Roger helped start the boxing program, urging the center's director, Ollie Dunlap, to form a team. "For the first time in a long time, I allowed someone to push me", Leonard said. Look back on this free fight from 1986 at "The Super Fight" between #MarvinHagler and #SugarRayLeonardNext Up for Top Rank Boxing, WBO/IBF unified junior li. Yet the book is not really about boxing. After that, Leonard decided to box Hagler. Durn received $1.5 million and Leonard, working for a percentage of the closed-circuit gate as well as a guarantee, received over $9 million. He actually scored it 148147. The fight ended in a 12 . Duran and Leonard would go on to fight two more times, once in November 1980 and again . Now I want to go to school." In their 2nd fight, a 30-year old Thomas Hearns (46-3, 38 KO) faced Sugar Ray Leonard again, who was now 33 years old with a record of 35-1 in a super-middleweight title defense fight. Leonard came back to stop Howard in the ninth round, but the stoppage was disputed, with some feeling that the referee stopped the fight prematurely. Robinson, who was unapologetic for his lavish spending, is estimated to have earned more than $4 million as a fighter, all of which he burned through, forcing him to continue boxing much longer than he should have. After Foreman's thrilling challenge of Holyfield-Don King asked Tyson to fight him. Leonard was guaranteed $11 million, and Hagler was guaranteed $12 million. He is the celebrity spokesperson for the Atlanta law firm John Foy and Associates, PC. He quit because he was embarrassed. He said he quit using drugs in early 1986, when he woke up one morning and "what I saw in the mirror was scary." I know this. In 2002, Leonard was voted by The Ring as the ninth greatest fighter of the last 80 years. On December 7, 1989, Leonard defended the title against Roberto Durn, who was the reigning WBC Middleweight Champion. Many were critical of the fact that Lalonde's light heavyweight title was on the line when the weight limit of the fight with Leonard was at 168 pounds, and critical of Leonard for stipulating that his opponenta natural 175-poundershould weigh less than his usual fighting weight, which could possibly weaken him. "He's a great trainer, a throwback", Leonard said. He hit more oftenHe made Hagler into what he perceived him to be throughout his careera brawler, a swarmer, a man who could club you to death only if you stood there and let him. Leonard and Duran fought the fiercest battle in welterweight history, fuelled by Duran's utter hatred for the pretty boy with lots of money and Ray's refusal to back down. Associated Press had it 144141 for Durn, while The New York Times had Leonard ahead 144142. [22] After the fight, Leonard paid back his $21,000 loan to the investors. Robinson was born Walker Smith Jr. on May 3, 1921, although the location is a source of debate. Named after Ray Charles, Leonard's parents reportedly wanted him to become a singer, although as . Benitez started improving in the fourth, slipping numerous punches and finding the range with his right hand. How many times did Tommy Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard fight? Kalule, who was 360, had been the WBA Light Middleweight Champion for two years. Hagler continued to score somewhat effectively in round six. Hearns' legs were clearly gone and after more pressure from Leonard he was bundled through the ropes, no knockdown was given as it wasn't a punch that sent him there. Picking himself off the canvas twice, Leonard showed . Judges Chuck Giampa and Franz Marti had Leonard ahead by scores of 7774 and 7775, respectively. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! [14]:6568, Leonard made his professional debut on February 5, 1977, before a crowd of 10,270 at the Civic Center in Baltimore. By the end of round five, Leonard had a growing swelling under his left eye, and Hearns had built a considerable lead on the scorecards. "[37] According to Randy Gordon, who witnessed Durn's antics beforehand and was in his dressing room immediately afterwards, Durn quit because of his huge eating binge prior to the fight. He turned pro that same year. Leonard would continue to pursue his Olympic dream while she and the baby, Ray Charles Leonard Jr., lived with her parents. It was like looking in a mirror". Morton was replaced as co-trainer by Pepe Correa, who had worked with Leonard for most of the previous fifteen years.[63]. He got up, but after a few more punches, the referee stopped the fight. With neither parent able to work, with his child and the mother of his child to support, and without any endorsement opportunities, Leonard decided to become a professional boxer. He then announced, "I am retiring from boxing right now." For Leonard's fight with Hagler, Dundee worked without a contract and received $175,000, which was less than 2% of Leonard's purse. [50], Leonard and Howard fought on May 11, 1984, in Worcester, Massachusetts. Trainer talked 24 of his friends and clients into underwriting Leonard's career with an investment of $21,000 to be repaid within four years at 8% interest. "[58] A month after Hagler's formal retirement in June 1988, Leonard would announce another comeback. WBA-WBC era (1963-1983) No . Many felt that the ten-point must scoring system was not properly used and those rounds should have been scored 108. (Photo . The action see-sawed back and forth for the rest of the round, with each man having his moments. Thirty years ago to the day, Leonad snapped a three-year retirement due to a detached retina and, at age 30, moved up two weight classes (without a tune-up fight) to face legendary middleweight . Moore fought and lost to Sugar Ramos for the inaugural WBC title. The "Four Kings" created a wave of popularity in the lower weight classes that kept boxing relevant in the post-Muhammad Ali era, during which Leonard defeated future fellow International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees Hearns, Durn, Hagler, and Wilfred Bentez. The rules state that a boxer must be retired for five years before being eligible for induction. In 1991 the brilliant career of Sugar Ray Leonard appeared to have finally come to an end. [11], Leonard, the fifth of seven children of Cicero and Getha Leonard, was born in Wilmington, North Carolina. Sugar Ray Leonard (def. He wasn't afraid, he was being a smart businessman. The fight was a classic match between a slugger in Marvin Hagler, left, and a boxer in Sugar Ray Leonard. Jacobs had quit in 1980, disagreeing with Leonard's decision to have an immediate rematch with Durn. [21], Leonard had hoped to get lucrative endorsements following his gold medal win, but the negative publicity from the paternity suit chased off any big commercial possibilities. This movie brought back memories of his fight with Dicky Eklund. I already had it in the back of my mind to dissolve the company. Sugar Ray Leonard: The Final Fight. A paying crowd of 12,379 generated a live gate of $6.2 million. Leonard was the winner by a technical knockout at 2:44 of round eight, regaining the WBC Welterweight Championship. Pat Putnam of Sports Illustrated wrote, "Leonard gave them artistic perfection when they wanted heated battle, and they booed lustily. Camacho, a light-hitting southpaw, was a three-time world champion with a record of 6231. With only a few seconds left in the fight, a Leonard combination forced another standing eight count. I took great pride in it. 1 revealed", "BoxRec ratings: world, pound-for-pound, active and inactive", "One USA Boxing team stands above the rest by Kevin Iole", "On This Day: Sugar Ray Leonard knocked out Floyd Mayweather - Boxing News", "Lewiston Evening Journal, October 7, 1978", "Leonard Knocks Out Lalonde to Win Two Titles", "Sugar Ray Leonard regains welterweight title", "The 12 Greatest Rounds of Boxing: The Untold Stories", "Leonard announces comeback; Holmes gives up title", "Leonard knocked down, victories, then retires", "After A Year's Prefight, Bell Tolls For These", "Leonard's memories the stuff of legends", "SPORTS OF THE TIMES; No Hoosegow for JoJo Guerra", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4_LR7s-Ui4, "Parting of the Ways: Leonard and Dundee Split Over Money", "Sports of The Times; Leonard's Missing Voice", "Leonard is getting old, but it's hard to tell", "Nobody Wins the War - Second fight is a draw", "Leonard and Duran in Rematch in November", "BOXING; Leonard Has Norris at Hand, but Hearns on the Mind", "Leonard's Corner Keeps Game Plan Draped in Secrecy", "Before the First Bell Rings, the Jabbing Begins", "The Victoria Advocate, January 15, 1997", "The Idaho Spokesman-Review, January 12, 1998", "Sugar Ray Leonard Back in the Ring with ESPN Friday Night Fights", "Leonard's promotion business down for count", "Dancing with the Stars Elimination - Sugar Ray Leonard", "Cocaine days were 'childish, stupid,' Sugar Ray says", "Sugar Ray Leonard's Testimony before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs", "In Book, Sugar Ray Leonard Says Coach Sexually Abused Him", "Sugar Ray Leonard proves himself a beacon of strength in the fight against child sex abuse", Sugar Ray Leonard's Amateur Boxing Record, Sugar Ray Leonard in-depth interview about alcohol, cocaine, and being a champion, Olympic boxing champions men's light welterweight, Pan American Champions in Boxing Men's Light Welterweight, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sugar_Ray_Leonard&oldid=1141441164, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees, Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in boxing, Participants in American reality television series, Winners of the United States Championship for amateur boxers, Sportspeople from Wilmington, North Carolina, World light-middleweight boxing champions, World super-middleweight boxing champions, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2018, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2019, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Pages with login required references or sources, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 1973 National Golden Gloves Lightweight Champion, defeating, 1973 National AAU Light Welterweight Championship runner-up, losing to Randy Shields, 1974 National Golden Gloves Light Welterweight Champion, defeating Jeff Lemeir, 1974 National AAU Light Welterweight Champion, defeating Paul Sherry, 1974 North American Championships Gold Medalist, defeating Robert Proulx, 1975 National AAU Light Welterweight Champion, defeating Milton Seward, 1975 North American Championships Gold Medalist, defeating Michel Briere, 1975 Pan American Games Light Welterweight Gold Medalist, defeating Victor Corona, 1976 Olympic Light Welterweight Gold Medalist, defeating, Baltimore Sun: 75 Leonard (115113 Leonard), Boston Globe (Ron Borges): 115113 Hagler, Boston Globe (Steve Marantz): 117111 Leonard, Chicago Tribune (1 - Bob Verdi): 115113 Hagler, Chicago Tribune (2 - Bernie Lincicome): 115113 Hagler, Chicago Tribune (3 - Sam Smith): 115113 Hagler, New York Daily News (2 - Michael Katz): 117112 Leonard, New York Post (2 - Jerry Lisker): 115113 Hagler, Philadelphia Daily News (1): 116112 Leonard, Philadelphia Daily News (2): 115113 Hagler, Ring Magazine (Nigel Collins): 115113 Leonard, Sports Illustrated (William Nack): 116114 Leonard, Sports Illustrated (Pat Putnam): 115113 Hagler, United Press International: 116112 Leonard, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 02:31. 1989, Leonard exploded with a left to the investors goading him to become a singer, although the is!, before the fight you moved, he dropped Aldama with a left to junior. 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