His opponent was Dave "Boy" Green. He won his first Golden Gloves title (featherweight) in 1939, and then repeated the accomplishment in 1940. He lost a disputed decision to Anatoli Kamnev in Moscow, after which, Kamnev gave the winner's trophy to Leonard. In the fourth round, Leonard knocked Green out with a devastating left hook. As an amateur, he took an Olympic gold medal in the light-welterweight class at the 1976 Games in Montreal. For three rounds Durn drove at Sugar Ray with a fury, and there were moments when it seemed the fight could not last five. Career Highlights Sugar Ray Leonard fought a total of 40 times during his professional career. If he had scored it 109, as his two colleagues did, Hearns would have won by a split decision. N o classic. May 11 - Kevin Howard, Massachusetts, KO 9 1987 Leonard won the WBC middleweight title in a 12-round contest against Marvin Hagler in April. Boxing in Serenity The original fight plan for Leonard was to go toe-to-toe with Hagler and try to cut him, but the plan changed about five days before the fight. The action see-sawed back and forth for the rest of the round, with each man having his moments. For many years, Leonard has been the International Chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk for a Cure and is actively involved in raising both awareness and funds. In rounds, he had it three for Durn, two for Leonard, and ten even. His decision was to push Froot Loops onto the Finals, where they were taken out by Cinnamon Toast Crunch. "But then he adjusted to my style. Hearns, with too much faith in his powerful right hand, lost to Sugar Ray Leonard in their first match. 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. If you moved, he was lost."[57]. I know how Hagler felt now."[70]. I never had to go to school once because of him."[13]. The nickname stuck. The fight was cancelled, and Leonard had surgery to repair the retina on May 9, 1982. I snapped his head back with a jab. Yet the book is not really about boxing. A paying crowd of 12,379 generated a live gate of $6.2 million. The British challenger had a record of 332. The fight was a classic match between a slugger in Marvin Hagler, left, and a boxer in Sugar Ray Leonard. His partner was Anna Trebunskaya. "[66] Although Leonard dominated the fight, he suffered several cuts. 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. [14]:63, When Leonard decided to turn professional, Janks Morton introduced him to Mike Trainer, a friend of his who was an attorney. He went to a doctor and discovered that he had a detached retina. He stuck out his chin, inviting Durn to hit it. [49], Before the fight with Howard, Dave Jacobs rejoined Leonard's team in a limited role. Hagler did better, but Leonard's superior speed and boxing skill still allowed him to control the fight. Roberto Duran takes on Sugar Ray Leonard at the Superdome in New Orleans in November 1980. . In this episode [87] of the "March Milkness" series (where Rhett and Link created a March Madness style bracket to determine the best breakfast cereal), Leonard was brought in to break a tie between the Fruity Region Champion, Froot Loops, and the Chocolatey Region Champion, Oreo O's. Roger won some trophies and showed them off in front of Ray, goading him to start boxing. Sugar Ray Robinson turned pro in 1940 and won his first 40 fights. The real Leonard (a Seinfeld fan) mentioned that he was told about the episode by friends and family, but had never seen it for himself until a friend gave him the DVD set for a gift. My word is my bond", Leonard said. He was among the very best of his generation and put on some incredible performances in his fights. He had a career record of 79-6-3 and was a showman in the ring, chanting 'It . 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 . Robinson inspired Ali's famous matador style, which he used to defeat Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title in 1964. The cuts required a total of 60 stitches. "To make a man quit, to make Roberto Durn quit, was better than knocking him out."[35]. I'm in the best shape possible. Veteran ringside commentator Don Dunphy said "They're stopping the fight. He wasn't afraid, he was being a smart businessman. Shortly afterward, Leonard dropped him with a flurry of punches. Although he would prescribe the training procedures, he would leave the day-to-day work to Dave Jacobs and Janks Morton. His doctor suggested that he cancel the fight, but Leonard wanted to go through with it. His lower lip was cut from a headbutt in the fourth round, his left eye was cut in the eleventh round, and his right eye was cut in the twelfth round. On December 7, 1989, Leonard defended the title against Roberto Durn, who was the reigning WBC Middleweight Champion. He stayed home a lot, reading comic books and playing with his dog. Leonard was on a eight-fight win streak with 25 KO wins. As a boy growing up in Detroit, Sugar Ray Robinson was neighbors with heavyweight champion Joe Louis. In a career that spanned 25 years, Robinson amassed 175 wins, 110 knockouts and just 19 losses. Leonard's most memorable punch came late in the round. In round seven, Leonard started to taunt Durn. I took great pride in it. That's why he's living."[32][33]. "All I can do is say I'm sorry, but that is not enough. "[72], In January 1997, it was announced that Leonard had been voted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in Canastota, New York. . In the second, Durn rocked Leonard with a left hook, sending him into the ropes. Promoted as "The Showdown", Leonard fought Thomas Hearns on September 16, 1981, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to unify the World Welterweight Championship in a scheduled fifteen-rounder. When Leonard boxed in the Olympics, he had a picture of Wilkinson taped to his sock. The odds started at 41, then settled at 31. It was the only time in Leonard's career that he was knocked out. In snowshoesLeonard repeatedly beat Hagler to the punch. Leonard, becoming more aggressive, hurt Hearns in the sixth with a left hook to the chin. Bonds got up and continued to move, with Leonard in pursuit. Leonard got up, but was unable to ward off Camacho. Leonard boasted that he would have a couple of ten-round bouts and then take on Milton McCrory, Donald Curry, Durn, Hearns and finally Hagler. 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. Frazier had a 73 reach. His most famous commercial was a 7 Up ad he did with his son, Ray Jr., Roberto Durn and Durn's son Roberto Jr. in the early 1980s. In 1989, Leonard was introduced to Bernadette Robi by Kenny G at a Luther Vandross concert. The team also included Leon and Michael Spinks, Howard Davis Jr., Leo Randolph, Charles Mooney, and John Tate. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professionally between 1977 and 1997, winning world titles in five weight classes; the lineal championship in three weight classes;[3] as well as the undisputed welterweight championship. [34], After the Montreal fight Durn went on a partying binge and ballooned in weight. In 1991 the brilliant career of Sugar Ray Leonard appeared to have finally come to an end. It didn't take much for Robinson, who'd been a neighbor of heavyweight champ Joe Louis back in Detroit, to strap on fighting gloves. Robinson was born Walker Smith Jr. on May 3, 1921, although the location is a source of debate. Trainer then made Leonard the sole stockholder in Sugar Ray Leonard, Inc. Angelo Dundee, Muhammad Ali's trainer, was brought in to be Leonard's trainer and manager. The roles reversed: Leonard became the stalker and Hearns became the boxer. By the fifth, Leonard, who was moving a lot, began to tire and Hagler started to get closer. 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. It was his first defeat. Tyson lost his first fight to Holyfield in 1996. He testified about the burden of diabetes and the need for continued research funding to find a cure.[93]. The two went toe-to-toe in the fifteenth. His mother said: "He never did talk too much. [27] Price, an up-and-coming contender who was sponsored by Marvin Gaye, had a reputation for prolonged bouts in earlier fights and was believed by sports reporters to defeat or give a long fight to Leonard. Kalule, who was 360, had been the WBA Light Middleweight Champion for two years. [76], Leonard has worked as a boxing analyst for ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, HBO and EPIX. Many of the people being considered wanted absolute control and a cut somewhere near the manager's traditional 33%. Dickie Eklund (left) smiles before the Sugar Ray fight. Robinson's birth certificate lists his place of birth as Ailey, Georgia, while the boxer stated in his autobiography that he was born in Detroit, Michigan. 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. Leonard was aware of this, and in an interview for Beyond the Glory he said: "My intention was to fight Durn ASAP because I knew Durn's habits. However, Lalonde later told HBO's Larry Merchant that he didn't have any trouble making weight.[59]. 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. His opponent was Luis "The Bull" Vega, whom he defeated by a six-round unanimous decision. The Classic bout between Sugar Ray Leonard V Thomas Hearns.Leonard Snatches Victory from the jaws of defeat with a dramatic late Stoppage! Former boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard acknowledged today that he took cocaine and drank heavily during the early 1980's when his career was jeopardized by an eye injury.. [44], On February 15, 1982, Leonard defended the unified title against Bruce Finch, the WBC fourth-ranked contender, in a bout at Reno, NV. Leonard learned of the suit several days after returning home from the Olympics. Unable to get away, unable to counter and unable to slide away to open up the ring, Leonard seemed almost helpless under the assault. Morton was replaced as co-trainer by Pepe Correa, who had worked with Leonard for most of the previous fifteen years.[63]. At the wedding ceremony, the grounds were converted into a garden with 10,000 roses and blossoms of other flowers flown in from the Netherlands.[92]. Leonard fired back and hurt Lalonde with a right. 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. Hearns was paid $5.1 million, and Leonard made over $11 million. Duran rode out his trilogy with Sugar Ray Leonard with little fire. It was promoted as "The War". It was then that Leonard decided to come back and fight Hagler. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, The Man Behind the First All-Black Basketball Team, 8 Times Brothers Have Faced Off in a Championship, Every Black Quarterback to Play in the Super Bowl, Soccer Star Christian Atsu Survived an Earthquake. 11 million '' Vega, whom he defeated by a split decision for rest! The action see-sawed back and fight Hagler [ 49 ], after the Montreal fight Durn went a. Some incredible performances in his fights for the heavyweight title in 1964 lost. `` [ 70.. Sorry, but that is not enough, hurt Hearns in the back my... 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