I snapped his head back with a jab. What is known is that Robinson grew up in Detroit, and he was 11 years old when his mother, tired of her husband's absence from the family's life, up and left the city, moving herself, her son and two daughters to Harlem. Named after Ray Charles, Leonard's parents reportedly wanted him to become a singer, although as . The fight was one of the many battles between the top fighters of the era (Duran, Leonard, Hearns, Hagler). However, Hagler's moments were more spectacular and one of Hagler's cornermen: Roger Perron (in an interview that took place on an episode of HBO's Legendary Nights episode segments in 2003) later stated that: "the ninth round was probably Marvin (Hagler)'s, best round". "My idea is that he should have a tuneup fight before he fights with Roberto again", Jacobs said. He made three successful title defenses, stopping Luis Primera, Randy Shields, and Pablo Baez. Leonard, becoming more aggressive, hurt Hearns in the sixth with a left hook to the chin. Late in the third, Leonard dropped Benitez on the seat of his pants with a stiff left jab. Thomas Hearns) 16 September 1981 - 9 November 1982 . Leonard was guaranteed $11 million, and Hagler was guaranteed $12 million. He stayed home a lot, reading comic books and playing with his dog. Roberto Duran, known as one of the greatest boxers of all time, held world championships in four weight classes during his career and met Sugar Ray Leonard in the ring for the first time in June 1980. [69], On February 9, 1991, Leonard went down to 154lbs and fought WBC Light Middleweight Champion Terry Norris at Madison Square Garden. Every time Hagler scored, Leonard came back with something flashier and more eye-catching, if not as effective. For Leonard's fight with Hagler, Dundee worked without a contract and received $175,000, which was less than 2% of Leonard's purse. Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard breaks down some of his most iconic fights of all time, including his fights with Andrs Aldama in 1976, Dick Eklund in 1978,. He then announced, "I am retiring from boxing right now." He also had the distinction of being the first boxer ever to earn $100 million in purses. He finished his career in 1965 with 175 victories. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Fearful that her son would get pulled into this shady world, Robinson's mother turned to the Salem Methodist Episcopal Church, where a man by the name of George Gainford had just started a boxing club. 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. Sugar Ray Leonard reflected on his famous fight with Marvin Hagler following the news on Saturday about his late opponent's death at the age of 66. In the second, he dropped Aldama with a left to the chin. 2 . For his services, Dundee would get 15% of Leonard's purse. Leonard moved up to the junior middleweight division and faced Kalule on June 25, 1981, at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The rules stated that a boxer had to be seventeen to box in international competition, so Leonard, only sixteen, lied about his age. The Boxing Writers Association of America and The Ring named Leonard "Fighter of the Year" for 1979. After hurting Hearns with a right, Leonard exploded with a combination of punches. [48], A bout with Philadelphia's Kevin Howard, who was 2041, was scheduled for February 25, 1984. Sugar Ray Leonard (def. Leonard and . 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. In 1972, Leonard boxed in the featherweight quarterfinals of the National AAU Tournament, losing by decision to Jerome Artis. In March 2019, Leonard made a guest appearance on the popular daily morning show on YouTube, Good Mythical Morning, hosted by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal. 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. He requested a contract for the Lalonde fight and Leonard refused. 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.. With the fight in control, Leonard would begin taunting Duran, much to the chagrin of . Yet the book is not really about boxing. His partner was Anna Trebunskaya. In a career that spanned 25 years, Robinson amassed 175 wins, 110 knockouts and just 19 losses. Roger won some trophies and showed them off in front of Ray, goading him to start boxing. Montreal Not long after this fight ended, a rematch fight was scheduled. Hearns won rounds nine through twelve on all three scorecards. It was the only time in Leonard's career that he was knocked out. Judges Raymond Baldeyrou and Harry Gibbs scored the fight 146144 and 145144, respectively. I used when I felt bad, I used when I missed competing at that level", he said. 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. He testified about the burden of diabetes and the need for continued research funding to find a cure.[93]. You're blowing it!". He won his first Golden Gloves title (featherweight) in 1939, and then repeated the accomplishment in 1940. "I wasn't aware I was in a championship early because I hit him so easy", Leonard said. The Camacho fight was Leonard's last. [42] Some also considered the stoppage premature. By the fifth, Leonard, who was moving a lot, began to tire and Hagler started to get closer. To revisit this article, select My Account, then View saved stories. Roberto Duran takes on Sugar Ray Leonard at the Superdome in New Orleans in November 1980. . The 'Super Fight' between Marvin Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard sparked a brawl between Bob Arum and Don King, generated $78m and produced one of boxing's biggest controversies Joe Coleman. "It took this fight to show me it is no longer my time", Leonard said. If you moved, he was lost."[57]. himself. Leonard was the aggressor throughout, with Bonds circling the ring. Hagler buckled Leonard's knees with a right uppercut near the end of the round, which finished with Leonard on the ropes. Rounds nine and ten were good rounds for Leonard, but he ran into trouble in the eleventh round. Early in the seventh round, Hearns hurt Leonard but punched himself out going for the knockout. Roger helped start the boxing program, urging the center's director, Ollie Dunlap, to form a team. AP Photo/Lennox McLendon What it's really about is boxing's great aesthetic divide. On March 28, 1981, Leonard defended his title against Larry Bonds, the WBC sixth-ranked contender, at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. Hearns started to stick and move, and he started to pile up points again. That's why he's living."[32][33]. Leonard looked to be in trouble, but he furiously fought his way out of the corner. 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. Two years later, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Leonard had difficulty with Hearns' long reach and sharp jab. Durn attacked at almost every turn. Hearns was the taller of the two by 6 cms and also had a 10 cm reach advantage. The scores were 120104, 119103, and 116110. Many felt that Hagler deserved the decision because he was the aggressor and landed the harder punches. [26] He was given a scholarship to the University of Maryland, a gift from the citizens of Glenarden, Maryland. Julio Cesar Chavez and Sugar Ray Leonard. Shortly before the Olympics, Wilkinson had filed an application to receive $156 a month in child support payments from Prince George's County, Maryland. 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. Hagler took a few months to decide, then agreed to the match.[52]. Jim Murray, long-time sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times, wrote, "It wasn't even closeHe didn't just outpoint Hagler, he exposed him. He was among the very best of his generation and put on some incredible performances in his fights. His decision was to push Froot Loops onto the Finals, where they were taken out by Cinnamon Toast Crunch. In his last years Robinson battled Alzheimer's disease and diabetes. Leonard used constant lateral movement and won by a lopsided twelve-round unanimous decision over a listless Durn. The Classic bout between Sugar Ray Leonard V Thomas Hearns.Leonard Snatches Victory from the jaws of defeat with a dramatic late Stoppage! Leonard landed several good left hooks in the first round. Durn forced the issue and took the fight to Leonard, cutting off the ring and denying Leonard space to fight his fight. The time was 2:54 of round fifteen.[29]. It was then that Leonard decided to come back and fight Hagler. Between rounds eleven and twelve, Leonard's trainer: Angelo Dundee, implored Sugar Ray to get up off his stool yelling "We got three minutesnew champnew champ!" Career Highlights Sugar Ray Leonard fought a total of 40 times during his professional career. In his prime, he was unstoppable. 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. Kalule and his handlers had expected Leonard to use lateral movement against him, but Leonard chose to fight inside instead. Leonard learned of the suit several days after returning home from the Olympics. In rounds seven and eight, Hagler's southpaw jab was landing solidly and Leonard's counter flurries were less frequent. 17 May 1956 -. Dave Jacobs was one of the people let go, leaving Correa as the sole trainer. Leonard was ahead on all three scorecards at the time of the stoppage. [62], After the fight, Leonard vacated the light heavyweight title, but kept the super middleweight title. [86] He appeared as a guest at the chef's table, along with Tito Ortiz, during the tenth season of Hell's Kitchen. First, in 1991, he lost by decision to Terry Norris. Sugar Ray Robinson turned pro in 1940 and won his first 40 fights. 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 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. He rose but was soon down again, and the fight was stopped. The fight was cancelled, and Leonard had surgery to repair the retina on May 9, 1982. As a boy growing up in Detroit, Sugar Ray Robinson was neighbors with heavyweight champion Joe Louis. This movie brought back memories of his fight with Dicky Eklund. Judge Jos Guerra scored the fight 118110 for Leonard. 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 yelled "Yeah!" His doctor suggested that he cancel the fight, but Leonard wanted to go through with it. Durn hesitated. The rematch, billed as "Stone vs. Sugar.. Once Again", took place November 25, 1980 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans in front of 25,038 fans. Together, Leonard and ESPN would produce and promote "Sugar Ray Leonard and ESPN II Presents Friday Night Fights", which would air the first Friday of every month for twelve months. [15], Sarge Johnson, assistant coach of the US Olympic Boxing Team, said to Dave Jacobs, "That kid you got is sweet as sugar". Leonard's most memorable punch came late in the round. Unable to get away, unable to counter and unable to slide away to open up the ring, Leonard seemed almost helpless under the assault. "He's a great trainer, a throwback", Leonard said. It's less revisionist and says right up front, in the first sentence of the prologue, what Sugar Ray won't confess to: "On the night of April 6, 1987, Sugar Ray Leonard stole a fight. 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. The headline in the Washington Star read, "Sugar Ray Leonard Named in Welfare Dept. He got up, but after a few more punches, the referee stopped the fight. When they fought again a . The fight was named "Fight of the Year" and "Upset of the Year" by The Ring. She also said he was an occasional cocaine user. . WBA-WBC era (1963-1983) No . Leonard finally hurt him with a right to the head. I was so ready, I wanted to get my title, my world championship belt back so bad! [8] The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 1979 and 1981, while the Boxing Writers Association of America named him Fighter of the Year in 1976, 1979, and 1981. Wherever he went, he brought a large entourage of trainers, women and family members. WASHINGTON POST. "I'll try, I'll give it a shot", Leonard said of his latest retirement. Knowing he needed a big finish, Leonard fought furiously and had a big final round. Leonard received $1 million and Benitez, a two-division champion with a record of 3801, received $1.2 million. Tyson lost his first fight to Holyfield in 1996. 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. . During a 20-year period, Sugar Ray Leonard was considered one of the greatest boxers. . Shortly afterward, Leonard dropped him with a flurry of punches. Before the fight, he was given a shot of novocaine. Robi is the daughter of Paul Robi, one of the original Platters, and she is the ex-wife of Lynn Swann. [14]:63, When Leonard decided to turn professional, Janks Morton introduced him to Mike Trainer, a friend of his who was an attorney. [78][79] Leonard is among the most sought-after motivational/inspirational speakers in the world today. . 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. Boxing in Serenity He finished his career with a record of 3631 with 25 knockouts. Leonard was the winner by a technical knockout at 2:44 of round eight, regaining the WBC Welterweight Championship. Judge Dave Moretti scored it 115113 for Leonard, while judge Lou Filippo had it 115113 for Hagler. "I felt weaker and weaker in my body and arms." He went to a doctor and discovered that he had a detached retina. He turned pro that same year. Leonard is also the godfather of Khlo Kardashian and has appeared on many episodes of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Of all people, John 'The Beast' Mugabi." In the sixth, there was an accidental clash of heads, which opened a cut on the forehead of Benitez. Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Durn, billed as " The Brawl in Montreal ", was a welterweight professional boxing match contested between WBC, The Ring and lineal champion Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Durn. In 1984 The Ring magazine placed Robinson No. Now I want to go to school." I'm in the best shape possible. Later, when he made . I think he needs a psychiatrist more than he needs anything else." It was like looking in a mirror". Three booming rights from Hearns sent Leonard down for the second time in the fight. "I decided to search for a substituteI resorted to cocaine. Leonard would continue to pursue his Olympic dream while she and the baby, Ray Charles Leonard Jr., lived with her parents. We never could tell what he was thinking. Durn's manager, Carlos Eleta, said, "Durn didn't quit because of stomach cramps. . He also worked as an adviser in the 2011 robot boxing film Real Steel. "Sugar Walker Smith wouldn't have been the same.". . Over his 25-year career, Robinson won the world welterweight and middleweight crowns and was dubbed "pound for pound, the best." "He's got the three B's," Sammy Davis Jr. said of Seales at a 1984 benefit for the fighter. But the TV show came about and made my decision a lot easier. When Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran met on Nov. 25, 1980, for an immediate rematch of their showdown that saw "Hands of Stone" give Leonard his first loss, few could have possibly anticipated what would take place at The Superdome in New Orleans. In the semifinals, he faced Kazimierz Szczerba and won a 50 decision. While training, Leonard started to see floaters. In snowshoesLeonard repeatedly beat Hagler to the punch. The action see-sawed back and forth for the rest of the round, with each man having his moments. "I think he won the fight with Durn, but I don't think it is healthy for him to be fighting Durn right away". 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. Now and then he got loose and counteredleft-right-left to Durn's bobbing headbut he missed punches and could not work inside, could not jab, could not mount an offense to keep Durn at bay.[31]. My journey has ended, my dream is fulfilled. The fight was a classic match between a slugger in Marvin Hagler, left, and a boxer in Sugar Ray Leonard. 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. 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]. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. He blamed his loss on a torn right calf muscle. Leonard battled back again and again, but he had to work just to find room to breathe and swing, at times simply to survive. With Hearns fatigued, Leonard came back and had a strong finish to the round. Pat Putnam of Sports Illustrated wrote, "Leonard gave them artistic perfection when they wanted heated battle, and they booed lustily. 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 . I didn't want anyone to tell me my career had to end." Or why Roberto Durn was acting out of prudence, not cowardice, when he quit in his second fight against Leonard. Robinson finally retired from the sport for good in 1965. On March 10, 1986, Marvin Hagler knocked out John Mugabi in eleven rounds to retain the Undisputed World Middleweight Championship for the twelfth time and advance his record to 6222. "I wanted that arena. It was his first defeat. The legendary boxer Sugar Ray Leonard had an impressive professional boxing career, with a total of 36 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss. Leonard landed the harder punches and had Benitez hurt several times late in the fight, but Leonard couldn't put him away. "[71] After the bout Hagler stated it may be his last fight. "[43], The fight was named "Fight of the Year" by The Ring. For the Durn fight, Leonard cut his entourage from twenty-one to six. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! "[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. [68] He then offered Hearns a third fight, but Hearns said he could no longer make the weight and moved up to the light heavyweight division. Leonard got hit by sparring partner Quincy Taylor and was badly buckled. He quit because he was embarrassed. Then his friends came to help. It was a highly competitive and tactical battle. He was voted off in Week 4 of the show. [94], In his autobiography The Big Fight: My Life in and out of the Ring, published in June 2011, Leonard reveals that as a young boxer he was the victim of sexual abuse from an Olympic trainer as well as another man, a benefactor. Leonard went the distance but lost by a lopsided decision. A strange night, a boring fight. On hand that . He has appeared in numerous television shows, including Half & Half, L.A. Heat, Married with Children, Renegade and Tales From The Crypt. I knew he would indulge himself, he'd gain 4050 lbs and then sweat it off to make 147." Leonard suffered his last two losses as an amateur in 1974. At the final bell, even uniformed ringside security rushed into the ring applauding and lauding Leonard's effort. Most fight fans would not spend a dime to watch Van Gogh paint Sunflowers, but they would fill Yankee Stadium to see him cut off his ear. Leonard was on a eight-fight win streak with 25 KO wins. These seven fights are the highlight of his career. Leonard had no answer for the skillful, younger, faster man. This would be Leonard's first professional fight without Angelo Dundee. The cuts required a total of 60 stitches. He made him look like a guy chasing a bus. The scorecard of judge Angelo Poletti was incorrectly added and announced as 147147. He said he quit using drugs in early 1986, when he woke up one morning and "what I saw in the mirror was scary." [50], Leonard and Howard fought on May 11, 1984, in Worcester, Massachusetts. 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. Hometown: Palmer Park, Maryland, USA Birthplace: Wilmington, North Carolina, USA Stance: Orthodox Height: 175cm Reach: 179cm Promoter: Record Pro Boxer: Record Amateur Boxer: Record Trainers: Angelo Dundee, Dave Jacobs, Janks Morton, Pepe Correa, Adrian Davis Manager: Mike Trainer Sugar Ray Leonard Gallery Contents 1 Amateur Achievements . In the fourth round, a right hand to the top of Leonard's head dropped him for just the second time in his career. Sugar Ray Robinson turned pro in 1940 and won his first 40 fights. Leonard married his high school sweetheart, Juanita Wilkinson, in January 1980. [4] Leonard was part of the "Four Kings",[5] a group of boxers who all fought each other throughout the 1980s, consisting of Leonard, Roberto Durn, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler. In rounds, he had it three for Durn, two for Leonard, and ten even. Close Alert. The following year, he again won the National AAU Light Welterweight Championship, as well as the Light Welterweight Championship at the Pan American Games. Hearns was leading by scores of 124122, 125122, and 125121. Late in the final round, he again hurt Aldama, which brought a standing eight count from the referee. The scores were 120110, 119109, and 116111. 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. [45] Leonard's next fight was scheduled to be against Roger Stafford on May 14, 1982, in Buffalo, New York. Sugar Ray Leonard boxed Marvin Hagler and forced him to fight away from his strengths while using what he did bestflurrying with the mindset of disrupting Hagler and not trying to hurt or drop himwhich was something Ray knew could only fail, and open the door for Hagler to nail him. The win over Barkley was in many ways the final memory of the old rampaging warrior. [89] They were divorced in 1990. The British challenger had a record of 332. [76], Leonard has worked as a boxing analyst for ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, HBO and EPIX. The roles reversed: Leonard became the stalker and Hearns became the boxer. Camacho, a light-hitting southpaw, was a three-time world champion with a record of 6231. Despite requests from the Hagler camp, Leonard was uninterested in a rematch and retired on May 27, 1987. After the verdict was announced, Leonard announced his retirement. Juanita Wilkinson, Leonard's high school girlfriend, told him she was pregnant in the summer of 1973. Leonard and Robi were married at Leonard's $8.7 million estate in Pacific Palisades, California in August 1993. Duran and Leonard would go on to fight two more times, once in November 1980 and again . Duran rode out his trilogy with Sugar Ray Leonard with little fire. 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. . He hit Leonard with a big left hand and backed him into a corner. Leonard decided to fight Camacho after commentating on Camacho's fight with the 45-year-old Roberto Durn the previous year, describing the disputed unanimous decision as "an early Christmas gift". [14]:4243 He finished his amateur career with a record of 1655 and 75 KOs.[19]. On June 20, 1980, Leonard returned to the Olympic Stadium in Montreal to defend his title against Roberto Durn before a crowd of 46,317. In 2009, the foundation expanded to support programs that help people rebuild their communities in ten cities across the United States. Hearns dropped Leonard with a right cross in the third round, but Leonard came back and battered Hearns around the ring in the fifth. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. HBO believed it would be inappropriate for Leonard to continue with them if they couldn't bid on his fights. [80], Leonard has also worked as an actor. His opponent was Luis "The Bull" Vega, whom he defeated by a six-round unanimous decision. Janks Morton and Dave Jacobs trained Leonard for the Lalonde fight. [47], Missing the limelight and the competition, Leonard announced in December 1983 that he was returning to the ring. [44], On February 15, 1982, Leonard defended the unified title against Bruce Finch, the WBC fourth-ranked contender, in a bout at Reno, NV. In the closing seconds of the eighth round, Durn turned his back to Leonard and quit, saying to referee Octavio Meyran, "No Ms" (English: "No more"). . "It made his eyes water", Leonard said. [14]:93 A month later, Leonard defeated his old amateur nemesis Randy Shields by a ten-round unanimous decision. Sugar Ray Leonard, the world welterweight champion, underwent two hours of surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore yesterday to repair a partially detached retina in his left eye. The Senate hearing was titled "Type 1 Diabetes Research: Real Progress and Real Hope for a Cure". "It was a crutch, something that enabled me to forget." "There was no indication that he was in pain or getting weak. 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. In the final round, Hagler continued to chase Leonard. There was a capacity crowd of about 4,600. This is terrible.
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