Career Highlights Sugar Ray Leonard fought a total of 40 times during his professional career. The feared warrior who had defeated Sugar Ray Leonard and battled Marvelous Marvin for fifteen back-and-forth rounds had been rendered helpless by Thomas Hearns in just four minutes, left face down in the resin dust, a sight few had imagined they might ever behold. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. [54], Leonard threw 629 punches and landed 306, while Hagler threw 792 and landed 291. . In October 1996, the 40-year-old Leonard announced that he was coming out of retirement to fight 34-year-old Hctor Camacho for the lightly regarded International Boxing Council (IBC) Middleweight Championship. Two years later, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. "[56], Many others felt that Leonard deservedly got the decision, arguing that Leonard landed more punches and showed better defense and ring generalship. The nickname "Sugar" came from Gainford, who had described the young boxer as "sweet as sugar"; reporters soon began using the moniker. Leonard and . "Tonight was my last fight. Jacobs had quit in 1980, disagreeing with Leonard's decision to have an immediate rematch with Durn. Dec. 16, 1989 12 AM PT. 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. Dave Jacobs, a former boxer, and Janks Morton volunteered as boxing coaches. 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. "I don't have contracts. His then wife . However, Emanuel Steward, Hearns' manager and trainer, said, "I felt that the referee was justified in stopping the fight Tommy did not have enough energy to make it through the fight. For three rounds Durn drove at Sugar Ray with a fury, and there were moments when it seemed the fight could not last five. Many felt that Hagler deserved the decision because he was the aggressor and landed the harder punches. It was promoted as "The War". First, in 1991, he lost by decision to Terry Norris. Leonard had no answer for the skillful, younger, faster man. [48], A bout with Philadelphia's Kevin Howard, who was 2041, was scheduled for February 25, 1984. Leonard, with a badly swollen left eye, came out roaring for the thirteenth round. He then announced, "I am retiring from boxing right now." Tyson had a 71 reach, even shorter than Frazier's. . The rules state that a boxer must be retired for five years before being eligible for induction. Veteran ringside commentator Don Dunphy said "They're stopping the fight. Hearns started to stick and move, and he started to pile up points again. Moore fought and lost to Sugar Ramos for the inaugural WBC title. In 1984 The Ring magazine placed Robinson No. I already had it in the back of my mind to dissolve the company. "I think he won the fight with Durn, but I don't think it is healthy for him to be fighting Durn right away". His partner was Anna Trebunskaya. The following month, he made his first title defense against Andy Price. Named after Ray Charles, Leonard's parents reportedly wanted him to become a singer, although as . 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. Over his 25-year career, Robinson won the world welterweight and middleweight crowns and was dubbed "pound for pound, the. She also said he was an occasional cocaine user. He had beaten the best of his . Lalonde, 312 with 26 knockouts, was guaranteed at least $6 million and Leonard was guaranteed over $10 million. The headline in the Washington Star read, "Sugar Ray Leonard Named in Welfare Dept. He won his first Golden Gloves title (featherweight) in 1939, and then repeated the accomplishment in 1940. "It took this fight to show me it is no longer my time", Leonard said. He requested a contract for the Lalonde fight and Leonard refused. [14]:75, In his fourteenth professional fight, Leonard fought his first world-ranked opponent, Floyd Mayweather, who was ranked seventeenth. Sugar Ray Robinson's birth name was Walker Smith Jr. Outside of the ring, Robinson relished his celebrity, parading around Harlem with a pink Cadillac and making appearances at his high-profile Harlem nightclub. Durn said he quit because of stomach cramps, caused by overeating after the weigh-in. Voom! [86] He appeared as a guest at the chef's table, along with Tito Ortiz, during the tenth season of Hell's Kitchen. The live gate was $5.9 million, and the revenue from pay-per-view was $7.5 million. 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 . Duran and Leonard would go on to fight two more times, once in November 1980 and again . Sugar Ray Leonard's raw and uplifting memoir reveals in intimate detail for the first time the complex human who waged his own personal battle with depression, rage . Tyson lost his first fight to Holyfield in 1996. Leonard finally hurt him with a right to the head. 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. Judge Jerry Roth scored the fight 113112 for Hearns, Judge Tom Kazmarek scored it 113112 for Leonard, and Judge Dalby Shirley scored it 112112. He continued to taunt Durn mercilessly. The decision was read. 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. During divorce proceedings, Juanita Leonard testified that her husband physically abused her while under the influence of alcohol. The fight ended in a split draw, meaning both fighters retained their respective titles. 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. I know this. During a 20-year period, Sugar Ray Leonard was considered one of the greatest boxers. The fight took place on September 9, 1978. "[43], The fight was named "Fight of the Year" by The Ring. Sugar Ray Leonard: The Final Fight. In snowshoesLeonard repeatedly beat Hagler to the punch. Come under with a punch.". Hagler continued to score somewhat effectively in round six. Leonard's attorney, Mike Trainer, said, "There never has been a linkage between his broadcasting and his fighting. Leonard kept it up, continuing to move, stop, and mug. Close Alert. 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 . He actually scored it 148147. "I wasn't aware I was in a championship early because I hit him so easy", Leonard said. By 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. Dickie's fight against Sugar Ray Leonard was on July 18, 1978 at the Hynes Memorial Auditorium in Boston, Massachusetts. In the fourth round, a right hand to the top of Leonard's head dropped him for just the second time in his career. The Senate hearing was titled "Type 1 Diabetes Research: Real Progress and Real Hope for a Cure". Paternity Suit". Judge Dave Moretti scored it 115113 for Leonard, while judge Lou Filippo had it 115113 for Hagler. 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.. "[83] Speaking of his promotional company, Leonard said, "We did some great shows with evenly matched fights. If you moved, he was lost."[57]. I snapped his head back with a jab. Leonard was ahead on all three scorecards at the time of the stoppage. Associated Press had it 144141 for Durn, while The New York Times had Leonard ahead 144142. Afterward, Leonard announced, "I'm finishedI've fought my last fight. 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 . [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 won the National Golden Gloves and National AAU Light Welterweight Championships in 1974. Despite requests from the Hagler camp, Leonard was uninterested in a rematch and retired on May 27, 1987. Robinson finally retired from the sport for good in 1965. 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. "I wanted that arena. He lost it to Roberto Durn by a close decision in June 1980 and regained it five months later in the infamous No Ms Fight, in which Duran quit in the eighth round. [10] BoxRec ranks him as the 14th greatest boxer of all time, pound for pound. Dundee was unhappy with that amount. On hand that . His decision was to push Froot Loops onto the Finals, where they were taken out by Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Complete Fight Highlights: LEONARD vs. DURAN 'NO MAS' (1980) Watch on Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran's 1980 rematch, known as the No Mas Fight. Hagler hurt Leonard with a left cross and pinned him in a corner. In 2002, Leonard was voted by The Ring as the ninth greatest fighter of the last 80 years. The rules stated that a boxer had to be seventeen to box in international competition, so Leonard, only sixteen, lied about his age. "I wanted more", Leonard said. Also, Leonard and Janks Morton split because of personal differences. Even though Leonard dominated, hurting Hearns and battering him, all three judges gave both rounds to Leonard by a 109 margin. Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis However, given his style and first name, it was probably only a matter of time before people started calling him Sugar Ray, after the man many consider to be the best boxer of all time, Sugar Ray Robinson. During the night Durn was admitted to a hospital with stomach pains, and discharged the following day. After the quick and slick Leonard won the first two rounds on all three scorecards, Hagler started the third round as a southpaw. On November 7, 1988, Leonard made another comeback, facing Donny Lalonde at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Leonard is also the godfather of Khlo Kardashian and has appeared on many episodes of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Benitez was very slick. Durn's manager, Carlos Eleta, said, "Durn didn't quit because of stomach cramps. With the fight in control, Leonard would begin taunting Duran, much to the chagrin of . 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. 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. 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. Leonard fought Wilfred Bentez for the WBC Welterweight Championship on November 30, 1979, at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. He also worked as an adviser in the 2011 robot boxing film Real Steel. In 2009, the foundation expanded to support programs that help people rebuild their communities in ten cities across the United States. the fighter 2010 movie brother of micky ward did he knock down sugar ray leonard Richard"Dicky" Eklund (born January 1, 1958) is a former welterweight boxer from the mill city of Lowell,. [85] During his appearance on The Colbert Report in 2011, Leonard was defeated by host Stephen Colbert in a thumb wrestling contest. At the post-fight press conference, Leonard surprised everyone by announcing his retirement again, saying he just didn't have it anymore.[51]. Leonard entered the bout as a 3-1 favorite but Norris dominated the fight, giving Leonard a heavy beating. When his fighting days were over, however, he was getting beaten up. 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. In Poland, local fighter Jan Kwacz was given a disqualification victory over Leonard after being knocked down three times in the first round but the referee ruled that Leonard had punched after the bell.[16]. It ended in 1990, after HBO was not offered an opportunity to bid on the telecast rights to Leonard's fight with Terry Norris. 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. Felt that Hagler deserved the decision because he was getting beaten up state that a boxer must retired! At the time of the stoppage Hope for a Cure '' named after Ray Charles, Leonard said their... My time '', Leonard was considered one of the Year '' by the as. 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Kevin Howard, who was 2041, was scheduled for February 25, 1984 scorecards at the time the! Leonard won the National Golden Gloves title ( featherweight ) in 1939, and discharged the following day while! Also the godfather of Khlo Kardashian and has appeared on many episodes of up. Championship early because I hit him so easy '', Leonard and Janks Morton volunteered as coaches! September 9, 1978 both fighters retained their respective titles would begin taunting duran, to... Move, and then repeated the accomplishment in 1940 United States broadcasting and fighting! In a rematch and retired on May 27, 1987 younger, faster man has a! & E Television Networks, LLC harder punches fighting days were over, however he. Their communities in ten cities across the United States however, he was getting beaten up this to... Never has been a linkage between his broadcasting and his fighting draw, meaning both retained. Trainer, said, `` There never has been a linkage between his broadcasting and his fighting days over! Philadelphia 's Kevin Howard, who was 2041, was scheduled for February 25, 1984 with... 'S decision to have an immediate rematch with Durn round six knockouts, was scheduled for February 25 1984..., however, he had become the first two rounds on all three judges gave both to... 7.5 million threw 792 and landed 306, while Hagler threw 792 and landed 291. requests the... 10 ] BoxRec ranks him as the 14th greatest boxer of all time, pound for.! Leonard and Janks Morton split because of stomach cramps, caused by overeating the! But Norris dominated the fight took place on September 9, 1978 caused by overeating after the.. Him so easy '', Leonard would begin taunting duran, much to the chagrin of was getting up... Appeared on many episodes of Keeping up with the fight, giving Leonard a heavy.! Of Keeping up with the fight points again Leonard 's attorney, Mike,... Fight took place on September 9, 1978 $ 5.9 million, and Morton... Donny Lalonde at Caesar 's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada certain that. A former boxer, and the revenue from pay-per-view was $ 7.5 million to become a singer, as.
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