His decision was to push Froot Loops onto the Finals, where they were taken out by Cinnamon Toast Crunch. She named Leonard as the father and the county's state attorney's office filed a civil suit against Leonard to establish paternity and get support payments for the child. His partner was Anna Trebunskaya. In 2002, Leonard was voted by The Ring as the ninth greatest fighter of the last 80 years. The two fought with great intensity throughout the fight. [14]:4243 He finished his amateur career with a record of 1655 and 75 KOs.[19]. By 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. Leonard, having slowed down, was obliged to fight more and move less. The headline in the Washington Star read, "Sugar Ray Leonard Named in Welfare Dept. On December 7, 1989, Leonard defended the title against Roberto Durn, who was the reigning WBC Middleweight Champion. Leonard went the distance but lost by a lopsided decision. 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 almost knocked me out", Leonard said. What was the score of the Sugar Ray Leonard fight? Early in the seventh round, Hearns hurt Leonard but punched himself out going for the knockout. . Early in the ninth, Lalonde hurt Leonard with a right to the chin. The judges scored the fight a draw and Leonard retained the title. It supports accessible housing, healthcare services, and educational services and job training. 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]. "At the end of the fifth round, I got cramps in my stomach and it kept getting worse and worse", Duran later said. Leonard suffered his last two losses as an amateur in 1974. Close Alert. 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. Judges Raymond Baldeyrou and Harry Gibbs scored the fight 146144 and 145144, respectively. Robinson began his career with an astonishing 40 straight victories and was called the "uncrowned champion" by boxing fans on account that the mob, with who Robinson refused to play nice with, denied him the chance to fight for the world welterweight title until after the war. As a boy growing up in Detroit, Sugar Ray Robinson was neighbors with heavyweight champion Joe Louis. The Panamanian seized the evening and gave it what shape and momentum it had. Leonard knocked him out in the third round. In the fifth, Camacho dropped Leonard with a right followed by two left uppercuts. Six years later, Robinson captured the middleweight title for the first time by defeating Jake LaMotta. 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. During a 20-year period, Sugar Ray Leonard was considered one of the greatest boxers. Judge Jerry Roth scored the fight 113112 for Hearns, Judge Tom Kazmarek scored it 113112 for Leonard, and Judge Dalby Shirley scored it 112112. Many of the people being considered wanted absolute control and a cut somewhere near the manager's traditional 33%. 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,. Durn forced the issue and took the fight to Leonard, cutting off the ring and denying Leonard space to fight his fight. They decided to have the baby but marriage would be put off until after the Olympics in 1976. The first fight occurred in '81 and was a highly anticipated welterweight unification match. 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. "[71] Sylvester Stallone, who co-hosted during the first season, was one of the executive producers, along with Mark Burnett. Robinson wouldn't go by his birth name for the rest of his career. My word is my bond", Leonard said. Leonard was named "Fighter of the Year" by The Ring and The Boxing Writers Association of America. 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. Hearns started to stick and move, and he started to pile up points again. Leonard pledged he would support his son, even if he had to scrap plans to attend college. For the first bout of his career in 1936, he borrowed the Amateur Athletic Union card of another boxer, whose name was Ray Robinson, to enter the ring. It was a highly competitive and tactical battle. I snapped his head back with a jab. The fight billed as a classic showdown between a powerful knockout artist and the best boxer/puncher the welterweight division had seen in decades devolved into a slow, tactical fight. However, Camacho was also considered to be past his prime. Hearns was paid $5.1 million, and Leonard made over $11 million. Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns during their first fight, on September 16, 1981 in Las Vegas. He staggered Bonds with a right in the fourth round and dropped him with a follow-up combination. Sugar Ray Leonard, byname of Ray Charles Leonard, (born May 17, 1956, Rocky Mount, North Carolina, U.S.), American boxer, known for his agility and finesse, who won 36 of 40 professional matches and various titles. The rules stated that a boxer had to be seventeen to box in international competition, so Leonard, only sixteen, lied about his age. 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." Sign In Leonard was the aggressor throughout, with Bonds circling the ring. [55], Leonard was awarded a controversial split-decision. 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 . Montreal Not long after this fight ended, a rematch fight was scheduled. Remembering "The Showdown": Hearns and Leonard fought 35 years ago. But eventually you and Durn had a rematch that you ended up winning. I don't believe it. Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor. Durn hesitated. Associated Press had it 144141 for Durn, while The New York Times had Leonard ahead 144142. Duran and Leonard would go on to fight two more times, once in November 1980 and again . He was also named "Athlete of the Year" by ABC's Wide World of Sports and "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated. "But then he adjusted to my style. 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. His doctor suggested that he cancel the fight, but Leonard wanted to go through with it. "My idea is that he should have a tuneup fight before he fights with Roberto again", Jacobs said. He continued to score well in the fourth and opened a cut above Leonard's right eye. 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. After hurting Hearns with a right, Leonard exploded with a combination of punches. April - Marvin Hagler, Las Vegas, W 12 1988 Leonard won the WBC light heavyweight and super middleweight titles by knocking out Don Lalonde in November. Leonard and Robi were married at Leonard's $8.7 million estate in Pacific Palisades, California in August 1993. Hearns, with too much faith in his powerful right hand, lost to Sugar Ray Leonard in their first match. First, in 1991, he lost by decision to Terry Norris. 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]. and played to the screaming crowd. [14]:78, In 1973, Leonard won the National Golden Gloves Lightweight Championship, but lost to Randy Shields in the lightweight final of the National AAU Tournament. He was paid $40,044 for the fight. Hagler continued to score somewhat effectively in round six. Leonard won the National Golden Gloves and National AAU Light Welterweight Championships in 1974. However, less than a week after the fight, Leonard said he planned to fight again. Leonard kept it up, continuing to move, stop, and mug. Come under with a punch.". For his services, Dundee would get 15% of Leonard's purse. Hearns dropped Leonard with a right cross in the third round, but Leonard came back and battered Hearns around the ring in the fifth. He went to a doctor and discovered that he had a detached retina. Leonard testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs in 2009. Hagler did better, but Leonard's superior speed and boxing skill still allowed him to control the fight. "It was a crutch, something that enabled me to forget." While training, Leonard started to see floaters. [6][7] Leonard was also the first boxer to earn more than $100 million in purses, and was named "Boxer of the Decade" in the 1980s. Sugar Ray Leonard (def. Despite Leonard's obvious fatigue, he boxed well in the eleventh. Correa was instructed not to spare the whip. [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. I've handled thousands of fighters and never had anyone quit on me. Sugar Ray Leonard walked away from boxing for good in 1997 when, at the age of 40, Hector Camacho ended his ill-fated comeback by stopping him in five rounds.. The time was 2:54 of round fifteen.[29]. But New York proved rough in other ways. It was his first defeat. His speech, entitled "Power" (Prepare, Overcome and Win Every Round), is consistently booked with major Fortune 500 companies throughout the United States and abroad. My journey has ended, my dream is fulfilled. [14]:1 He made it to the lightweight semifinals, losing a disputed decision to Greg Whaley, who took such a beating that he wasn't allowed to continue in the trials and never boxed again. 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. "It took this fight to show me it is no longer my time", Leonard said. In 1976, Leonard made the U.S. Olympic Team as the light welterweight representative. The odds started at 41, then settled at 31. 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. In the second, he dropped Aldama with a left to the chin. I knew he would indulge himself, he'd gain 4050 lbs and then sweat it off to make 147." The referee stopped the fight with Camacho teeing off on a defenseless Leonard on the ropes. He died at the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California, on April 12, 1989. He tried to get me against the ropes, I'd pivot, spin off and Pow! "I did the best I could", Leonard said. Blood flowed down his forehead and the bridge of his nose but stayed out of his eyes. "I don't have contracts. Leonard got hit by sparring partner Quincy Taylor and was badly buckled. Round nine was the most exciting round of the fight. He would also choose Leonard's opponents. The scorecards from the ringside press and broadcast media attest to the polarizing views and opinions of the fight. 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. The legendary boxer Sugar Ray Leonard had an impressive professional boxing career, with a total of 36 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss. [80], Leonard has also worked as an actor. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. During divorce proceedings, Juanita Leonard testified that her husband physically abused her while under the influence of alcohol. . . He said he quit using drugs in early 1986, when he woke up one morning and "what I saw in the mirror was scary." The scores were 120104, 119103, and 116110. "He does have a heart. Robi is the daughter of Paul Robi, one of the original Platters, and she is the ex-wife of Lynn Swann. Having lost, Sugar Ray Leonard believed he could catch Duran out of shape due to celebrating his victory in the first match. [24][25], On August 12, 1979, Leonard knocked out Pete Ranzany in four rounds to win the NABF Welterweight Championship. When Leonard boxed in the Olympics, he had a picture of Wilkinson taped to his sock. He was voted off in Week 4 of the show. Durn retired from boxing . Dickie Eklund (left) smiles before the Sugar Ray fight. Asked if Leonard was the best he ever fought, Durn thought for a moment and then answered, "Si, si." Camacho applied pressure from the opening bell and started to score well in the third. The Senate hearing was titled "Type 1 Diabetes Research: Real Progress and Real Hope for a Cure". 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.. Or why Roberto Durn was acting out of prudence, not cowardice, when he quit in his second fight against Leonard. [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]. Robinson inspired Ali's famous matador style, which he used to defeat Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title in 1964. Leonard responded with a furious flurry, landing few punches but whipping the upset-hoping crowd into a frenzy. [75] He was scheduled to fight Tony Menefee on February 15, 1998, in Australia, but he pulled out of the fight, saying that he didn't have the motivation. 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. Leonard looked to be in trouble, but he furiously fought his way out of the corner. Durn's manager, Carlos Eleta, said, "Durn didn't quit because of stomach cramps. 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. Leonard had no answer for the skillful, younger, faster man. [76], Leonard has worked as a boxing analyst for ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, HBO and EPIX. In 2007 he was awarded The Ambassador Award of Excellence by the LA Sports & Entertainment Commission at the Riviera Country Club for his continued community involvement. 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. Roger won some trophies and showed them off in front of Ray, goading him to start boxing. 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 Named after Ray Charles, Leonard's parents reportedly wanted him to become a singer, although as . Career Highlights Sugar Ray Leonard fought a total of 40 times during his professional career. Leonard battled back again and again, but he had to work just to find room to breathe and swing, at times simply to survive. Leonard was undefeated (12-0) going . Always moving forward, he mauled and wrestled Leonard, scoring inside with hooks and rights. [85] During his appearance on The Colbert Report in 2011, Leonard was defeated by host Stephen Colbert in a thumb wrestling contest. 2 . [18] He planned to study business administration and communications. The roles reversed: Leonard became the stalker and Hearns became the boxer. He stuck out his chin, inviting Durn to hit it. Leonard dropped him again in the tenth. She also said he was an occasional cocaine user. 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. "He's black, he's blind, and he's broke.". [50], Leonard and Howard fought on May 11, 1984, in Worcester, Massachusetts. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He wasn't afraid, he was being a smart businessman. 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. "It was stupid for me to fight Norris at 154 lbs", Leonard said. Hagler never seized total control of the fight as he had against Thomas Hearns two years earlier, when he brutalized Hearns and scored a third-round knockout. 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. The fight began as expected, Leonard boxing from a distance and Hearns stalking. On December 7, 1989, the boxer Sugar Ray Leonard triumphs over a lackluster Roberto Duran in a unanimous 12-round decision at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. [48], A bout with Philadelphia's Kevin Howard, who was 2041, was scheduled for February 25, 1984. He had a falling out with partner Bjorn Rebney, whom he called "a cancer in my company. Kevin Howard, who was the aggressor throughout, with Bonds circling the Ring as the ninth, Lalonde Leonard... 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