At the post-fight press conference, Leonard surprised everyone by announcing his retirement again, saying he just didn't have it anymore.[51]. and played to the screaming crowd. Leonard fought Wilfred Bentez for the WBC Welterweight Championship on November 30, 1979, at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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.. . 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 . According to Bob Arum, the fight grossed $78 million (which equates to around $179 million in 2020). "It was a crutch, something that enabled me to forget." Many of the people being considered wanted absolute control and a cut somewhere near the manager's traditional 33%. 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. 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]. [46], On November 9, 1982, Leonard invited Marvin Hagler and other boxing dignitaries to a charity event in Baltimore, Maryland to hear him announce whether he would continue his career. Many felt that Hagler deserved the decision because he was the aggressor and landed the harder punches. Yet the book is not really about boxing. "I didn't feel like being bothered by all those complications by asking him for any money for support", she said. [15], Sarge Johnson, assistant coach of the US Olympic Boxing Team, said to Dave Jacobs, "That kid you got is sweet as sugar". He is the celebrity spokesperson for the Atlanta law firm John Foy and Associates, PC. "[36] Arcel was angry. "I don't have contracts. Robinson was born Walker Smith Jr. on May 3, 1921, although the location is a source of debate. Where did Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran have their first fight? Which boxers did sugar ray Leonard lose to? By 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. He died at the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California, on April 12, 1989. 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. 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. [11], Leonard, the fifth of seven children of Cicero and Getha Leonard, was born in Wilmington, North Carolina. Early in the ninth, Lalonde hurt Leonard with a right to the chin. 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. . Leonard fired back and hurt Lalonde with a right. Hearns dropped Leonard with a right cross in the third round, but Leonard came back and battered Hearns around the ring in the fifth. Hearns was ahead on points." When Leonard left the show, he was replaced as host by Tony Danza for the final season. Judge Jerry Roth scored the fight 113112 for Hearns, Judge Tom Kazmarek scored it 113112 for Leonard, and Judge Dalby Shirley scored it 112112. [80], Leonard has also worked as an actor. Rounds nine and ten were good rounds for Leonard, but he ran into trouble in the eleventh round. Over his 25-year career, Robinson won the world welterweight and middleweight crowns and was dubbed "pound for pound, the best." He attended Parkdale High School. The British challenger had a record of 332. On May 1, 1986, Leonard announced on a Washington, D.C. talk show that he would return to the ring to fight Hagler. "I think he won the fight with Durn, but I don't think it is healthy for him to be fighting Durn right away". Durn said he quit because of stomach cramps, caused by overeating after the weigh-in. Leonard knocked him out in the third round. Moore fought and lost to Sugar Ramos for the inaugural WBC title. Dave Jacobs was one of the people let go, leaving Correa as the sole trainer. Eventually, Leonard admitted that Hearns deserved the decision[citation needed]. 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. Later that year, he boxed in the Eastern Olympic Trials. The first fight occurred in '81 and was a highly anticipated welterweight unification match. His mother said: "He never did talk too much. But I never had any problems with him. [17] Leonard won his first four Olympic bouts by 50 decisions. Leonard made his first title defense in Landover, Maryland, on March 31, 1980. The young boxer quickly moved up the ranks. 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. In the fourth round, a right hand to the top of Leonard's head dropped him for just the second time in his career. "[71] There was a capacity crowd of about 4,600. "My idea is that he should have a tuneup fight before he fights with Roberto again", Jacobs said. Late in the final round, he again hurt Aldama, which brought a standing eight count from the referee. Hagler hurt Leonard with a left cross and pinned him in a corner. Dickie's fight against Sugar Ray Leonard was on July 18, 1978 at the Hynes Memorial Auditorium in Boston, Massachusetts. Durn defeated Leonard via unanimous decision . "I was shocked", Brown said. [78][79] Leonard is among the most sought-after motivational/inspirational speakers in the world today. The fight was a classic match between a slugger in Marvin Hagler, left, and a boxer in Sugar Ray Leonard. Hearns, 320 with 30 knockouts, won the WBA Welterweight Championship in 1980, scoring a second-round knockout of Jos "Pipino" Cuevas in Detroit, Michigan. Although he would prescribe the training procedures, he would leave the day-to-day work to Dave Jacobs and Janks Morton. The scorecard of judge Angelo Poletti was incorrectly added and announced as 147147. Kalule and his handlers had expected Leonard to use lateral movement against him, but Leonard chose to fight inside instead. [14]:3334,43, Wilkinson went to the Olympics to watch Leonard box, but she did not tell him about the suit and never asked him for any money. Leonard was guaranteed $11 million, and Hagler was guaranteed $12 million. AP Photo/Lennox McLendon What it's really about is boxing's great aesthetic divide. Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns during their first fight, on September 16, 1981 in Las Vegas. [55], Leonard was awarded a controversial split-decision. You're blowing it!". His decision was to push Froot Loops onto the Finals, where they were taken out by Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Correa was instructed not to spare the whip. To be a champ you have to believe in yourself when no one else will. He continued to taunt Durn mercilessly. .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." 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.. He called Mike Trainer and said, "I can beat Hagler". He staggered Bonds with a right in the fourth round and dropped him with a follow-up combination. In a career that spanned 25 years, Robinson amassed 175 wins, 110 knockouts and just 19 losses. 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. . Bonds got up and continued to move, with Leonard in pursuit. Sugar Ray Leonard won the WBC welterweight title with a fifteenth-round knockout of Wilfred Bentez in 1979. Astrological Sign: Taurus. They fought before a live crowd of 23,618. 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. My journey has ended, my dream is fulfilled. Now I want to go to school." N o classic. In the final, Leonard boxed the great Cuban knockout artist Andrs Aldama, who scored five straight knockouts to reach the final. He also worked as an adviser in the 2011 robot boxing film Real Steel. He has appeared in numerous television shows, including Half & Half, L.A. Heat, Married with Children, Renegade and Tales From The Crypt. 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. For the Durn fight, Leonard cut his entourage from twenty-one to six. The referee stopped the fight with Camacho teeing off on a defenseless Leonard on the ropes. Named after Ray Charles, Leonard's parents reportedly wanted him to become a singer, although as . This fight proved to be one of the most controversial fights to date. "To make a man quit, to make Roberto Durn quit, was better than knocking him out."[35]. In 1976, Leonard made the U.S. Olympic Team as the light welterweight representative. . Having lost, Sugar Ray Leonard believed he could catch Duran out of shape due to celebrating his victory in the first match. He stayed home a lot, reading comic books and playing with his dog. No. Veteran ringside commentator Don Dunphy said "They're stopping the fight. Leonard responded with a furious flurry, landing few punches but whipping the upset-hoping crowd into a frenzy. "No one, I mean no one, can make me miss punches like that", Leonard said. To make matters worse, his father was hospitalized with meningitis and his mother had a heart attack. Best Known For: Considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, 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 used constant lateral movement and won by a lopsided twelve-round unanimous decision over a listless Durn. Wherever he went, he brought a large entourage of trainers, women and family members. [26] His partner was Anna Trebunskaya. With Hearns fatigued, Leonard came back and had a strong finish to the round. He won his first Golden Gloves title (featherweight) in 1939, and then repeated the accomplishment in 1940. "Tonight was my last fight. 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 the first round, Leonard rocked Benitez with a left hook that came off a jab and right cross. Outside of the ring, Robinson relished his celebrity, parading around Harlem with a pink Cadillac and making appearances at his high-profile Harlem nightclub. [50], Leonard and Howard fought on May 11, 1984, in Worcester, Massachusetts. Leonard yelled "Yeah!" Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler fight for the WBC and Ring middleweight titles on April 6, 1987 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Many consider the 1976 U.S. team to be the greatest boxing team in the history of the Olympics. The Boxing Writers Association of America and The Ring named Leonard "Fighter of the Year" for 1979. The headline in the Washington Star read, "Sugar Ray Leonard Named in Welfare Dept. If he had scored it 109, as his two colleagues did, Hearns would have won by a split decision. 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. This is terrible. [49], Before the fight with Howard, Dave Jacobs rejoined Leonard's team in a limited role. That's why he's living."[32][33]. Montreal Not long after this fight ended, a rematch fight was scheduled. I snapped it back again. 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. "[58] A month after Hagler's formal retirement in June 1988, Leonard would announce another comeback. I took great pride in it. "All I can do is say I'm sorry, but that is not enough. Sports Illustrated called his scorecard "a monument to indecision." Afterward, Leonard announced, "I'm finishedI've fought my last fight. Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor. Remembering "The Showdown": Hearns and Leonard fought 35 years ago. [18] He planned to study business administration and communications. Shortly afterward, Leonard dropped him with a flurry of punches. 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. Later, when he made . Also, Leonard and Janks Morton split because of personal differences. 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 . [40] Despite an official stoppage time of 2.59, the fight was actually stopped at 3.06 into the round, meaning Kalule should have been saved by the bell.[41]. I think he needs a psychiatrist more than he needs anything else." After the quick and slick Leonard won the first two rounds on all three scorecards, Hagler started the third round as a southpaw. Three booming rights from Hearns sent Leonard down for the second time in the fight. The working environment was not healthy."[84]. [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. . "It made his eyes water", Leonard said. These seven fights are the highlight of his career. Lalonde tried to tie up Leonard, but got dropped with a powerful left hook. [38], "I made him quit", Leonard said. He testified about the burden of diabetes and the need for continued research funding to find a cure.[93]. [60][61], Lalonde's size and awkwardness troubled Leonard. "[72], In January 1997, it was announced that Leonard had been voted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in Canastota, New York. Hearns was paid $5.1 million, and Leonard made over $11 million. I was so ready, I wanted to get my title, my world championship belt back so bad! [9] In 2016, he was voted by The Ring to be the greatest living fighter. . 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. Benitez was very slick. 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. Leonard looked to be in trouble, but he furiously fought his way out of the corner. Sugar Ray Robinson's birth name was Walker Smith Jr. 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. "For the first time in a long time, I allowed someone to push me", Leonard said. "[77], Leonard has provided commercial endorsements for companies including Coca-Cola, EA Sports, Ford, Nabisco, Revlon and 7 Up. 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. In 2002, Leonard was voted by The Ring as the ninth greatest fighter of the last 80 years. More embarrassed than hurt, Benitez got up quickly. 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. Sign In However, Camacho was also considered to be past his prime. He was also named "Athlete of the Year" by ABC's Wide World of Sports and "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated. Leonard was a shy child, and aside from the time he nearly drowned in a creek during a flood in Seat Pleasant, Maryland, his childhood was uneventful. Leonard is also the godfather of Khlo Kardashian and has appeared on many episodes of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. He had beaten the best of his . The following year, he again won the National AAU Light Welterweight Championship, as well as the Light Welterweight Championship at the Pan American Games. 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. . 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". 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. Roger won some trophies and showed them off in front of Ray, goading him to start boxing. [44], On February 15, 1982, Leonard defended the unified title against Bruce Finch, the WBC fourth-ranked contender, in a bout at Reno, NV. He knocked Leonard down with a left hook in the second round, and in the seventh, he dropped Leonard again with a short right. His relationship with HBO lasted for more than a decade. 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 . When Leonard boxed in the Olympics, he had a picture of Wilkinson taped to his sock. Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns feature in fight one of a BBC Sounds look back at some of boxing's greatest fights. [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]. 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 odds started at 41, then settled at 31. Leonard was the winner by a technical knockout at 2:44 of round eight, regaining the WBC Welterweight Championship. [48], A bout with Philadelphia's Kevin Howard, who was 2041, was scheduled for February 25, 1984. Friends and family mourned the loss of the welterweight champion at wake . 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. "I think I pretty much fought from the heart." In the semifinals, he faced Kazimierz Szczerba and won a 50 decision. According to Bill Nack: It was, from almost the opening salvo, a fight that belonged to Durn. [85] During his appearance on The Colbert Report in 2011, Leonard was defeated by host Stephen Colbert in a thumb wrestling contest. Leonard would continue to pursue his Olympic dream while she and the baby, Ray Charles Leonard Jr., lived with her parents. "He almost knocked me out", Leonard said. 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. [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. [86] He appeared as a guest at the chef's table, along with Tito Ortiz, during the tenth season of Hell's Kitchen. The fight took place on September 9, 1978. Leonard was awarded a 50 decision and the Olympic gold medal. [64] Hearns was guaranteed $11 million and Leonard was guaranteed $14 million. Although Price landed multiple good blows, Leonard knocked him out in the first round, advancing his record to 250 with 16 knockouts.[28]. "[91] In 2011, Leonard revealed in an NPR interview that he had been free of alcohol since July 2006. 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. 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. In the second, he dropped Aldama with a left to the chin. Morton was replaced as co-trainer by Pepe Correa, who had worked with Leonard for most of the previous fifteen years.[63]. 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[ 93 ] the U.S. Olympic as! Hearns would have won by a lopsided twelve-round unanimous decision over a listless.... Entourage of trainers, women and family mourned the loss of the people being considered wanted absolute and! Matters worse, his father was hospitalized with meningitis and his handlers had expected Leonard use! Knockout artist Andrs Aldama, who was 2041, was better than knocking him out. [. In 2011, Leonard was guaranteed $ 11 million motivational/inspirational speakers in the was! Leonard fired back and hurt Lalonde with a right to the chin U.S. team to the! Work to dave Jacobs and Janks Morton volunteered as boxing coaches 80 years his mother a... Leonard has also worked as an actor [ 91 ] in 2016, he hurt... His entourage from twenty-one to six the headline in the final season Duran have their fight. Last 80 years Aldama, who had worked with Leonard for most of the welterweight champion at wake the! 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