By 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor.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; as well as the undisputed . In snowshoesLeonard repeatedly beat Hagler to the punch. 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. 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. The scores were 120104, 119103, and 116110. I know this. 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. 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. Hearns' legs were clearly gone and after more pressure from Leonard he was bundled through the ropes, no knockdown was given as it wasn't a punch that sent him there. "I was shocked", Brown said. Durn said he quit because of stomach cramps, caused by overeating after the weigh-in. . [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]. Dundee was unhappy with that amount. The Classic bout between Sugar Ray Leonard V Thomas Hearns.Leonard Snatches Victory from the jaws of defeat with a dramatic late Stoppage! "The whole fight, I was moving, I was moving", Leonard said. But even though it was bereft of some of the normal fight card touches, this show offered a fun presentation of boxing that never mocked the sport. After the bout Hagler stated it may be his last fight. [18] He planned to study business administration and communications. Shortly afterward, Leonard dropped him with a flurry of punches. The live gate was $5.9 million, and the revenue from pay-per-view was $7.5 million. Where did Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran have their first fight? 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. 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. Leonard had no answer for the skillful, younger, faster man. [22] After the fight, Leonard paid back his $21,000 loan to the investors. Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor. "He's a great trainer, a throwback", Leonard said. 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"). He also had the distinction of being the first boxer ever to earn $100 million in purses. The rules state that a boxer must be retired for five years before being eligible for induction. 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. After the verdict was announced, Leonard announced his retirement. He was paid $40,044 for the fight. Hagler backed off, and Leonard danced away with Hagler in pursuit. [60][61], Lalonde's size and awkwardness troubled Leonard. Associated Press had it 144141 for Durn, while The New York Times had Leonard ahead 144142. Leonard married his high school sweetheart, Juanita Wilkinson, in January 1980. Hearns was the WBA champion while Leonard held the WBC title. 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 was his first defeat. In a fight that many considered to be very boring, both fighters were booed often by the fans and many left the arena before the decision was announced. . Benitez was very slick. He has appeared in numerous television shows, including Half & Half, L.A. Heat, Married with Children, Renegade and Tales From The Crypt. Leonard responded with a furious flurry, landing few punches but whipping the upset-hoping crowd into a frenzy. Eventually, Leonard admitted that Hearns deserved the decision[citation needed]. Morton was replaced as co-trainer by Pepe Correa, who had worked with Leonard for most of the previous fifteen years.[63]. Leonard landed the harder punches and had Benitez hurt several times late in the fight, but Leonard couldn't put him away. Many of the people being considered wanted absolute control and a cut somewhere near the manager's traditional 33%. "He has really helped me get ready. Dave Jacobs disagreed with the decision to have an immediate rematch with Durn and terminated his relationship with Leonard when the rematch was made. Photo: Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images, Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Sugar Ray Robinson, Birth Year: 1921, Birth date: May 3, 1921, Birth State: Georgia, Birth City: Ailey, Birth Country: United States. 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. In the semifinals, he faced Kazimierz Szczerba and won a 50 decision. How many times did Tommy Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard fight? In the final, Leonard boxed the great Cuban knockout artist Andrs Aldama, who scored five straight knockouts to reach the final. [27] Price, an up-and-coming contender who was sponsored by Marvin Gaye, had a reputation for prolonged bouts in earlier fights and was believed by sports reporters to defeat or give a long fight to Leonard. The two fought with great intensity throughout the fight. But the TV show came about and made my decision a lot easier. These seven fights are the highlight of his career. It was the first knockdown of Leonard's professional career. My word is my bond", Leonard said. Durn defeated Leonard via unanimous decision . Hagler's undisputed status ended when the WBA stripped him of the title for choosing to fight Sugar Ray Leonard instead of mandatory challenger, Herol Graham. Leonard won the National Golden Gloves and National AAU Light Welterweight Championships in 1974. Robi is the daughter of Paul Robi, one of the original Platters, and she is the ex-wife of Lynn Swann. TYson had warched film of Foreman destroying Joe Frazier. [86] He appeared as a guest at the chef's table, along with Tito Ortiz, during the tenth season of Hell's Kitchen. Leonard and . He was also named "Athlete of the Year" by ABC's Wide World of Sports and "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated. To make matters worse, his father was hospitalized with meningitis and his mother had a heart attack. 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. Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis His older brother, Roger, started boxing first. Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler fight for the WBC and Ring middleweight titles on April 6, 1987 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Leonard also won a light welterweight gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. Later that year, he boxed in the Eastern Olympic Trials. 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 odds started at 41, then settled at 31. Leonard's most memorable punch came late in the round. But New York proved rough in other ways. [88] In 1984, they had another son, Jarrell. All Rights Reserved. "I felt weaker and weaker in my body and arms." Leonard learned of the suit several days after returning home from the Olympics. Three booming rights from Hearns sent Leonard down for the second time in the fight. 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.. Kalule, who was 360, had been the WBA Light Middleweight Champion for two years. This movie brought back memories of his fight with Dicky Eklund. "I wanted more", Leonard said. 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. [76], Leonard has worked as a boxing analyst for ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, HBO and EPIX. 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. "For the first time in a long time, I allowed someone to push me", Leonard said. [38], "I made him quit", Leonard said. [47], Missing the limelight and the competition, Leonard announced in December 1983 that he was returning to the ring. As an amateur, he took an Olympic gold medal in the light-welterweight class at the 1976 Games in Montreal. Answer (1 of 8): Hearns and Leonard fought twice. Of all people, John 'The Beast' Mugabi." Leonard entered the bout as a 3-1 favorite but Norris dominated the fight, giving Leonard a heavy beating. Unable to get away, unable to counter and unable to slide away to open up the ring, Leonard seemed almost helpless under the assault. "I decided to search for a substituteI resorted to cocaine. Leonard moved up to the junior middleweight division and faced Kalule on June 25, 1981, at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. Shortly before the Olympics, Wilkinson had filed an application to receive $156 a month in child support payments from Prince George's County, Maryland. Sugar Ray Leonard (def. .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." 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. 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