Leonard would continue to pursue his Olympic dream while she and the baby, Ray Charles Leonard Jr., lived with her parents. Leonard yelled "Yeah!" Outside of the ring, Robinson relished his celebrity, parading around Harlem with a pink Cadillac and making appearances at his high-profile Harlem nightclub. Benitez started improving in the fourth, slipping numerous punches and finding the range with his right hand. Later, when he made . 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 quick and slick Leonard won the first two rounds on all three scorecards, Hagler started the third round as a southpaw. . I think he needs a psychiatrist more than he needs anything else." 2 of his losses came after his first retirement. "And Voom! On March 28, 1981, Leonard defended his title against Larry Bonds, the WBC sixth-ranked contender, at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. Leonard received $1 million and Benitez, a two-division champion with a record of 3801, received $1.2 million. . Durn was guaranteed $7.6 million and Leonard's arrangement guaranteed him over $13 million.[65]. He lost a disputed decision to Anatoli Kamnev in Moscow, after which, Kamnev gave the winner's trophy to Leonard. [42] Some also considered the stoppage premature. Leonard is also the godfather of Khlo Kardashian and has appeared on many episodes of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. 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 . Picking himself off the canvas twice, Leonard showed . Durn was awarded a unanimous decision, although it was mistakenly read as a majority decision in the ring. The following month, he made his first title defense against Andy Price. Sugar Ray Leonard: The Final Fight. Hagler was a heavy favorite. Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler fight for the WBC and Ring middleweight titles on April 6, 1987 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. 1 in its book "The 100 Greatest Boxers of All Time.". He quit because he was embarrassed. Leonard maintained his eye was fully healed, but that he just didn't want to box anymore. I took great pride in it. 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 . 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. "He's black, he's blind, and he's broke.". Standing in a boxing ring with Howard Cosell, the master of ceremonies, Leonard announced his retirement, saying a bout with Hagler would unfortunately never happen. He has also appeared in several movies, including I Spy and most recently The Fighter (2010), starring Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg. 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. [80], Leonard has also worked as an actor. In the fourth round, a right hand to the top of Leonard's head dropped him for just the second time in his career. However, less than a week after the fight, Leonard said he planned to fight again. He was paid $40,044 for the fight. Leonard's attorney, Mike Trainer, said, "There never has been a linkage between his broadcasting and his fighting. To revisit this article, select My Account, then View saved stories. 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. The Classic bout between Sugar Ray Leonard V Thomas Hearns.Leonard Snatches Victory from the jaws of defeat with a dramatic late Stoppage! Bonds rose but Leonard didn't let him off the hook. 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. 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!" He was also named "Athlete of the Year" by ABC's Wide World of Sports and "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated. Moore fought and lost to Sugar Ramos for the inaugural WBC title. Camacho, a light-hitting southpaw, was a three-time world champion with a record of 6231. [1] He was named after Ray Charles, his mother's favorite singer. Hagler continued to score somewhat effectively in round six. [64] Hearns was guaranteed $11 million and Leonard was guaranteed $14 million. I don't believe it. After several comebacks, Leonard ended his professional career with 36 wins, three losses, and one draw. What was the score of the Sugar Ray Leonard fight? With little money Robinson helped his mother save for an apartment by earning change dancing for strangers in Times Square the Smiths built their new life in a section of Harlem dominated by flophouses and gangsters. The nickname "Sugar" came from Gainford, who had described the young boxer as "sweet as sugar"; reporters soon began using the moniker. 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. [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. Robinson, who had a son from a previous marriage, helped raise Millie's two children. "Sugar Ray Robinson had a nice ring to it," Robinson later said. Leonard landed several good left hooks in the first round. During divorce proceedings, Juanita Leonard testified that her husband physically abused her while under the influence of alcohol. He turned pro that same year. In the fifth, Camacho dropped Leonard with a right followed by two left uppercuts. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Hearns, with too much faith in his powerful right hand, lost to Sugar Ray Leonard in their first match. On hand that . Leonard fought Wilfred Bentez for the WBC Welterweight Championship on November 30, 1979, at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. He drove him to the ropes and unleashed a furious assault. Dickie Eklund (left) smiles before the Sugar Ray fight. "For the first time in a long time, I allowed someone to push me", Leonard said. Tyson lost his first fight to Holyfield in 1996. [60][61], Lalonde's size and awkwardness troubled Leonard. [55], Leonard was awarded a controversial split-decision. He went to a doctor and discovered that he had a detached retina. Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis N o classic. More embarrassed than hurt, Benitez got up quickly. His opponent was Luis "The Bull" Vega, whom he defeated by a six-round unanimous decision. He called Mike Trainer and said, "I can beat Hagler". It ended in 1990, after HBO was not offered an opportunity to bid on the telecast rights to Leonard's fight with Terry Norris. The scorecards from the ringside press and broadcast media attest to the polarizing views and opinions of the fight. Leonard had no answer for the skillful, younger, faster man. In 1991 the brilliant career of Sugar Ray Leonard appeared to have finally come to an end. [45] Leonard's next fight was scheduled to be against Roger Stafford on May 14, 1982, in Buffalo, New York. Roberto Duran Speaks: The Untold Story Is Finally Revealed!, Bill Brubaker, The Boxing Writers Association of America, List of light middleweight boxing champions, "Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray Leonard lead the way", "The Fabulous Four Hagler, Hearns, Duran, and Leonard", "Ring Magazine's 80 Best Fighters of the Last 80 Years", "Who is the greatest fighter alive? Leonard also won a light welterweight gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. "This is different. 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. 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. Robi is the daughter of Paul Robi, one of the original Platters, and she is the ex-wife of Lynn Swann. To be a champ you have to believe in yourself when no one else will. Dave Jacobs disagreed with the decision to have an immediate rematch with Durn and terminated his relationship with Leonard when the rematch was made. 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". As a boy growing up in Detroit, Sugar Ray Robinson was neighbors with heavyweight champion Joe Louis. [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. In the second, he dropped Aldama with a left to the chin. [34], After the Montreal fight Durn went on a partying binge and ballooned in weight. Afterward, Leonard announced, "I'm finishedI've fought my last fight. In 2002, Leonard was voted by The Ring as the ninth greatest fighter of the last 80 years. . The fight was cancelled, and Leonard had surgery to repair the retina on May 9, 1982. "My idea is that he should have a tuneup fight before he fights with Roberto again", Jacobs said. He said he quit using drugs in early 1986, when he woke up one morning and "what I saw in the mirror was scary." [14]:63, When Leonard decided to turn professional, Janks Morton introduced him to Mike Trainer, a friend of his who was an attorney. Kalule and his handlers had expected Leonard to use lateral movement against him, but Leonard chose to fight inside instead. Robinson was born Walker Smith Jr. on May 3, 1921, although the location is a source of debate. Leonard knocked him out in the third round. Voom! The cuts required a total of 60 stitches. The fight ended with Hagler and Leonard exchanging along the ropes. He also worked as an adviser in the 2011 robot boxing film Real Steel. Shirley was the only judge to give Leonard a 108 margin in the twelfth. Durn defeated Leonard via unanimous decision . There was a capacity crowd of about 4,600. "I was ringside", Leonard said. "That's it", he said. No. Leonard was named "Fighter of the Year" by The Ring and The Boxing Writers Association of America. 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. 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. Morton was replaced as co-trainer by Pepe Correa, who had worked with Leonard for most of the previous fifteen years.[63]. 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 . [17] Leonard won his first four Olympic bouts by 50 decisions. I've handled thousands of fighters and never had anyone quit on me. When Leonard left the show, he was replaced as host by Tony Danza for the final season. WASHINGTON POST. . Round ten was tame by comparison, as the pace slowed after the furious action of the previous round but with Hagler having more spectacular moments. Montreal Not long after this fight ended, a rematch fight was scheduled. These seven fights are the highlight of his career. Leonard called it "the hardest single punch I ever threw."[30]. I already had it in the back of my mind to dissolve the company. . It was a fascinating fight in which a determined Leonard roared back from the brink of defea. The first fight occurred in '81 and was a highly anticipated welterweight unification match. 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 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. [14]:6568, Leonard made his professional debut on February 5, 1977, before a crowd of 10,270 at the Civic Center in Baltimore. He staggered Bonds with a right in the fourth round and dropped him with a follow-up combination. Leonard won the fight in 12 rounds on a split decision. "I wanted that arena. "[58] A month after Hagler's formal retirement in June 1988, Leonard would announce another comeback. Leonard made his first title defense in Landover, Maryland, on March 31, 1980. 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. "No one, I mean no one, can make me miss punches like that", Leonard said. The legendary boxer Sugar Ray Leonard had an impressive professional boxing career, with a total of 36 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss. With only a few seconds left in the fight, a Leonard combination forced another standing eight count. Hearns started to stick and move, and he started to pile up points again. Where did Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran have their first fight? Leonard went the distance but lost by a lopsided decision. He had a falling out with partner Bjorn Rebney, whom he called "a cancer in my company. This decision was met with a torrent of criticism from fans and the media, who felt Leonard was taking unnecessary risks with his surgically repaired eye. The following year, Leonard won the National Golden Gloves and National AAU Lightweight Championships. Leonard used constant lateral movement and won by a lopsided twelve-round unanimous decision over a listless Durn. In snowshoesLeonard repeatedly beat Hagler to the punch. When the vote took place, Leonard had been retired for more than five years, therefore, he was eligible, even though he had a fight scheduled. "I think I pretty much fought from the heart." They fought before a live crowd of 23,618. First, in 1991, he lost by decision to Terry Norris. "I wasn't aware I was in a championship early because I hit him so easy", Leonard said. TYson had warched film of Foreman destroying Joe Frazier. 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." For the Durn fight, Leonard cut his entourage from twenty-one to six. [86] He appeared as a guest at the chef's table, along with Tito Ortiz, during the tenth season of Hell's Kitchen. 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. 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. 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. Named after Ray Charles, Leonard's parents reportedly wanted him to become a singer, although as . [74], Leonard said he planned to have a series of tuneup fights before fighting a champion. [38], "I made him quit", Leonard said. But the TV show came about and made my decision a lot easier. Sugar Ray Robinson turned pro in 1940 and won his first 40 fights. After the bout Hagler stated it may be his last fight. [50], Leonard and Howard fought on May 11, 1984, in Worcester, Massachusetts. He has appeared in numerous television shows, including Half & Half, L.A. Heat, Married with Children, Renegade and Tales From The Crypt. The live gate was $5.9 million, and the revenue from pay-per-view was $7.5 million. Which boxers did sugar ray Leonard lose to? This is terrible. He attended Parkdale High School. The induction ceremony was on June 15, 1997.[73]. On December 7, 1989, Leonard defended the title against Roberto Durn, who was the reigning WBC Middleweight Champion. Yet the book is not really about boxing. [11], Leonard, the fifth of seven children of Cicero and Getha Leonard, was born in Wilmington, North Carolina. 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"). His decision was to push Froot Loops onto the Finals, where they were taken out by Cinnamon Toast Crunch. [14]:4243 He finished his amateur career with a record of 1655 and 75 KOs.[19]. It was the only time in Leonard's career that he was knocked out. "But then he adjusted to my style. But I never had any problems with him. "I was shocked", Brown said. Hagler backed off, and Leonard danced away with Hagler in pursuit. Correa was instructed not to spare the whip. In the sixth, there was an accidental clash of heads, which opened a cut on the forehead of Benitez. In 2009, the foundation expanded to support programs that help people rebuild their communities in ten cities across the United States. [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. In the semifinals, he faced Kazimierz Szczerba and won a 50 decision. Bonds was a southpaw, which made him a good opponent for Leonard, given that his next opponent was scheduled to be the WBA Light Middleweight Champion Ayub Kalule, a southpaw. During the night Durn was admitted to a hospital with stomach pains, and discharged the following day. . He also had the distinction of being the first boxer ever to earn $100 million in purses. [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. 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. Leonard served as host and mentor to the aspiring fighters on The Contender. At the final bell, even uniformed ringside security rushed into the ring applauding and lauding Leonard's effort. His mother said: "He never did talk too much. [15], Sarge Johnson, assistant coach of the US Olympic Boxing Team, said to Dave Jacobs, "That kid you got is sweet as sugar". Their six-year-old son, Ray Jr., served as the ring bearer. 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". "The whole fight, I was moving, I was moving", Leonard said. The two fought with great intensity throughout the fight. He rose but was soon down again, and the fight was stopped. With Hearns fatigued, Leonard came back and had a strong finish to the round. Judges Raymond Baldeyrou and Harry Gibbs scored the fight 146144 and 145144, respectively. [9] In 2016, he was voted by The Ring to be the greatest living fighter. According to Bob Arum, the fight grossed $78 million (which equates to around $179 million in 2020). 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,. His doctor suggested that he cancel the fight, but Leonard wanted to go through with it. [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. Juanita Wilkinson, Leonard's high school girlfriend, told him she was pregnant in the summer of 1973. Afterward, Leonard retired again, saying, "For sure, my career is definitely over for me in the ring." 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. Doctors said they believed he would be able to resume his boxing career before the end of the year. He testified about the burden of diabetes and the need for continued research funding to find a cure.[93]. Jacobs had quit in 1980, disagreeing with Leonard's decision to have an immediate rematch with Durn. [ 11 ], `` I made him quit '', Jacobs said him... 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