Then his friends came to help. Leonard learned of the suit several days after returning home from the Olympics. Sugar Ray Leonard (def. 2 of his losses came after his first retirement. . Leonard pledged he would support his son, even if he had to scrap plans to attend college. Judge Jerry Roth scored the fight 113112 for Hearns, Judge Tom Kazmarek scored it 113112 for Leonard, and Judge Dalby Shirley scored it 112112. They fought for Lalonde's WBC Light Heavyweight Championship and the newly created WBC Super Middleweight Championship, which meant that Lalonde had to make 168lbs. For many years, Leonard has been the International Chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk for a Cure and is actively involved in raising both awareness and funds. He wasn't afraid, he was being a smart businessman. "I've had it. "To make a man quit, to make Roberto Durn quit, was better than knocking him out."[35]. [14]:4243 He finished his amateur career with a record of 1655 and 75 KOs.[19]. [12] The family moved to Washington, D.C., when he was three, and they settled permanently in Palmer Park, Maryland when he was ten. Friends and family mourned the loss of the welterweight champion at wake . [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. Tyson had a 71 reach, even shorter than Frazier's. 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 . "I did the best I could", Leonard said. I knew he would indulge himself, he'd gain 4050 lbs and then sweat it off to make 147." With too much money to be lost by cancelling the fight, the matchmaker for the bout, Ron Katz, found a . The odds started at 41, then settled at 31. Many of the people being considered wanted absolute control and a cut somewhere near the manager's traditional 33%. Leonard was guaranteed $11 million, and Hagler was guaranteed $12 million. The working environment was not healthy."[84]. It was then that Leonard decided to come back and fight Hagler. 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. He also had the distinction of being the first boxer ever to earn $100 million in purses. By 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. [14]:93 A month later, Leonard defeated his old amateur nemesis Randy Shields by a ten-round unanimous decision. It supports accessible housing, healthcare services, and educational services and job training. . Robert Durn's hair flies as Sugar Ray Leonard throws a punch in the early rounds of their welterwight fight on 25 November 1980. "And Voom! Blood flowed down his forehead and the bridge of his nose but stayed out of his eyes. These seven fights are the highlight of his career. Leonard finally hurt him with a right to the head. However, Lalonde later told HBO's Larry Merchant that he didn't have any trouble making weight.[59]. Leonard got hit by sparring partner Quincy Taylor and was badly buckled. 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. "But you guys know me. Leonard competed on season 12 of Dancing with the Stars, which premiered on Monday, March 21, 2011, on ABC. He knocked Leonard down with a left hook in the second round, and in the seventh, he dropped Leonard again with a short right. In the fourth round, Leonard knocked Green out with a devastating left hook. Terry Norris battered Leonard all around the ring in Madison Square Garden on his way to a one-sided decision that convinced Leonard his day in the sun had ended. 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. "Sugar Walker Smith wouldn't have been the same.". Leonard maintained his eye was fully healed, but that he just didn't want to box anymore. Hearns managed to rise, but was dropped by a flurry of hard punches near the end of the round. 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. His incredible achievements include winning world titles in five weight divisions, including the WBC welterweight, WBA light middleweight, and WBC middleweight titles. Hearns started to stick and move, and he started to pile up points again. "I was ringside", Leonard said. Sports Illustrated called his scorecard "a monument to indecision." [67], In August 1990, Leonard relinquished the WBC super middleweight title, saying that he was under the weight for the division. She also said he was an occasional cocaine user. Leonard battered Hearns in rounds six and seven, but Hearns regrouped. Robinson inspired Ali's famous matador style, which he used to defeat Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title in 1964. Asked if Leonard was the best he ever fought, Durn thought for a moment and then answered, "Si, si." 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 kept it up, continuing to move, stop, and mug. First, in 1991, he lost by decision to Terry Norris. The Classic bout between Sugar Ray Leonard V Thomas Hearns.Leonard Snatches Victory from the jaws of defeat with a dramatic late Stoppage! Veteran ringside commentator Don Dunphy said "They're stopping the fight. 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,. [38], "I made him quit", Leonard said. After the verdict was announced, Leonard announced his retirement. [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 2002, Leonard was voted by The Ring as the ninth greatest fighter of the last 80 years. By the fifth, Leonard, who was moving a lot, began to tire and Hagler started to get closer. Late in the third, Leonard dropped Benitez on the seat of his pants with a stiff left jab. The legendary boxer Sugar Ray Leonard had an impressive professional boxing career, with a total of 36 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss. The team also included Leon and Michael Spinks, Howard Davis Jr., Leo Randolph, Charles Mooney, and John Tate. Floyd bounced back and won two in a row over Sanchez to secure his spot in Atlanta. Dec. 16, 1989 12 AM PT. Kalule, who was 360, had been the WBA Light Middleweight Champion for two years. The rules stated that a boxer had to be seventeen to box in international competition, so Leonard, only sixteen, lied about his age. But the TV show came about and made my decision a lot easier. Leonard and Robi were married at Leonard's $8.7 million estate in Pacific Palisades, California in August 1993. Boxing in Serenity Juanita Wilkinson, Leonard's high school girlfriend, told him she was pregnant in the summer of 1973. Hagler continued to score somewhat effectively in round six. 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. Now I want to go to school." Leonard went the distance but lost by a lopsided decision. [74], Leonard said he planned to have a series of tuneup fights before fighting a champion. Leonard was on a eight-fight win streak with 25 KO wins. 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. 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. Robinson was born Walker Smith Jr. on May 3, 1921, although the location is a source of debate. 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. 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. [citation needed] After eight tough rounds, Leonard was ahead although Kalule appeared to be coming on strong in the eight and ninth. Leonard, becoming more aggressive, hurt Hearns in the sixth with a left hook to the chin. 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. The live gate was $5.9 million, and the revenue from pay-per-view was $7.5 million. His mother said: "He never did talk too much. Although Price landed multiple good blows, Leonard knocked him out in the first round, advancing his record to 250 with 16 knockouts.[28]. I know how Hagler felt now."[70]. Just five months after one of the greatest fights in modern boxing history, Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran met in a rematch that somehow managed to transcend the original. May 11 - Kevin Howard, Massachusetts, KO 9 1987 Leonard won the WBC middleweight title in a 12-round contest against Marvin Hagler in April. 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. Durn hesitated. On May 1, 1986, Leonard announced on a Washington, D.C. talk show that he would return to the ring to fight Hagler. His relationship with HBO lasted for more than a decade. . 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. Judges Chuck Giampa and Franz Marti had Leonard ahead by scores of 7774 and 7775, respectively. Julio Cesar Chavez and Sugar Ray Leonard. Dickie Eklund (left) smiles before the Sugar Ray fight. He drove him to the ropes and unleashed a furious assault. When Robinson finally did get his shot at the belt in 1946, he took home the crown with a unanimous 15-round decision over Tommy Bell; Robinson would hold the welterweight title until 1951. 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". [48], A bout with Philadelphia's Kevin Howard, who was 2041, was scheduled for February 25, 1984. The cuts required a total of 60 stitches. 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. [15], Sarge Johnson, assistant coach of the US Olympic Boxing Team, said to Dave Jacobs, "That kid you got is sweet as sugar". Before the fight, he was given a shot of novocaine. With Hearns fatigued, Leonard came back and had a strong finish to the round. Later, when he made . Leonard, with a badly swollen left eye, came out roaring for the thirteenth round. October 30, 1974 - Kinshasa, Zaire It was the way that Ali won which made it the defining moment of his career, shocking the world by defeating a supposedly unbeatable Foreman by spending a good. Sugar Ray Robinson turned pro in 1940 and won his first 40 fights. Bonds got up and continued to move, with Leonard in pursuit. "[83] Speaking of his promotional company, Leonard said, "We did some great shows with evenly matched fights. "He does have a heart. In this episode [87] of the "March Milkness" series (where Rhett and Link created a March Madness style bracket to determine the best breakfast cereal), Leonard was brought in to break a tie between the Fruity Region Champion, Froot Loops, and the Chocolatey Region Champion, Oreo O's. I used when I felt bad, I used when I missed competing at that level", he said. The British challenger had a record of 332. Kalule and his handlers had expected Leonard to use lateral movement against him, but Leonard chose to fight inside instead. Leonard was ahead on all three scorecards at the time of the stoppage. Moore fought and lost to Sugar Ramos for the inaugural WBC title. In 1989, Leonard was introduced to Bernadette Robi by Kenny G at a Luther Vandross concert. 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. In the fourth round, a right hand to the top of Leonard's head dropped him for just the second time in his career. My word is my bond", Leonard said. Leonard dropped him again in the tenth. On June 12, 1989, Leonard defended the WBC Super Middleweight Championship in a rematch with Thomas Hearns at Caesar's Palace. According to Bob Arum, the fight grossed $78 million (which equates to around $179 million in 2020). Durn was awarded a unanimous decision, although it was mistakenly read as a majority decision in the ring. Hearns was the WBA champion while Leonard held the WBC title. Robinson wouldn't go by his birth name for the rest of his career. [14]:63, When Leonard decided to turn professional, Janks Morton introduced him to Mike Trainer, a friend of his who was an attorney. Leonard led by scores of 6866, 6866 and 6766.[35]. [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. "It took this fight to show me it is no longer my time", Leonard said. 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. He staggered Bonds with a right in the fourth round and dropped him with a follow-up combination. [34], After the Montreal fight Durn went on a partying binge and ballooned in weight. "I don't have contracts. [81], In 2001, Leonard launched Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Inc., a boxing promotional company, and announced the company's strategic partnership with ESPN. Afterward, Leonard retired again, saying, "For sure, my career is definitely over for me in the ring." 19522000: 6063.5 kg, 20042012: 6064 kg. After the quick and slick Leonard won the first two rounds on all three scorecards, Hagler started the third round as a southpaw. 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. He won his first Golden Gloves title (featherweight) in 1939, and then repeated the accomplishment in 1940. Going into the final round, Leonard led by scores of 137130, 137133, and 136134. "[37] According to Randy Gordon, who witnessed Durn's antics beforehand and was in his dressing room immediately afterwards, Durn quit because of his huge eating binge prior to the fight. His then wife . In 1991 the brilliant career of Sugar Ray Leonard appeared to have finally come to an end. He tried to get me against the ropes, I'd pivot, spin off and Pow! However, less than a week after the fight, Leonard said he planned to fight again. 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. But New York proved rough in other ways. My journey has ended, my dream is fulfilled. [17] Leonard won his first four Olympic bouts by 50 decisions. Associated Press had it 144141 for Durn, while The New York Times had Leonard ahead 144142. It was the only time in Leonard's career that he was knocked out. To be a champ you have to believe in yourself when no one else will. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. It was the first knockdown of Leonard's professional career. The two fought with great intensity throughout the fight. By 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. 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]. I've handled thousands of fighters and never had anyone quit on me. 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. "He has really helped me get ready. He got up, but after a few more punches, the referee stopped the fight. Also, Leonard and Janks Morton split because of personal differences. [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. 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