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. [55], Leonard was awarded a controversial split-decision. By 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. . In his prime, he was unstoppable. Hearns was paid $5.1 million, and Leonard made over $11 million. In 2002, Leonard was voted by The Ring as the ninth greatest fighter of the last 80 years. Leonard married his high school sweetheart, Juanita Wilkinson, in January 1980. . Hearns was leading by scores of 124122, 125122, and 125121. Duran and Leonard would go on to fight two more times, once in November 1980 and again . "[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. [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. 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. We never could tell what he was thinking. "I wanted more", Leonard said. Leonard received $7 million and Durn received $8 million. 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 Robi were married at Leonard's $8.7 million estate in Pacific Palisades, California in August 1993. 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. Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns during their first fight, on September 16, 1981 in Las Vegas. "It made his eyes water", Leonard said. 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. His partner was Anna Trebunskaya. Roger won some trophies and showed them off in front of Ray, goading him to start boxing. Which boxers did sugar ray Leonard lose to? [78][79] Leonard is among the most sought-after motivational/inspirational speakers in the world today. [23] Leonard won by a tenth-round knockout. Leonard became a sensation in. 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. Benitez started improving in the fourth, slipping numerous punches and finding the range with his right hand. He stayed home a lot, reading comic books and playing with his dog. [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]. "[83] Speaking of his promotional company, Leonard said, "We did some great shows with evenly matched fights. Then his friends came to help. When he did, he hit harder. [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. Shortly afterward, Leonard dropped him with a flurry of punches. His incredible achievements include winning world titles in five weight divisions, including the WBC welterweight, WBA light middleweight, and WBC middleweight titles. Sports Illustrated called his scorecard "a monument to indecision." 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. 19522000: 6063.5 kg, 20042012: 6064 kg. The two fought with great intensity throughout the fight. The decision was read. and played to the screaming crowd. "That's it", he said. Camacho, a light-hitting southpaw, was a three-time world champion with a record of 6231. In the final round, Hagler continued to chase Leonard. 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"). Durn was guaranteed $7.6 million and Leonard's arrangement guaranteed him over $13 million.[65]. He has also appeared in several movies, including I Spy and most recently The Fighter (2010), starring Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg. His mother said: "He never did talk too much. There was a capacity crowd of about 4,600. He was among the very best of his generation and put on some incredible performances in his fights. Most fight fans would not spend a dime to watch Van Gogh paint Sunflowers, but they would fill Yankee Stadium to see him cut off his ear. The roles reversed: Leonard became the stalker and Hearns became the boxer. Leonard, becoming more aggressive, hurt Hearns in the sixth with a left hook to the chin. He rose but was soon down again, and the fight was stopped. Unable to get away, unable to counter and unable to slide away to open up the ring, Leonard seemed almost helpless under the assault. [85] During his appearance on The Colbert Report in 2011, Leonard was defeated by host Stephen Colbert in a thumb wrestling contest. Hearns started to stick and move, and he started to pile up points again. He is the celebrity spokesperson for the Atlanta law firm John Foy and Associates, PC. [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. In his later years, Robinson worked in show business, even doing some television acting. [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 made him look like a guy chasing a bus. . Two years later, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. After the Los Angeles Times broke the story, Leonard held a press conference and publicly acknowledged that the accusations were true. I already had it in the back of my mind to dissolve the company. In the semifinals, he faced Kazimierz Szczerba and won a 50 decision. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Leonard, having slowed down, was obliged to fight more and move less. "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. "No one, I mean no one, can make me miss punches like that", Leonard said. Afterward, Leonard retired again, saying, "For sure, my career is definitely over for me in the ring." He requested a contract for the Lalonde fight and Leonard refused. "There was no indication that he was in pain or getting weak. On December 7, 1989, Leonard defended the title against Roberto Durn, who was the reigning WBC Middleweight Champion. [17] Leonard won his first four Olympic bouts by 50 decisions. The win over Barkley was in many ways the final memory of the old rampaging warrior. He made three successful title defenses, stopping Luis Primera, Randy Shields, and Pablo Baez. 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. . Leonard testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs in 2009. The first fight occurred in '81 and was a highly anticipated welterweight unification match. "But then he adjusted to my style. This latest eye problem further fueled the flames of those who opposed Leonard's comeback. Although Price landed multiple good blows, Leonard knocked him out in the first round, advancing his record to 250 with 16 knockouts.[28]. The scores were 120110, 119109, and 116111. My word is my bond", Leonard said. This movie brought back memories of his fight with Dicky Eklund. His older brother, Roger, started boxing first. Hagler hurt Leonard with a left cross and pinned him in a corner. Leonard's attorney, Mike Trainer, said, "There never has been a linkage between his broadcasting and his fighting. 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. Julio Cesar Chavez and Sugar Ray Leonard. "[56], Many others felt that Leonard deservedly got the decision, arguing that Leonard landed more punches and showed better defense and ring generalship. 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. Doctors said they believed he would be able to resume his boxing career before the end of the year. In the second, Durn rocked Leonard with a left hook, sending him into the ropes. Leonard kept it up, continuing to move, stop, and mug. By 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. Later that year, he boxed in the Eastern Olympic Trials. Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor. 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. Going into the final round, Leonard led by scores of 137130, 137133, and 136134. Picking himself off the canvas twice, Leonard showed . Late in the final round, he again hurt Aldama, which brought a standing eight count from the referee. Blood flowed down his forehead and the bridge of his nose but stayed out of his eyes. He had a career record of 79-6-3 and was a showman in the ring, chanting 'It . For the Camacho fight, Leonard had a new trainer, Adrian Davis. [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]. After the bout Hagler stated it may be his last fight. His opponent was Dave "Boy" Green. After that, Leonard decided to box Hagler. "He's got the three B's," Sammy Davis Jr. said of Seales at a 1984 benefit for the fighter. In 1984 The Ring magazine placed Robinson No. Hearns (left) had not lost in his 32 fights before facing Leonard. Leonard was the aggressor throughout, with Bonds circling the ring. While training, Leonard started to see floaters. "I wanted that arena. 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. 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.. This would be Leonard's first professional fight without Angelo Dundee. Sugar Ray Robinson's birth name was Walker Smith Jr. To be a champ you have to believe in yourself when no one else will. Everyone was surprised by Durn's actions, none more so than his veteran trainers, Freddie Brown and Ray Arcel. The nickname "Sugar" came from Gainford, who had described the young boxer as "sweet as sugar"; reporters soon began using the moniker. "He has really helped me get ready. Astrological Sign: Taurus. "[43], The fight was named "Fight of the Year" by The Ring. Associated Press had it 144141 for Durn, while The New York Times had Leonard ahead 144142. But the TV show came about and made my decision a lot easier. 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. Sugar Ray Leonard: The Final Fight. He finished his career with a record of 3631 with 25 knockouts. Leonard suffered his last two losses as an amateur in 1974. 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. She also said he was an occasional cocaine user. 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. Despite years away from the ring, Leonard defeated Hagler and secured his place as one of the best. I know this. 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. Durn attacked at almost every turn. The boxer continued his dominance until 1991 when he lost by decision to Terry Norris and retired again. 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