Leonard learned of the suit several days after returning home from the Olympics. 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. Robinson inspired Ali's famous matador style, which he used to defeat Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title in 1964. In a career that spanned 25 years, Robinson amassed 175 wins, 110 knockouts and just 19 losses. I don't believe it. "Tonight was my last fight. I used when I felt bad, I used when I missed competing at that level", he said. . Judges Chuck Giampa and Franz Marti had Leonard ahead by scores of 7774 and 7775, respectively. [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. Durn defeated Leonard via unanimous decision . 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. Although Price landed multiple good blows, Leonard knocked him out in the first round, advancing his record to 250 with 16 knockouts.[28]. Leonard was aware of this, and in an interview for Beyond the Glory he said: "My intention was to fight Durn ASAP because I knew Durn's habits. He then announced, "I am retiring from boxing right now." Augie Sanchez had defeated Mayweather earlier that summer in qualifiers after a tight 11-12 decision. I took great pride in it. 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"). Leonard won the fight in 12 rounds on a split decision. Julio Cesar Chavez and Sugar Ray Leonard. "I wasn't aware I was in a championship early because I hit him so easy", Leonard said. Then his friends came to help. Leonard is also the godfather of Khlo Kardashian and has appeared on many episodes of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Hagler did better, but Leonard's superior speed and boxing skill still allowed him to control the fight. [42] Some also considered the stoppage premature. Hearns managed to rise, but was dropped by a flurry of hard punches near the end of the round. Although he would prescribe the training procedures, he would leave the day-to-day work to Dave Jacobs and Janks Morton. It was the only time in Leonard's career that he was knocked out. Leonard married his high school sweetheart, Juanita Wilkinson, in January 1980. Sports Illustrated called his scorecard "a monument to indecision." [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]. Moore fought and lost to Sugar Ramos for the inaugural WBC title. 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. 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. When Leonard boxed in the Olympics, he had a picture of Wilkinson taped to his sock. Hearns won rounds nine through twelve on all three scorecards. However, he was able to outpunch Hagler along the ropes and got the better of several bristling exchanges. Leonard used constant lateral movement and won by a lopsided twelve-round unanimous decision over a listless Durn. In Poland, local fighter Jan Kwacz was given a disqualification victory over Leonard after being knocked down three times in the first round but the referee ruled that Leonard had punched after the bell.[16]. Leonard maintained his eye was fully healed, but that he just didn't want to box anymore. "I was ringside", Leonard said. After hurting Hearns with a right, Leonard exploded with a combination of punches. I snapped it back again. Kalule and his handlers had expected Leonard to use lateral movement against him, but Leonard chose to fight inside instead. 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. In round seven, Leonard started to taunt Durn. Even though Leonard dominated, hurting Hearns and battering him, all three judges gave both rounds to Leonard by a 109 margin. That's why he's living."[32][33]. [26] [74], Leonard said he planned to have a series of tuneup fights before fighting a champion. In March 2019, Leonard made a guest appearance on the popular daily morning show on YouTube, Good Mythical Morning, hosted by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal. She also said he was an occasional cocaine user. Leonard, becoming more aggressive, hurt Hearns in the sixth with a left hook to the chin. He was voted off in Week 4 of the show. To revisit this article, select My Account, then View saved stories. It was a highly competitive and tactical battle. After the Los Angeles Times broke the story, Leonard held a press conference and publicly acknowledged that the accusations were true. 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. Afterward, Leonard retired again, saying, "For sure, my career is definitely over for me in the ring." "He almost knocked me out", Leonard said. Leonard celebrated his victory with a full 360-degree, no-hands flip. The working environment was not healthy."[84]. Hagler took a few months to decide, then agreed to the match.[52]. "[58] A month after Hagler's formal retirement in June 1988, Leonard would announce another comeback. 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. As an amateur, he took an Olympic gold medal in the light-welterweight class at the 1976 Games in Montreal. Leonard got hit by sparring partner Quincy Taylor and was badly buckled. The British challenger had a record of 332. . [17] Leonard won his first four Olympic bouts by 50 decisions. [50], Leonard and Howard fought on May 11, 1984, in Worcester, Massachusetts. On hand that . Leonard called it "the hardest single punch I ever threw."[30]. Frazier had a 73 reach. He had a career record of 79-6-3 and was a showman in the ring, chanting 'It . But the TV show came about and made my decision a lot easier. Hagler's punches lacked snap and, although he was scoring solidly to the body, he looked nothing like the powerful fighter who had dominated the middleweight division for the previous five years. He quit because he was embarrassed. Leonard landed the harder punches and had Benitez hurt several times late in the fight, but Leonard couldn't put him away. Leonard fired back and hurt Lalonde with a right. . Before the fight, he was given a shot of novocaine. More embarrassed than hurt, Benitez got up quickly. 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. 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? During divorce proceedings, Juanita Leonard testified that her husband physically abused her while under the influence of alcohol. Durn's manager, Carlos Eleta, said, "Durn didn't quit because of stomach cramps. Remembering "The Showdown": Hearns and Leonard fought 35 years ago. 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. It was the first knockdown of Leonard's professional career. Sugar Ray Robinson turned pro in 1940 and won his first 40 fights. His then wife . 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,. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. He is the celebrity spokesperson for the Atlanta law firm John Foy and Associates, PC. AP Photo/Lennox McLendon What it's really about is boxing's great aesthetic divide. 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. Leonard and Robi were married at Leonard's $8.7 million estate in Pacific Palisades, California in August 1993. [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. 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. Hearns was leading by scores of 124122, 125122, and 125121. 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. I didn't want anyone to tell me my career had to end." The following year, Leonard won the National Golden Gloves and National AAU Lightweight Championships. By 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. Asked if Leonard was the best he ever fought, Durn thought for a moment and then answered, "Si, si." "[43], The fight was named "Fight of the Year" by The Ring. [18] He planned to study business administration and communications. The rules state that a boxer must be retired for five years before being eligible for induction. Despite requests from the Hagler camp, Leonard was uninterested in a rematch and retired on May 27, 1987. For the first bout of his career in 1936, he borrowed the Amateur Athletic Union card of another boxer, whose name was Ray Robinson, to enter the ring. 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. After the fight, there was controversy due to the scoring of rounds six and seven. Many consider the 1976 U.S. team to be the greatest boxing team in the history of the Olympics. . 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 . 19522000: 6063.5 kg, 20042012: 6064 kg. Associated Press had it 144141 for Durn, while The New York Times had Leonard ahead 144142. Round nine was the most exciting round of the fight. In the second, Durn rocked Leonard with a left hook, sending him into the ropes. He was among the very best of his generation and put on some incredible performances in his fights. In his prime, he was unstoppable. Hagler continued to score somewhat effectively in round six. Leonard had no answer for the skillful, younger, faster man. 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. Durn was guaranteed $7.6 million and Leonard's arrangement guaranteed him over $13 million.[65]. Dickie Eklund (left) smiles before the Sugar Ray fight. What was the score of the Sugar Ray Leonard fight? 2 . [80], Leonard has also worked as an actor. "I've had it. Many felt that the ten-point must scoring system was not properly used and those rounds should have been scored 108. HBO believed it would be inappropriate for Leonard to continue with them if they couldn't bid on his fights. 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!" At the final bell, even uniformed ringside security rushed into the ring applauding and lauding Leonard's effort. [54], Leonard threw 629 punches and landed 306, while Hagler threw 792 and landed 291. "There was no indication that he was in pain or getting weak. He said he quit using drugs in early 1986, when he woke up one morning and "what I saw in the mirror was scary." Winding up his right hand, as if to throw a bolo punch, Leonard snapped out a left jab and caught Durn flush in the face. The fight grossed over $35 million. His incredible achievements include winning world titles in five weight divisions, including the WBC welterweight, WBA light middleweight, and WBC middleweight titles. Despite years away from the ring, Leonard defeated Hagler and secured his place as one of the best. Robinson finally retired from the sport for good in 1965. "[83] Speaking of his promotional company, Leonard said, "We did some great shows with evenly matched fights. The two fought with great intensity throughout the fight. Of all people, John 'The Beast' Mugabi." 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. The fight began as expected, Leonard boxing from a distance and Hearns stalking. He attended Parkdale High School. Hearns started to stick and move, and he started to pile up points again. 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. TYson had warched film of Foreman destroying Joe Frazier. Leonard battered Hearns in rounds six and seven, but Hearns regrouped. When they fought again a . Correa was instructed not to spare the whip. Duran and Leonard would go on to fight two more times, once in November 1980 and again . The fight, promoted as "The Super Fight" and "The King of the Ring", was scheduled for April 6, 1987, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Later, when he made . 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. Duran rode out his trilogy with Sugar Ray Leonard with little fire. [81], In 2001, Leonard launched Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Inc., a boxing promotional company, and announced the company's strategic partnership with ESPN. I think he needs a psychiatrist more than he needs anything else." "But then he adjusted to my style. Leonard also won a light welterweight gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. [15], Sarge Johnson, assistant coach of the US Olympic Boxing Team, said to Dave Jacobs, "That kid you got is sweet as sugar". Always moving forward, he mauled and wrestled Leonard, scoring inside with hooks and rights. With neither parent able to work, with his child and the mother of his child to support, and without any endorsement opportunities, Leonard decided to become a professional boxer. But at that point in the fight, Hagler appeared to be slightly more ring-general and clearly more aggressive. You're blowing it!". The time was 2:54 of round fifteen.[29]. Leonard's observation that the Hagler who beat John Mugabi was older and slower proved to be spot on. Sugar Ray Leonard: The Final Fight. Eventually, Leonard admitted that Hearns deserved the decision[citation needed]. Leonard was awarded a 50 decision and the Olympic gold medal. 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]. 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. When his fighting days were over, however, he was getting beaten up. The roles reversed: Leonard became the stalker and Hearns became the boxer. At the post-fight press conference, Leonard surprised everyone by announcing his retirement again, saying he just didn't have it anymore.[51]. He wasn't afraid, he was being a smart businessman. "[72], In January 1997, it was announced that Leonard had been voted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in Canastota, New York. The win over Barkley was in many ways the final memory of the old rampaging warrior. 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. With only a few seconds left in the fight, a Leonard combination forced another standing eight count. Foreman had an 84 inch reach. In the final, Leonard boxed the great Cuban knockout artist Andrs Aldama, who scored five straight knockouts to reach the final. Leonard, with a badly swollen left eye, came out roaring for the thirteenth round. [14]:4243 He finished his amateur career with a record of 1655 and 75 KOs.[19]. The odds started at 41, then settled at 31. First, in 1991, he lost by decision to Terry Norris. 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. Knowing he needed a big finish, Leonard fought furiously and had a big final round. He hit Leonard with a big left hand and backed him into a corner. Leonard ended the series with his hand raised in victory, but the boos couldn't be hidden and many fled the arena long before the final bell. In 1972, Leonard boxed in the featherweight quarterfinals of the National AAU Tournament, losing by decision to Jerome Artis. 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. On November 7, 1988, Leonard made another comeback, facing Donny Lalonde at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. 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. After several comebacks, Leonard ended his professional career with 36 wins, three losses, and one draw. 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. 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