In the final round, Hagler continued to chase Leonard. Many felt that Hagler deserved the decision because he was the aggressor and landed the harder punches. "I didn't feel like being bothered by all those complications by asking him for any money for support", she said. [10] BoxRec ranks him as the 14th greatest boxer of all time, pound for pound. In the final, Leonard boxed the great Cuban knockout artist Andrs Aldama, who scored five straight knockouts to reach the final. Leonard got up, but was unable to ward off Camacho. Of all people, John 'The Beast' Mugabi." In snowshoesLeonard repeatedly beat Hagler to the punch. [44], On February 15, 1982, Leonard defended the unified title against Bruce Finch, the WBC fourth-ranked contender, in a bout at Reno, NV. Leonard was the winner by a technical knockout at 2:44 of round eight, regaining the WBC Welterweight Championship. Astrological Sign: Taurus. In 1984 The Ring magazine placed Robinson No. He was voted off in Week 4 of the show. It was then that Leonard decided to come back and fight Hagler. I used when I felt bad, I used when I missed competing at that level", he said. He has also appeared in several movies, including I Spy and most recently The Fighter (2010), starring Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg. Over his 25-year career, Robinson won the world welterweight and middleweight crowns and was dubbed "pound for pound, the. 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. Named after Ray Charles, Leonard's parents reportedly wanted him to become a singer, although as . [14]:6568, Leonard made his professional debut on February 5, 1977, before a crowd of 10,270 at the Civic Center in Baltimore. With too much money to be lost by cancelling the fight, the matchmaker for the bout, Ron Katz, found a . Doctors said they believed he would be able to resume his boxing career before the end of the year. He continued to score well in the fourth and opened a cut above Leonard's right eye. He won his first Golden Gloves title (featherweight) in 1939, and then repeated the accomplishment in 1940. My word is my bond", Leonard said. [6][7] Leonard was also the first boxer to earn more than $100 million in purses, and was named "Boxer of the Decade" in the 1980s. "That's it", he said. Scottish boxing journalist Hugh McIlvanney wrote that Leonard's plan was to "steal rounds with a few flashy and carefully timed flurrieshe was happy to exaggerate hand speed at the expense of power, and neither he nor two of the scorers seemed bothered by the fact that many of the punches landed on the champion's gloves and arms. May 11 - Kevin Howard, Massachusetts, KO 9 1987 Leonard won the WBC middleweight title in a 12-round contest against Marvin Hagler in April. His father worked as a supermarket night manager and his mother was a nurse. The headline in the Washington Star read, "Sugar Ray Leonard Named in Welfare Dept. himself. 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. 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. Leonard had difficulty with Hearns' long reach and sharp jab. All Rights Reserved. What is known is that Robinson grew up in Detroit, and he was 11 years old when his mother, tired of her husband's absence from the family's life, up and left the city, moving herself, her son and two daughters to Harlem. Tyson had a 71 reach, even shorter than Frazier's. Leonard finally hurt him with a right to the head. Everyone was surprised by Durn's actions, none more so than his veteran trainers, Freddie Brown and Ray Arcel. He is the celebrity spokesperson for the Atlanta law firm John Foy and Associates, PC. Frazier had a 73 reach. Durn attacked at almost every turn. Come under with a punch.". A strange night, a boring fight. The scorecard of judge Angelo Poletti was incorrectly added and announced as 147147. That's why he's living."[32][33]. 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. Many consider the 1976 U.S. team to be the greatest boxing team in the history of the Olympics. In 1991 the brilliant career of Sugar Ray Leonard appeared to have finally come to an end. 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. The decision was read. "[56], Many others felt that Leonard deservedly got the decision, arguing that Leonard landed more punches and showed better defense and ring generalship. I don't believe it. Always moving forward, he mauled and wrestled Leonard, scoring inside with hooks and rights. However, Camacho was also considered to be past his prime. Leonard used constant lateral movement and won by a lopsided twelve-round unanimous decision over a listless Durn. "I was ringside", Leonard said. He said he started using medication after he retired in 1982, following surgery to repair a detached retina. Montreal Not long after this fight ended, a rematch fight was scheduled. The fight ended with Hagler and Leonard exchanging along the ropes. Photograph: Bettmann/Corbis Leonard became a sensation in. Dundee had a different proposition. Sugar Ray Robinson's birth name was Walker Smith Jr. For Leonard's fight with Hagler, Dundee worked without a contract and received $175,000, which was less than 2% of Leonard's purse. I know how Hagler felt now."[70]. Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns feature in fight one of a BBC Sounds look back at some of boxing's greatest fights. 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. He got up, but after a few more punches, the referee stopped the fight. Six years later, Robinson captured the middleweight title for the first time by defeating Jake LaMotta. 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. Dickie's fight against Sugar Ray Leonard was on July 18, 1978 at the Hynes Memorial Auditorium in Boston, Massachusetts. Leonard responded with a furious flurry, landing few punches but whipping the upset-hoping crowd into a frenzy. The scorecards from the ringside press and broadcast media attest to the polarizing views and opinions of the fight. TYson had warched film of Foreman destroying Joe Frazier. Leonard knocked him out in the third round. Or why Roberto Durn was acting out of prudence, not cowardice, when he quit in his second fight against Leonard. The first fight occurred in '81 and was a highly anticipated welterweight unification match. Trainer talked 24 of his friends and clients into underwriting Leonard's career with an investment of $21,000 to be repaid within four years at 8% interest. The British challenger had a record of 332. Kalule, who was 360, had been the WBA Light Middleweight Champion for two years. Although Price landed multiple good blows, Leonard knocked him out in the first round, advancing his record to 250 with 16 knockouts.[28]. "All I can do is say I'm sorry, but that is not enough. Judge Jos Guerra scored the fight 118110 for Leonard. Hearns won rounds nine through twelve on all three scorecards. Then his friends came to help. His decision was to push Froot Loops onto the Finals, where they were taken out by Cinnamon Toast Crunch. goes on to explain what went through his mind before he quit the fight - a bout in which he wasn't . Camacho, a light-hitting southpaw, was a three-time world champion with a record of 6231. This movie brought back memories of his fight with Dicky Eklund. Roger helped start the boxing program, urging the center's director, Ollie Dunlap, to form a team. I've handled thousands of fighters and never had anyone quit on me. Hearns was leading by scores of 124122, 125122, and 125121. Ray Charles Leonard, known as the boxing champion "Sugar Ray" Leonard (after the champion boxer Sugar Ray Robinson), was born on May 17, 1956 in Wilmington, North Carolina to Getha Leonard and Cicero Leonard, who boxed in the Navy. 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. It was promoted as "The War". During a 20-year period, Sugar Ray Leonard was considered one of the greatest boxers. The scores were 120110, 119109, and 116111. He knocked Leonard down with a left hook in the second round, and in the seventh, he dropped Leonard again with a short right. Judge Jerry Roth scored the fight 113112 for Hearns, Judge Tom Kazmarek scored it 113112 for Leonard, and Judge Dalby Shirley scored it 112112. 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. I knew he would indulge himself, he'd gain 4050 lbs and then sweat it off to make 147." He has appeared in numerous television shows, including Half & Half, L.A. Heat, Married with Children, Renegade and Tales From The Crypt. Hearns dropped Leonard with a right cross in the third round, but Leonard came back and battered Hearns around the ring in the fifth. In rounds seven and eight, Hagler's southpaw jab was landing solidly and Leonard's counter flurries were less frequent. Bonds got up and continued to move, with Leonard in pursuit. "I felt weaker and weaker in my body and arms." Every time Hagler scored, Leonard came back with something flashier and more eye-catching, if not as effective. 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.. Leonard competed on season 12 of Dancing with the Stars, which premiered on Monday, March 21, 2011, on ABC. Leonard, becoming more aggressive, hurt Hearns in the sixth with a left hook to the chin. 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. [15], Sarge Johnson, assistant coach of the US Olympic Boxing Team, said to Dave Jacobs, "That kid you got is sweet as sugar". [45] Leonard's next fight was scheduled to be against Roger Stafford on May 14, 1982, in Buffalo, New York. On hand that . He turned pro that same year. With Hearns fatigued, Leonard came back and had a strong finish to the round. 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? "No one, I mean no one, can make me miss punches like that", Leonard said. The Panamanian seized the evening and gave it what shape and momentum it had. . The Boxing Writers Association of America and The Ring named Leonard "Fighter of the Year" for 1979. Veteran ringside commentator Don Dunphy said "They're stopping the fight. She named Leonard as the father and the county's state attorney's office filed a civil suit against Leonard to establish paternity and get support payments for the child. and played to the screaming crowd. Sugar Ray Leonard is one of the fastest boxers in history and his speed was just otherworldly. Hearns was paid $5.1 million, and Leonard made over $11 million. Dave Jacobs disagreed with the decision to have an immediate rematch with Durn and terminated his relationship with Leonard when the rematch was made. Round nine was the most exciting round of the fight. Leonard got hit by sparring partner Quincy Taylor and was badly buckled. Durn's manager, Carlos Eleta, said, "Durn didn't quit because of stomach cramps. During the night Durn was admitted to a hospital with stomach pains, and discharged the following day. Despite requests from the Hagler camp, Leonard was uninterested in a rematch and retired on May 27, 1987. Having lost, Sugar Ray Leonard believed he could catch Duran out of shape due to celebrating his victory in the first 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. Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler fight for the WBC and Ring middleweight titles on April 6, 1987 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. No. 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. 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