Howard knocked Leonard flat on his back in the fourth round. [9] In 2016, he was voted by The Ring to be the greatest living fighter. Leonard responded with a furious flurry, landing few punches but whipping the upset-hoping crowd into a frenzy. "He's black, he's blind, and he's broke.". The scores were 120104, 119103, and 116110. 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. When they fought again a . On December 7, 1989, Leonard defended the title against Roberto Durn, who was the reigning WBC Middleweight Champion. Although Price landed multiple good blows, Leonard knocked him out in the first round, advancing his record to 250 with 16 knockouts.[28]. By 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. "He has really helped me get ready. Before the fight, he was given a shot of novocaine. He wasn't afraid, he was being a smart businessman. Leonard's observation that the Hagler who beat John Mugabi was older and slower proved to be spot on. 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. Durn received $1.5 million and Leonard, working for a percentage of the closed-circuit gate as well as a guarantee, received over $9 million. 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. 1 in its book "The 100 Greatest Boxers of All Time.". .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Muhammad Ali liked to call Robinson "the king, the master, my idol." Hearns dropped Leonard with a right cross in the third round, but Leonard came back and battered Hearns around the ring in the fifth. Lalonde tried to tie up Leonard, but got dropped with a powerful left hook. I think he needs a psychiatrist more than he needs anything else." In the fourth round, a right hand to the top of Leonard's head dropped him for just the second time in his career. Robinson finally retired from the sport for good in 1965. On March 10, 1986, Marvin Hagler knocked out John Mugabi in eleven rounds to retain the Undisputed World Middleweight Championship for the twelfth time and advance his record to 6222. [12] The family moved to Washington, D.C., when he was three, and they settled permanently in Palmer Park, Maryland when he was ten. 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 . After the fight, there was controversy due to the scoring of rounds six and seven. The fight billed as a classic showdown between a powerful knockout artist and the best boxer/puncher the welterweight division had seen in decades devolved into a slow, tactical fight. The fight took place on September 9, 1978. They fought before a live crowd of 23,618. Judges Raymond Baldeyrou and Harry Gibbs scored the fight 146144 and 145144, respectively. Leonard finally hurt him with a right to the head. [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]. Roberto Duran takes on Sugar Ray Leonard at the Superdome in New Orleans in November 1980. . This movie brought back memories of his fight with Dicky Eklund. 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. March 13, 2021. by Larry Brown. For the Camacho fight, Leonard had a new trainer, Adrian Davis. 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. "Sugar Ray Robinson had a nice ring to it," Robinson later said. The fight was postponed when Leonard had minor surgery on his right eye to fix a loose retina. 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' legs were clearly gone and after more pressure from Leonard he was bundled through the ropes, no knockdown was given as it wasn't a punch that sent him there. On June 12, 1989, Leonard defended the WBC Super Middleweight Championship in a rematch with Thomas Hearns at Caesar's Palace. He blamed his loss on a torn right calf muscle. It was the only time in Leonard's career that he was knocked out. Bonds got up and continued to move, with Leonard in pursuit. 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. Leonard maintained his eye was fully healed, but that he just didn't want to box anymore. More embarrassed than hurt, Benitez got up quickly. Roger won some trophies and showed them off in front of Ray, goading him to start boxing. . [78][79] Leonard is among the most sought-after motivational/inspirational speakers in the world today. [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. Shirley was the only judge to give Leonard a 108 margin in the twelfth. . He got up, but after a few more punches, the referee stopped the fight. The announcement generated a lot of controversy because of Leonard's inactivity and eye injuries, yet it also excited many sports fans who had hoped to see them fight years earlier. Unable to get away, unable to counter and unable to slide away to open up the ring, Leonard seemed almost helpless under the assault. He also had the distinction of being the first boxer ever to earn $100 million in purses. 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. Picking himself off the canvas twice, Leonard showed . Leonard competed on season 12 of Dancing with the Stars, which premiered on Monday, March 21, 2011, on ABC. Robinson, who was unapologetic for his lavish spending, is estimated to have earned more than $4 million as a fighter, all of which he burned through, forcing him to continue boxing much longer than he should have. The rematch, billed as "Stone vs. Sugar.. Once Again", took place November 25, 1980 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans in front of 25,038 fans. However, Lalonde later told HBO's Larry Merchant that he didn't have any trouble making weight.[59]. To make matters worse, his father was hospitalized with meningitis and his mother had a heart attack. and played to the screaming crowd. This fight proved to be one of the most controversial fights to date. [86] He appeared as a guest at the chef's table, along with Tito Ortiz, during the tenth season of Hell's Kitchen. His father worked as a supermarket night manager and his mother was a nurse. The referee stopped the fight with Bonds taking punishment in a corner.[39]. 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. At the post-fight press conference, Leonard surprised everyone by announcing his retirement again, saying he just didn't have it anymore.[51]. To be a champ you have to believe in yourself when no one else will. "It took this fight to show me it is no longer my time", Leonard said. However, Camacho was also considered to be past his prime. I'm in the best shape possible. 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. N o classic. Lalonde, 312 with 26 knockouts, was guaranteed at least $6 million and Leonard was guaranteed over $10 million. The young boxer quickly moved up the ranks. Roy Jones Jr. Ensuite Who defeated Mayweather? Leonard, having slowed down, was obliged to fight more and move less. [49], Before the fight with Howard, Dave Jacobs rejoined Leonard's team in a limited role. I was so ready, I wanted to get my title, my world championship belt back so bad! I knew he would indulge himself, he'd gain 4050 lbs and then sweat it off to make 147." He was also named "Athlete of the Year" by ABC's Wide World of Sports and "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated. Named after Ray Charles, Leonard's parents reportedly wanted him to become a singer, although as . But I never had any problems with him. The fight ended with Hagler and Leonard exchanging along the ropes. 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 continued to score well in the fourth and opened a cut above Leonard's right eye. 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". Pat Putnam of Sports Illustrated wrote, "Leonard gave them artistic perfection when they wanted heated battle, and they booed lustily. AP Photo/Lennox McLendon What it's really about is boxing's great aesthetic divide. In the semifinals, he faced Kazimierz Szczerba and won a 50 decision. Over his 25-year career, Robinson won the world welterweight and middleweight crowns and was dubbed "pound for pound, the best." The judges scored the fight a draw and Leonard retained the title. Hearns was the WBA champion while Leonard held the WBC title. Tyson lost his first fight to Holyfield in 1996. His then wife . 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.. Dec. 16, 1989 12 AM PT. The scorecards from the ringside press and broadcast media attest to the polarizing views and opinions of the fight. 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. 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. Leonard won the National Golden Gloves and National AAU Light Welterweight Championships in 1974. On November 7, 1988, Leonard made another comeback, facing Donny Lalonde at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. 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. After that, Leonard decided to box Hagler. [60][61], Lalonde's size and awkwardness troubled Leonard. Knowing he needed a big finish, Leonard fought furiously and had a big final round. He also worked as an adviser in the 2011 robot boxing film Real Steel. 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. Hearns managed to rise, but was dropped by a flurry of hard punches near the end of the round. The action see-sawed back and forth for the rest of the round, with each man having his moments. "Sugar Walker Smith wouldn't have been the same.". Durn said. Leonard battered Hearns in rounds six and seven, but Hearns regrouped. The following year, he again won the National AAU Light Welterweight Championship, as well as the Light Welterweight Championship at the Pan American Games. Duran rode out his trilogy with Sugar Ray Leonard with little fire. "For the first time in a long time, I allowed someone to push me", Leonard said. In his later years, Robinson worked in show business, even doing some television acting. [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. 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. "It made his eyes water", Leonard said. Leonard was on a eight-fight win streak with 25 KO wins. Leonard made his first title defense in Landover, Maryland, on March 31, 1980. Robinson, who had a son from a previous marriage, helped raise Millie's two children. The scorecard of judge Angelo Poletti was incorrectly added and announced as 147147. In the sixth, there was an accidental clash of heads, which opened a cut on the forehead of Benitez. [62], After the fight, Leonard vacated the light heavyweight title, but kept the super middleweight title. 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. Kalule, who was 360, had been the WBA Light Middleweight Champion for two years. "This is different. Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns II, billed as " The War ", was a professional boxing match contested on June 12, 1989 for the WBC and WBO super middleweight titles. He then announced, "I am retiring from boxing right now." The nickname "Sugar" came from Gainford, who had described the young boxer as "sweet as sugar"; reporters soon began using the moniker. "[56], Many others felt that Leonard deservedly got the decision, arguing that Leonard landed more punches and showed better defense and ring generalship. Julio Cesar Chavez and Sugar Ray Leonard. 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. 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. Sugar Ray Robinson turned pro in 1940 and won his first 40 fights. Leonard got up, but was unable to ward off Camacho. The scores were 120110, 119109, and 116111. How many times did Tommy Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard fight? 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. 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. 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