Boy Ray Leonard. Leonard Ray: Success with a taste of "sugar"
Despite the fact that there are quite a lot of truly worthy boxers in the professional ring, few of them could compare their successes with Ray Sugar Robinson. Myself great Mohammed Ali called him king and idol of boxing.
Boxing biography of Ray Sugar Robinson begins in childhood. Already at the age of 14, he first performed in the ring. He applied for the tournament under his real name, Walker Smith Jr. But since he was born in 1921, he was only 14, and you could only participate in the tournament from the age of 16, he was refused. Then he applied again under the name Ray Robinson and was able to get into the ring.
Before starting his professional career, he managed to stun everyone with his results in the amateur ring. All He won 89 out of 89 fights, 69 of them ended in knockouts of opponents, of which 40 were committed in the first round. It was then that he received the nickname “Sugar” due to his special style.
Interestingly, Ray Sugar Robinson knockouts always amazed spectators and rivals with their surprise. His special style of fighting made it impossible to predict when the decisive blow would be struck. This technique was later adopted by Muhammad Ali, who began to keep his opponent in a tense state with mobile battle tactics.
On October 4, 1940, the professional biography of Ray Sugar Robinson began. His professional career lasted 25 years. During this time he had many successes and failures. As a professional he took part in 200 fights, 173 of which ended in victory, and 108 of which ended in knockout of opponents.
The boxer became the winner as early as 7 weight categories, and in the welterweight and middle weight categories he became a champion among professionals. Ray Sugar Robinson inspired journalists to compile overall rating boxers, which did not take into account weight categories (pound-for-pound). Ring magazine named Robinson in 2002 the greatest boxer in history in all weight categories. The great boxer's last professional fight took place on November 10, 1965, when he was defeated by Joey Archer, who was then considered not a very strong opponent.
Robinson fought quite often, even during his championship days he sometimes took part in fights at intervals of several days. No boxer has ever managed to knock him out or TKO except for one case. During the fight vs. Joey Maxim The weather was extreme - the air temperature reached 41 degrees in the shade. In the 13th round, Robinson suffered a heat stroke due to his active fighting tactics and was unable to enter the ring, which is why he was counted defeated.
Sugar Ray Leonard. I present to you exclusive material about training, nutrition, fight statistics, and methods of preparing the great boxer for the most important fights of his career against Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, and Wilfred ( Wilfredo) Benitez.
When it comes to the best of the best, the great one immediately comes to mind. Olympic champion. Best boxer of the decade. World champion in five weight categories. The man who defeated all the best boxers of his era. He had incredible charisma and acting skills. The ideal boxer and example successful person after finishing his career.
Leonard's best fights will be watched by many more generations of boxing fans. However, another side is hidden from their eyes, which Ray always talks about in his interviews - the diet and training that made him a great boxer.
Diet: Ray's height is 178 centimeters. Arm span is 188 centimeters. Leonard began his career as a welterweight ( up to 66.6 kilograms), and reached the light heavyweight division ( fight with Donny Lalonde at catchweight). However, his diet remained virtually unchanged. Only the number of servings of a particular product changed. It was hard to catch Ray in bad shape. Even in the offseason, his body looked lean. This is not possible without a well-developed diet.
Ray woke up at 5 o'clock in the morning and went for a run. About 4-5 miles ( 6.5-8 kilometers). He even ran on Sunday.
Upon his return, Leonard drank a glass of water. That's all. Next, he performed air throws and rested before the main workout. Breakfast came only at 10 am: 5-6 boiled eggs, two toasts, and a glass of milk. Immediately before training, Ray was drinking protein cocktail or just ate some fruit ( banana or avocado) with milk.
The training took place from 12:00 to 13:30. Afterwards, Ray drank several glasses of water, took a shower and took vitamins. Half an hour later the second meal arrived. Lunch consisted of a portion of boiled chicken ( thighs, wings, or breast) and brown rice. Or it was modified into a vegetable stew with chicken. Ray ate food without salt or spices. He cut out sugar and drank a lot of water. After lunch, he drank his usual glass of low-fat milk.
The great boxer allowed himself some indulgences. But he didn't do it regularly. Being in shape and at the peak physical activity, a spoonful of honey or dessert were not critical for him.
Ray always trained once a day, if there was no demonstration performances for the media. The third meal took place at approximately 18:00. If it was in a restaurant, then Leonard would order a simple cut of vegetables ( red pepper, broccoli, tomatoes), without sauce. And if at home, I ate boiled lentils or beans, washing it all down with a standard glass of low-fat milk. Toast was only included in the first meal. During the day, Ray did not eat flour or starch products. There was always a decanter of clean water near his bed. He drank even at night, always maintaining water balance in his body.
There were no secrets in the diet of the great Leonard: natural boiled foods, no sweets or fatty foods, and regular adherence to the regime even during the off-season. This is exactly how Ray ate in preparation for the main fights of his career against Thomas Hearns and Wilfred ( Wilfredo) Benitez. This simple circuit brought him success.
Workout: Ray was a perfect boxer with no weaknesses. He had it all: a powerful blow, excellent movement on his feet, excellent reaction, endurance, and the ability to take a blow. He developed all these qualities from early childhood.
Leonard's standard boxing program:
- Jump rope: 15 minutes ( many people came to watch Ray jump rope using various spins and tricks)
- Shadowboxing without time: 15 minutes
- Sparring: 5 to 10 rounds ( As the fight approached, Ray reached 25 rounds per training with different partners)
- Heavy bag: 4 rounds x 3 minutes
- Speed bag: from 10 minutes without a break
Next, he performed an interesting set: lying down push-ups - 20 times, turned over on his back and did crunches - 20 times. He brought the number of such approaches to 7-8 per workout. If he wished, Ray could perform pull-ups on the horizontal bar. Moreover, he performed this exercise exclusively narrow grip (direct and reverse). Sometimes he asked someone from the audience to hold his legs, and he walked on his hands around the hall in several circles.
After training, Leonard spent 15 minutes stretching. At the peak of his form, he could freely sit on the longitudinal and transverse splits, as well as stand on the bridge from a standing position.
Just like nutrition, there are no big secrets in Ray's training. He just does his job regularly. He is a natural talent and was able to develop his best qualities. Simple rules helped him realize his potential and defeat the best boxers of his time: Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, and Wilfred ( Wilfredo) Benitez.
On November 30, 1979, a massacre began simultaneously in Las Vegas and New Orleans. new era in history professional boxing, which lasted ten years and became an integral part of boxing folklore. For the first time in modern history(and by and large, and for the first time in general - if you don’t count short 2-3-year periods) boxing “left” the heavyweight division for a long time, moving to lighter, but much brighter weight categories. He will not return to heavy duty until the second half of the 80s, and in full until the first half of the 90s. He will not return until - after a magical voyage to the middleweights - his loyal fans return.
About five outstanding masters who created the basis for a new world order and built it on their fists. Now the meat of the matter begins - their mutual confrontations. Although the champions fought like epic heroes all these ten years, the era itself can be divided into several shorter “eras”, clearly distinguished and separated from each other.
1. Sugar Ray Leonard (USA, 25-0, 16 KOs) – Wilfried Benitez (Puerto Rico, 38-0-1, 25 KOs) – November 30th, 1979, Las Vegas for WBC Welterweight.
Leonard approached this fight as a clear favorite (3/1), which was quite unexpected for many experts. Benitez was a two-time current champion world and, almost universally recognized, one of best boxers protective plan on the planet.
Sugar Ray, of course, was also “not whittled by Papa Carla,” as my good friend says - still Olympic champion and, definitely, best boxer that team. But for all his talent, for all the ease with which he crushed his opponents, it still seemed that Leonard might lack experience. It was impossible to buy it from contenders and deflated ex-champions, so “Sakharny” compensated for quality with quantity: for example, in 1979, he fought eight more before the title fight, winning six ahead of schedule.
Benitez, on the contrary, was not particularly diligent in his preparation. To such an extent that his father and, concurrently, coach Gregorio Sr. spoke in the press under the headline “Why Benitez will lose,” saying verbatim the following: “He doesn’t listen to me at all, he doesn’t hear a single word I say. It can be found anywhere - just not in the hall. Even if they pay me $200,000, I won’t second him.” But before the fight, it was his father who was in Wilfrid’s corner.
And it’s not to say that Benitez boxed poorly – no, well. But still, from the very first round it became clear that the bookmakers were right. Leonard acted in an attacking manner, but without forgetting about precautions - in other words, he played as white in this truly chess game. He could afford this, since he was not inferior to Benitez either in speed or in reflexes, but he was greatly superior to him in striking power and, more importantly, in training: Wilfried, despite all his excellent defense, was still an intuitive by nature - and Leonard complemented intuition with skill. As a result, the pure techie lost to the techie with bricks in his fists.
Ray's advantage grew gradually, but already in the third round he managed to send Benitez to the floor for the first time: the “flash” happened after a left jab. Benitez responded with an onslaught in the 5th round and hit Ray well with rights a couple of times, but already in the 6th he had a severe cut above his right eyebrow, actually on his forehead, which did not add to his confidence in his abilities.
Leonard was simply better, while Benitez tried his best but lost the fight. They both hit, but Leonard hit a little more often and noticeably stronger. Ray missed a lot - almost more often than in any other fight - what to do if you fight with a radar - but he also hit a lot. By the end of the fight, Leonard's advantage began to grow, although according to the judges' cards it turned out (it turned out incorrectly) that the gap was small (137-130, 137-133, 136-134 after 14 rounds). At the very end, he sent the Puerto Rican to the floor with a left hook. He stood up, but Filipino referee Carlos Padilla almost immediately stopped the fight. Then they blew on the water - a week before, Willi Klaassen died after a battle with Wilford Scipio. So Leonard became the champion and best boxer of 1979.
2. Roberto Duran (Panama, 71-1, 56 KOs) – Sugar Ray Leonard (USA, 27-0, 18 KOs) – June 20th, 1980 Montreal for WBC Welterweight
After winning the title, Sugar Ray made one defense of the belt (knocking out Dave Green) and just six months after winning his title he went to fight Roberto Duran, the best boxer on the planet, regardless of weight at that time and regardless of the moment. Despite the fact that Duran was the favorite among experts (but not among bookmakers), he was owed “only” $1.5 million - by the way, by far the largest fee in his career. After all the calculations, Leonard received more than 7.5 million for this fight - no one had ever earned so much in boxing before him.
It was assumed that Ray would be able to outbox the skilled but aggressor due to pure talent and “physics”. Moreover, for Duran this fight became the first title fight in the new weight after jumping through weight. However, Leonard did not look for easy ways: just as in the fight with Benitez he tried (and was able) to outbox and crush the pure player, and here the American decided to outplay his opponent at his own game. Against Duran this meant cutting, and only a madman could cut with the Panamanian.
Before the fight, New York Times columnist Dave Anderson asked Joe Frazier, who was sitting next to him, who Duran reminded him of. The question was asked with the expectation that Joe would fall for it and begin to compare the Panamanian with himself. " On Charles Manson"Frazier replied.
Duran fought like a “crazy man”, giving the fight his all. His intensity and passion contrasted greatly with Leonard's sophistication and calmness. By agreeing to fight “to the bone,” the latter put himself in an obviously losing position. However, Leonard gave Durant a real fight. Only a little was missing: on the judges' cards, Leonard (who threw a little less and hit a little less) lost a point, a point and two more, and some even considered him the winner. He proved a lot. But not everyone appreciated this. Here's what the legendary Angelo Dundee said:
“You should never fight by adjusting to your opponent's strengths. You have to soften him, take away his strong qualities, and Ray didn't do that. He tried to overpower (literally) this guy. Duran was Duran, and Ray danced to his tune."
3. Sugar Ray Leonard (USA, 27-1, 18 KOs) – Roberto Duran (Panama, 72-1, 56 KOs) – November 25th, 1980 New Orleans for WBC Welterweight
A correction was needed, because something caused the failure. Leonard, who ran his own affairs, felt that the odd one out (the "weakest") link was Dave Jacobs, who had coached him from his teenage days through Montreal gold to the championship title. First, he was against an immediate rematch, arguing that Ray needed a couple of recovery fights. Secondly, Leonard reasonably believed that Jacobs had lost the first match against the legendary 82-year-old coach-patriarch of Duran, Ray Arcel, who had entered the elite before the war and worked with such guys as Max Baer, James Braddock and Georges Carpentier. Another legendary coach, Angelo Dundee, became solely responsible for Leonard’s preparation.
The fight, like the first one, turned out to be an Event in the world of boxing. Durant received eight million for it, Leonard - seven. The crowd was pumped up, thanks to “Amerika the Beautiful!” performed by Ray Charles himself. The fight itself showed that no correction was needed at all - only the one in the ex-champion’s head.
Proving to myself own strength, Ray began to box in a relaxed manner to win and have fun. As they like to say, “revenge is a dish best served cold.” Leonard's calmness and playfulness gradually turned into outright mockery of his helpless opponent. Now Ray did not fight with Roberto, he boxed with him - he pulled, went in all directions, fired machine-gun bursts and went into range, forcing the Panamanian to catch air. The monstrous weight loss did not add to Duran’s joy - it was rumored that he showed up to the gym with an excess of 17 kilograms compared to his fighting weight.
After short-term “successes” in the 5th round, Duran again began to get nuts in the 6th. In the 7th, Leonard imitated a bolo, while he himself, meanwhile, poked his opponent with a jab - in the best traditions of the “Drunken Master” Emmanuel Augustus. In the 8th, things got worse, and Roberto’s pride could not stand it - he said THIS.
In fact, Duran split his career into “Before” and “After.” And the way he spent the notorious “after”, how the main macho of world boxing was able to return to the top after this universal shame - only added color to his legend, making it more humane. What is there! The episode itself became a legend . But then it all sounded different.
Roberto Duran: “I'm leaving boxing right now! I don't want to fight anymore!"
Ray Arcel: “This is it... I made it... It's terrible. I've worked with thousands of boxers and no one has given up this way. I think this guy needs a psychiatrist more than anyone else."
So Leonard became the No. 1 boxer on the planet.
4. Sugar Ray Leonard (USA, 30-1, 21 KOs) – Thomas Hearns (USA, 32-0, 30 KOs) – September 16, 1981, Las Vegas, for WBC/WBA Welterweight
But there was also Thomas Hearns, moving on a course parallel to Leonard. On the same day that Ray defeated Benitez, Hearns defeated Mike Colbert on points in New Orleans, knocking him down 4 times. In the next 8 fights, his opponents did not hear the final gong: 4 times before the title fight (including ex-world champions Angel Espada and Eddie Gatso), 4 times after a knockout victory over long-time WBA champion Pipino Cuevas, including herself.
Ray also didn’t waste any time, warming up first on Larry Bonds, and then going for the title in the first average weight and defeating strong WBA champion Ayub Kalule there. But the main fight awaited Leonard at his weight.
The fight with Hearns is undoubtedly the peak of Leonard's early career and, at the same time, one of the three peak fights of this era. For the first time, Leonard fought a fighter who was larger than him in size, inferior in technique and hit even harder - all at once. For the first time in his career, Leonard was an outsider to the bookmakers. Having started as a favorite (8 to 5), he became an underdog closer to the fight (7 to 5).
And, I must say, the fight justified the predictions of those who bet on Hearns. Tall and active, he chased Leonard around the ring throughout the first five rounds. Hearns wasn't hitting cleanly, but he was more active and pressed his opponent, and Leonard was too defensive. “Hit him in the belly!” Dundee egged Ray on, and as soon as he obeyed, things went uphill. But by the 8th round, Hearns got his second wind, and now he was beating Leonard seriously. And he beat him several rounds. Leonard began to lose weight, and hematomas began to cover his eyes.
“You’re wasting this fight, son,” Dundee stated after the 12th round. Hearns led on points by such a margin that only a knockout could have saved Leonard. And being great, if not one of the greatest (those that you can count on the fingers of one hand), Ray was able to do it! In the 13th he finally got to Tommy and he was stormed. A couple of falls weren't even counted as knockdowns, but in the end the referee was forced to count out. Hearns barely finished the 13th round, but in the 14th Leonard finally and irrevocably destroyed him.
That, in fact, was the end of Leonard’s era, but no one knew about it then. He would have one more fight, knocking out Bruce Finch, but in May 1982, during a medical examination shortly before the fight with Drew Stafford, doctors discovered Leonard had a detached retina. We know from the story of Orzubek Nazarov what this can lead to. Ray was within his rights to play it safe, and that's exactly what he did when he announced his retirement. As it seemed then - forever...
His era continued without him and lasted another year while Wilfried Benitez fought.
5. Wilfried Benitez (Puerto Rico, 43-1-1, 28 KOs) – Roberto Duran (Panama, 74-2, 56 KOs) – January 30, 1982, Las Vegas, for WBC Light Middleweight
After his defeat by Leonard, Duran, contrary to his words, did not leave boxing, but took a long (10 months) break from performing. Having won two fights on points, he went to fight the new WBC champion in his third weight.
This weight was third for the Puerto Rican. Its resource, despite the fact that Radar was only 23 years old, was coming to an end. However, he was able to recover, warming up in the middle peasants in 1980. In 1981, Benitez first defeated the dark Morris Hope and then defeated the dangerous Carlos Santos on points.
But his true comeback was the fight with Duran. Unlike Leonard, Benitez could not boast of either solid size or a strong punch. The Panamanian had to be beaten in the style of a matador, trying not to get hit in the open. And Benitez pulled it off, delivering one of the best performances of his career.
6. Thomas Hearns (USA, 35-1, 32 KOs) – Wilfried Benitez (Puerto Rico, 44-1-1, 28 KOs) – December 3, 1982, Las Vegas for the WBC Light Middleweight belt
But the fight with Duran was also the last victorious title fight for Benitez. Next in line was Thomas Hearns. The Puerto Rican performed at the same level, but even more so high level"Cobra" performed.
The fight was not easy for Thomas. I had to adapt to an inconvenient opponent who evaded almost all of his blows. Something else was needed besides an explosive blow and wild strength, especially since in the middle of the fight Tommy was injured right hand. And it was his boxing in the second half of the fight, boxing with literally one left that proved to everyone that Hearns was here not only for the power of the blow.
For Benitez, the defeat, even though it was a majority vote, was the beginning of the end. He will still try to qualify for a title fight with Marvin Hagler at middleweight, but the barrier in front of him will be lowered by the Syrian Mustafa Hamsho. Gradually, Wilfried’s affairs began to go worse and worse, and it all ended very sadly - now Benitez cannot provide for his own existence. Sometimes his mind clears up and it seems that he will begin to understand who he once was, but... And yet, those who do not include Wilfrid on a par with other great “middleweights” of that time are very much mistaken. We will not repeat their mistakes.
SUBTOTAL
The Benitez-Hearns fight closed the first chapter of our era - the chapter of welterweights. Leonard went into what seemed like eternal rest, Benitez began to lose, and Hearns and Duran moved up in weight. There, a new system-forming figure loomed before him, which we will talk about next time.
For now, let’s summarize the interim results. Roberto Duran, Ray Leonard, Wilfried Benitez and Thomas Hearns played a virtual tournament among themselves. If we talk directly about the “Era of Leonard” itself, then the situation is as follows:
The following scoring algorithm is used: 3 for a win by knockout, 2 for a win by other means, 1 for a draw, 0 for a loss. Leonard's advantage is obvious.
The plate can be “normalized” if we take into account the following two points:
In 1984, Hearns knocked out Duran in 2 rounds - we will talk about this fight in another part of the material;
The most likely outcome (and averaged one too) of the two-match Duran-Leonard series, if it had gone through in one fight, would have been a victory for Leonard on points.
And finally, in terms of fees (summing up the fights between Duran and Leonard, in millions of dollars):
After finishing his boxing career Sugar Ray Leonard I was once asked which fight he considered the hardest. The boxer said without hesitation that it was a fight with Thomas Hearns.
professional biography of Sugar Ray Leonard began after numerous amateur fights. In 1969, she began boxing and already in 1972 took part in her first official fight. He managed to have 150 fights in the amateur ring, of which 145 ended in victory. Among the opponents who lost to him were very serious boxers who later became champions or contenders for this title. 1976 brought the boxer gold medal in boxing in the 1st welterweight at the Olympic Games in Montreal.
November 1979 was marked by the boxer's first serious victory. He became real WBC champion in the welterweight division, defeating Wilfred Benitez, who was the youngest champion in all of boxing history. Sugar Ray Leonard knocked him out in the 15th round of the fight.
In 1981, that same significant fight took place with Thomas Hearns. His professional career was easy for him; he celebrated victory after victory. Many believe that the enormous talent of Leonard himself played an important role in this, as well as training with trainer Angelo Dundee, who trained Muhammad Ali himself. Once again, America rejoiced at its new idol.
The 80s are often called the decade of Sugar Ray Leonard, it was then that he received national title great middleweight. And this despite the fact that in the mid-80s he was forced to interrupt his career for three whole years due to an eye disease. Boxer became champion in five weight categories in order, moving higher and higher from welterweight. He received the WBC champion title, and then became the strongest boxer according to the WBA. These were welterweight titles.
At the same time, in 1981, he became the WBA 1st middleweight champion. After a three-year break due to illness, he again began to rapidly score victory after victory, winning the WBC middleweight title in 1987. The very next year, in one fight, he won championship titles in two weight categories at once - 2nd middleweight and light heavyweight according to the WBC.
In 1991, Leonard lost a fight to Terry Norris and retired from boxing. After 6 years (in 1997), he unexpectedly decided to try his hand as a boxer again, entering the ring against Hector Camacho, lost the fight and never returned to boxing.
Sugar Ray Leonard is considered by many boxing experts to be the greatest boxer of all time. In this article you will find out why...
“Once I put on the gloves, boxing became my life.”
Ray Charles Leonard was born on May 17, 1956 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. His parents, Geta and Cicero Leonard, had seven children. The father of the family worked as a supermarket manager, and the mother was a nurse. Geta Leonard named her son after the famous performer Ray Charles, whose work she madly loved. Her son also had vocal talent: Ray sang in church with his two sisters, and parishioners told Goethe that his voice sounded like the rhythm and blues of the famous singer Sam Cooke.
Leonard grew up as a shy child. He often sat at home, read comics and played with his dog.
"Ray was always quiet"- says his mother. “We could never guess what he was thinking. But I never had any problems with him. I was never called to school."
At the age of 14, the teenager became interested in boxing. By the way, his father and older brother also succeeded in this sport, but each in their own way. Ray Leonard lived in Palmer, a racially mixed, poor suburb of Baltimore. Two local volunteer trainers recognized the boy's natural talent and began training him. As a fighter, Leonard is already in early years demonstrated skill and grace in the ring. Later, his handsome style would contrast with the bullies and sluggers as he fought and outclassed boxers of other styles. In the end, he received the prestigious nickname "Sugar", the same as legendary boxer Ray Robinson, who is considered one of the best boxers of all time.
Leonard's small body contained a solid explosive force. The boy could hit hard, but from his youth he encountered pain in his fists.
Sugar's amateur credits include two National Golden Gloves tournaments in the junior welterweight division (in 1973 and 1974), three US national tournaments and Golden medal at the Pan American Games in 1975.
FACT: On May 16, 1974, Leonard fought with Anatoly Kamnev in the Soviet Union. Kamnev won by controversial decision. The crowd booed this decision, and Anatoly gave Leonard the championship trophy that he had just won. On January 18, 1975, in Las Vegas, Leonard defeated Kamnev on points.
(As a teenager, Leonard was sexually abused by his coach. Many years later, he described this in his autobiographical book. You can read this story )
Our hero’s amateur career was more than successful; Leo made his way into the 1976 Olympic team.
At the Montreal Olympics, Leonard brilliantly defeated each of his opponents, but the main public attention was focused not on him, but on the star from his own team - Howard Davis. Before the final fight, Ray was considered an underdog. He was to share the ring with a Cuban knockout artist named Andres Aldama.
Leonard interrupted the larger Aldama, acting on the retreat and systematically unloading with spectacular combinations of blows. In the second round, Andres was knocked down. The amateur fight between the American and the Cuban turned out to be more spectacular than other professional fights. Sugar overcame severe pain in both arms and won a landslide unanimous decision. All fights within Olympic Games Ray Leonard won 5-0. His spectacular path to the final and Olympic gold brought him recognition from the boxing community.
(Orig. Cov. Date 8/2/76, 2/17/77)
Credit: Neil Leifer
SetNumber: X20678
Record Sugar in total amateur career: 145-5 (75 KOs).
After winning the Olympic gold medal, Leonard announced his intention to retire from boxing, claiming that he had achieved his dream. Initially, Ray wanted to go to university and become a lawyer, but his plan was derailed by the illness of his father and mother.
By that time, “Leo” had become a father himself, and his family also needed support. Juanita Wilkinson, the mother of his illegitimate son, filed a paternity suit in an attempt to get Ray to receive food stamps.
All of the above circumstances pushed our hero to the decision to make a living as a professional boxer. Ray Leonard immediately worked with the right people. He hired former coach Muhammad Ali, and lawyer Mike Trainer, who became his business manager.
“Boxing was the only career option where I wouldn’t have to start from scratch. I had a good resume"
Early career: Mayweather, Muniz, Ranzani
On February 5, 1977, in his debut fight, Sugar Ray Leonard defeated Luis Vega, a strong boxer from Puerto Rico, by a decision over six rounds, winning each of them. Our hero's first fee was impressive for a debutant $ 40.044 .
At the very beginning of his career, Leonard competed as a junior welterweight (up to 63.5 kg), and after several fights he rose to welterweight. He passed medium-sized opponents without any problems, gaining experience. At that time, many opponents mentioned that they were impressed primarily by Ray’s speed, which they could not cope with. In 1978, Leo knocked out Javier Muniz in the first round. And everything would be fine, but the fight before that Muniz spent 10 rounds with the lightweight monster Roberto Duran.
After defeating Muniz, Leonard defeated now-famous manager Al Haymon's brother, Bobby Haymon. This fight set a record for the largest attendance at an indoor arena in Maryland - 15,272 people came to watch boxing. On July 18, 1978, Ray defeated Dickie Eklund. In the ninth round of this fight, Sugar slipped, and Eklund bragged for years after the fight that he knocked him down. Later, he nevertheless admitted that there was no smell of any knockdown there.
Two months later, Leonard goes to fight Floyd Mayweather ( Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s father - approx. website). At that time, Sugar Ray was already among the top five in the WBA rankings. Mayweather was not even in the top ten, but he was on the 6th line of the welterweight rating from The Ring.
The larger Floyd started the fight first and was more than active. In addition, he turned out to be a strong guy and skillfully combined offensive and defensive actions. Therefore, it was not easy to break through. Working back, Mayweather relied on a powerful right hand. The fight was intense; in the 3rd round, Leonard still shocked his opponent. In the last minute of the eighth three-minute period, he knocked Floyd down twice.
Signature shoulder protection ( the Philadelphia shell is a trick of Floyd, and then his son, which Leonard, we note, himself used well in this fight with Mayweather, and then with Ranzani - approx. website) did not protect Mayweather from accurate lefts from the side. In the middle of the 10th round, Floyd was shocked again, the referee considered it necessary to stop the fight.
Just a month later, Sugar Ray Leonard defeated top contender Randy Shields, to whom he had lost as an AAU amateur in 1973, by decision. There were no knockdowns in this fight, but in the ninth round our hero accidentally hit referee Tom Kelly with a left hand. He suffered a cut above his eye and was replaced by referee Harry Cecchini.
Leo's next appearance in the ring was less than a month later (in total, in 1978, he had 11 fights) and also marked a kind of record. 6,500 spectators came to watch the fight, which at that time was an unprecedented result for the sparsely populated state of Maine.
On December 9, 1978, Leonard had a fight with strong contender Armando Muniz, who had a good amateur background and had tried to become a champion four times. By that time, Ray was already a contender for the championship title, but the owner of this very title, Carlos Palomino, was in no hurry to give him a chance.
Muniz went forward, Sugar Ray Leonard worked on the retreat and tied up a dangerous opponent close. Sugar was faster and more accurate, starting to escalate things already in the first round. In the second segment of the fight, Muniz increased the pace, but he still failed to catch on to the fast and agile Leo. From the third round, Armando was able to drag his opponent into a fuss close up, and also began to work on the floors. This brought some success. The second half of the third round was a very spectacular exchange of blows.
From the fourth segment of the fight, Sugar Ray Leonard again began to act mainly from a long distance, where he felt more confident. Armando Muniz continued to pursue him and had local success, but Leo was better. At the end of the sixth round, he shook Muniz; between the 6th and 7th corners, Armando decided to refuse to continue the fight, citing an injured left hand.
“This is my most difficult fight in this moment" - Ray Leonard.
“Sugar Ray hits really well. If Palomino has any courage, he will give him a chance next year." - Armando Muniz.
On the same day, Leonard's brother and cousin also scored victories in their professional careers.
In the ring, Sugar Ray Leonard was a boxer without any obvious flaws. He wasn't a tough puncher, but he had enough swipe. He worked well with his front hand and was extremely precise. He analyzed his opponent's style well and was able to make adjustments to change the course of the battle in his favor.
The expression “speed kills” is about Leo. There is no point in describing his footwork and hand speed, it has to be seen. Sugar delivered a series of 6 or more blows in an instant and was famous for his spurts (sharp explosive and high-speed attacks).
His skills, combined with his vibrant personality and charisma, made Ray a star at a time when the sport needed a new hero. As the era of Muhammad Ali came to an end, comparisons with the sports icon were inevitable. Famous sports commentator Howard Cossell even called Leonard "the new Muhammad."
As a charming personality, a flamboyant fighter in the ring and a contender for the title of national hero, Sugar Ray Leonard managed to fill this void. As with Ali, Leonard's fans were divided into two camps: those who loved him and those who chided the boxer for his vanity (To some, the nickname "Sugar Ray" seemed the height of arrogance).
Ray himself could only do one thing - ignore the attention of his ill-wishers and confirm the advances given to him in the ring.
Young Leo and his coach Dundee
Leo won several more victories, including one of them in the junior middleweight division, and in April 1979 he met with another strong contender, Adolfo Viruet. This was his first left-handed opponent.
Ray mainly acted as the first number, and Adolfo worked in a retaliatory manner. The fight took place at a low pace, only the endings of the rounds were bright. In the fourth segment of the fight, Viruet missed a right straight and was knocked down for the first time in his entire career. At the end of 10 rounds, Sugar Ray Leonard celebrated his victory by unanimous decision.
In May of the same year, he again fought in the junior middleweight division. His opponent was former champion Mexico and California middleweight champion Marcos Geraldo. Sugar Ray defeated the much larger Geraldo by decision in a spectacular fight.
“Geraldo hit me and saw three opponents instead of one. I thought, “Oh, shit,” and couldn’t tell which one was real. Then he hit me again, and I realized it was the one in the middle. In this fight I learned what it takes to survive when you are overwhelmed. In addition, I had to use all the skills and abilities that I knew and even those that I didn’t know.”
(In 1982, Leonard would be diagnosed with retinal detachment. In his 2011 biography, “The Big Fight, My Life in and Out of the Ring,” Ray shared his opinion that the injury may have been related to the fight against Marcos Geraldo. website).
At that stage of his career, Leonard was already seeking fights with WBC champion Wilfred Benitez, as well as with Roberto Duran, who managed to rise from lightweight to welterweight and won victory after victory. However, despite the bright performances of Sugar himself, there was a lot of criticism towards him. He was mainly blamed for his lack of striking power.
27-year-old Ranzani quickly went forward from the first seconds, but 23-year-old Leonard “calculated” him already in the middle of the opening three minutes, and began to work hard and accurately in response. The battle turned out to be intense, but short-lived. In the middle fourth round Sugar Ray rocked his opponent with a straight right. After a brutal finishing move, Ranzani falls and has difficulty getting up. Another finish, and the referee stops the match. For this victory, Leo received $150.ooo and his first (albeit secondary) title.
A month and a half later, Ray entered the ring with tough Californian Andy Price, who promised to surprise everyone and defeat Leonard. That evening of boxing was packed with star names. Larry Holmes defended the title against Earnie Shavers, and Roberto Duran, Wilfredo Gomez, and Jimmy Young also fought. Among all this variety of stars, Leonard managed to stand out by giving a bright and short performance. Already at the end of the first round, he brutally beat Andy Price against the ropes, after which he could not get to his feet for a long time.
On initial stage Sugar Ray Leonard had 25 victories in his career, 15 of which were knockouts. Now he had to fight for a full championship title.
Highlights, part 1: Benitez and Duran
This same fight took place on November 30, 1979, in Las Vegas. The world champion from Puerto Rico was opposed to Sugar Ray. For Benitez himself, the meeting with Leo was the second defense of the WBC welterweight title. The Puerto Rican went undefeated and surpassed Sugar in experience, despite the fact that he was two years younger (at the time of the fight, Benitez was 21 years old).
However, Ray was considered a 3 to 1 favorite. On the eve of the fight, Benitez's father and coach wrote an article, "Why Wilfred Won't Beat Leonard," which was published in The Ring in November 1979. There he made every possible reference to the complete lack of discipline of his brilliant offspring.
The moment of truth has come. Two similar fighters met in the ring - fast, talented and trained. As Ray later recalled: “It was like I was looking in a mirror in this fight.”. Sugar wisely used his advantage in arm length (his reach is 10 cm longer than Benitez's arm span).
Both with an annoying jab and simply with forceful, but constant blows with his front hand, Leonard managed to pin down the right hand of the Puerto Rican defensive genius. He was forced to keep his long glove under his chin all the time. In addition, Sugar was not inferior to Benitez in speed, and his tactics for the fight were much more successful (at least they were). At the end of the third segment, Ray knocked down his opponent with a quick left kick. From the fourth round, Benitez began to literally box like his opponent.
Most of the fight took place in the center of the ring. Leonard continued to tease the champion with false movements, but both boxers missed quite a few times in their attacks. In the sixth round, during a mutual clash of heads, a cut opened on Wilfred's forehead. In the 11th, which was rich in exchanges (compared to all other rounds), Leo shocked Benitez. The 15th segment of the battle took place on a collision course and turned out to be very brutal.
30 seconds before its completion, Wilfred Benitez was knocked down. After a short finishing move, just 6 seconds before the end of the fight, the referee stopped the match. The stop looked premature * , but there was absolutely no doubt about Sugar’s victory. He confidently dealt with one of the best boxers in the world at that time and, as time will tell, one of the greatest fighters of all time.
(* Possible However, the early stoppage of the fight was due to the death of Willy Klassen, who died two days earlier from injuries received in a fight with Wilford Scipio).
"Leonard - Benitez"
“From a technical point of view, there was so much on display in this fight that I haven’t seen in a very long time.”- said Ray's coach - Angelo Dundee.
“No one has ever made me miss so much.” —
“At the moment, Sugar Ray is the best boxer in the world. I was glad for this fight, he is a good opponent and will be a worthy champion." — Benitez .
Wilfred received a fee of $1.2 million, and Ray received $1 million. At that time, it was highest paid fight two boxers not competing in the heavyweight division.
In his first title defense, Sugar knocked out Dave Boy Green with a superb left hook in the fourth round. Next, Ray faced a dangerous challenge in the person of the previously mentioned Roberto Duran. Coming from lightweight, the Panamanian at that time managed to win many victories in the welterweight division, including over former champion Carlos Palomino.
Duran was not just good fighter, he was hellish. At the time of the meeting with Leonard, this Panamanian had fought more than 70 professional fights and was defeated in only one, having come back twice. Roberto was the embodiment of Latin American machismo. Difficult childhood, street fighting, ruthless, fearless, courageous and trained fighter with with a heavy blow. This image, associated with primitive aggression, was the opposite of the smart, handsome and graceful Leonard.
Two famous promoters, Bob Arum and Don King, organized this event together. The fight took place on June 20, 1980 in Montreal, Canada, the same place where Ray Leonard won four years earlier. olympic gold. He was considered a 9 to 5 favorite. Duran's fee was tentatively estimated at $1.5 million - he had never received more than that before. According to some estimates, Leonard earned between $7.5 and $10 million for the fight.
Before the fight, Duran said that he studied his opponent as thoroughly as he studied his shadow, and stated that he was ready for anything. Leonard spoke reservedly of Roberto as a man to be feared.
In the opening round, Duran indicated his intention to work close. Leo acted in response. In the middle of the second segment of the fight, Roberto shook the American with a left hand. The Panamanian sought to put his opponent against the ropes in order to take a frontal position and work power blows from both hands. And, I must say, he successfully succeeded.
And Leonard himself was not against fighting on a collision course. Even in the third round, it became clear that he did not intend to box from a distance, holding his opponent at arm's length. Sugar accepted the fight with force, and therefore the meeting was full of exchanges, permanent aggression and anger, for which it was nicknamed the “Massacre in Montreal.” Ray spent most of the time with his back to the ropes.
Following a close fight, Roberto Duran won by unanimous decision. On average he inflicted 61 hit per round, but had to hit the target - 21 . Sugar applied on average 50 strikes per round, of which were on target 18 . More than 46,000 people watched the fight live.
“He's the best I've fought. He surprised me a couple of times, but I wasn't in a bad position. Leonard just had to be well prepared because he was fighting me." — Roberto Duran.
“I said I won’t run from Duran. I had no options. People wondered if I could take a big hit. I showed that I can. I have to give Roberto credit, he’s the toughest guy I’ve ever fought.”
“The Montreal fight was not a boxing match. It was Street fight. I didn't use my skills. He was just determined to stand his ground and trade blows with Duran. I don't like his manner. He acts like he owns the world."
“After the 14th round, I knew he took this fight. I felt like I gave it my hundred percent, but I didn’t conduct the fight correctly. Emotional devastation is what I felt. My family and friends cried. Everyone cried, but not me."— .
"Leonard - Durand 1"
Our hero's pride cost him zero in the defeat column. Five months later, the fighters held a rematch, which Sugar insisted on. Despite the result of the first fight, Leonard was a slight favorite. According to statements by the Panamanian's manager and translator, before the second fight Roberto Duran had serious weight problems.
For this fight, Leonard, who usually competes in red, white and blue, chose black shorts and boxers. The fight was very different from the first. Sugar constantly moved, pulled his opponent apart and quickly attacked with movement and in response. Roberto was successful in episodes, but for the most part he failed to catch on with Ray. In the seventh round, Leonard began to tease his counterpart.
30 seconds before the end of the eighth three-minute period, Duran refused to continue the fight. According to referee Octavio Meiran, he told the Panamanian in Spanish "fight!", but he answered "No mas", which means "enough". This phrase will be forever associated with his wonderful sports career. The scandalous situation immediately acquired many versions.
“I was just as confused as everyone else, just shocked. I thought it was a trick, I thought he wanted to pretend he was refusing to continue and then hit me, catching me off guard.”
Durant himself documentary film ESPN said it didn't say the words "No mas" but was said to have been made up by a commentator. Roberto himself referred to stomach problems, saying that on the eve of the fight he ate hot food and washed it down with cold juice. According to him, he wanted to refuse to continue in the fifth round.
Roberto's manager, Carlos Eleta, believed that it was Leonard's manner in the ring that confused Duran and forced him to refuse to continue the fight. This version found the most adherents. Eleta also claimed that after the fight, on the way to the hospital, Duran repented, saying that he was ashamed of his action and that he should not have “given up.”
The day after the incident, Roberto was fined $7,500 by the athletic commission. A comprehensive medical examination of Duran did not reveal any serious abnormalities. He stated that he was retiring from boxing and did not want to fight anymore.
“I did everything as I said and made him surrender. Doing this to Roberto Duran is even better than knocking him out."
“The same thing happened to me, it’s terrible. I had thousands of fighters and no one ever gave up. I think what this guy needs most is the help of a psychiatrist. What about him? He was a fighter. If someone had told me that Roberto Duran might give up, I would never have believed it.”- Duran coach Ray Arcel.
"Leonard - Durand 2"
Also in 1980, Leonard married Juanita Wilkinson, the mother of his son, and began defending the title. In 1981, he aggressively defeated the third southpaw in his career, Larry Bonds.
Highlights Part 2: Kalule and Hearns
On June 25, 1981, Sugar Ray Leonard fought in the junior middleweight division against WBA champion Ayub Kalule. The champion was originally from Uganda but lived in Denmark. At that time, he had defended his belt four times and was undefeated.
Promoter Bob Arum, who agreed to promote the event at the insistence of Leonard's manager, Mike Trainer, called the idea "idiotic." Even then, Sugar was scheduled to fight with WBA welterweight champion Thomas Hearns, who boxed on the same evening as Leo and Kalule. But Arum was confident that Kalule would defeat Ray and ruin his reputation.
Leonard, 25, entered the ring wearing black briefs with a yellow snake on the right side. Before the fight, he studied Ugandan culture and learned that Ugandan witch healers were afraid of the color black and were wary of snakes.
Ray did not give to the African left-hander ( Kalule is naturally right-handed, but boxed in a left-handed stance - approx. website) ring space. He acted towards him, trying once again not to get too close to the tough African, and was often in a more advantageous position for striking, stepping behind his opponent’s front leg. Kalule pressed Sugar and alternated shots on the floors.
In the fourth segment of the competitive fight, Leo went forward, it seemed that he was investing in every blow. He managed to slightly shake his opponent and give the fans an extremely bright ending to the round. On last seconds In a thrilling ninth round, Ray Leonard sent Kalule to the canvas. He stood up, but the referee decided to stop the match. Afterwards, the African admitted that he himself asked the referee to intervene. Well, Sugar, celebrating his victory, performed a backflip right within the ring.
It's time to face WBA champion Thomas Hearns for the undisputed welterweight title. Tall, long-armed and lean, Tommy knocked out everyone left and right. Two weeks before the fight, Hearns even broke the jaw of sparring partner Marlon Starling with his right hand, who as a result had to postpone his own fight.
Bookmakers initially opened Leonard as a slight favorite, but closer to the date of the fight he was already in the status of an underdog. The fight took place on September 16, 1981 and was widely broadcast around the world.
“This fight cannot be won by skill alone. Here the one who has a stronger desire to win will achieve victory.”
Hearns worked quickly with his front hand and instantly found the right distance. Leonard moved a lot at the beginning of the fight, avoiding the vast majority of his counterpart's attacks. He was able to respond only in the middle of the second round. In the third segment, Sugar began to act more successfully, occasionally intercepting his opponent’s attacks. Hearns connected with blows to the body, the start of the match was definitely his.
The second half of the sixth round was a brilliant exchange of blows, during which Ray Leonard managed to shake Thomas. From that moment on, Leo began to escalate more and more often. In the seventh round he shocked his opponent again. Now Sugar had the initiative and was better in the middle rounds. However, during the same period, a hematoma began to close his left eye. In rounds 10-11, Thomas Hearns again took the initiative. To win this fight, Ray needed to either knock out his opponent or knock him down several times.
In the middle of the 13th round, Sugar managed to stagger Hearns with a right hand. He went for the finish and sent his opponent under the ropes. The referee did not consider it a knockdown. Another finish from Ray, Hearns hung on the ropes, but was saved by the bell. In the 14th segment of the fight, Leonard, like a predator, continued to look for opportunities for a knockout. Midway through the round he found it, stunning Thomas again with a right hand. Soon after several pointed hits from Ray, the referee stops the fight. The situation seemed stalemate, but the concept of “giving up” simply was not in Sugar’s vocabulary.
At that point, Hearns had a serious lead on all three judges' cards. Sugar Ray Leonard did what only a great fighter could do - find a solution in a difficult situation and get a victory over a real welterweight monster. Ray Leonard became absolute champion world, and his fight with Thomas Hearns was named “Fight of the Year 1981” according to The Ring. Later, in 1996, he would take 9th place on the list of "Greatest Fights of All Time".
In total, including fees and percentages from sales, Sugar Ray received more than $11 million for the fight, and Hearns about $8 million. The total income from pay-per-view (PPV) purchases alone amounted to $7.5 million.
Later, in the 2011 biography I already mentioned, Leonard admitted that sparring partner Odell Hadley accidentally hit his left eye with his elbow two weeks before the fight. The next morning, the eye began to swell and there was talk about postponing the fight, but everything worked out.
Sugar Ray Leonard knocks out Hearns. (Photo by John Iacono/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images) (SetNumber: X26024 TK1 R13 F3)
“I have proven that I am the best welterweight in the world. This fight covers all my professional achievements"
Hearns' trainer Emanuel Steward agreed that the stoppage was more than fair.
Sugar Ray met Benitez, Duran, Kalule and Hearns in a very short period from November 1979 to September 1981. The total record of these fighters at the time of the meeting with him is 177-1-1 .
Health problems and career end:
In February 1982, Leonard defended his titles against North American champion Bruce Finch in Reno, Nevada. This was the first championship fight, held in this town since the confrontation between Jack Johnson and James Jeffries in 1910. Sugar won an early victory, sending his opponent to the canvas several times.
A fight was then scheduled against Roger Stafford, but during training Leonard increasingly had vision problems and saw spots. As a result, Ray was found to have retinal detachment of the left eye. After a successful operation, Sugar Ray Leonard decides to retire from his career, which he announces on November 9, 1982.
One hundred percent recognition, the largest bank accounts and a guaranteed job in the field of boxing television broadcasting - Sugar had it all, and he had no reason to return to the ring. Except for one thing - the champion, hungry for victory, did not see any beauty in a well-fed life without risk.
“I left boxing at 26, but I knew I wasn’t done as a fighter yet. This feeling burned me from the inside, devoured me every single day.”
In the end, Ray's ego overcame his fear of losing his sight. On December 10, 1983, Leonard announced his return to the ring. Ten days later, rumors began to circulate about his fight with a medium-caliber fighter from Pennsylvania, Kevin Howard. A month later, this was officially announced. Sugar Ray stated that he intends to regain his welterweight title, and in 2-3 years to meet the absolute middleweight champion, Marvin Hagler.
(*At that time, the middleweight champion was a very talented fighter - “The Amazing” Marvin Hagler, who had excellent technical skills, a powerful punch, and a rather gloomy disposition. The meeting between Leonard and Hagler seemed inevitable and was widely discussed in boxing circles even then).
Leonard was carefully examined and, despite minor problems with his other, right eye, he was still given a boxing license. Sugar himself insisted that both men wear special gloves with the thumb hidden when fighting Howard in order to reduce the risk to the eyes.
The meeting took place on May 11, 1984. Marvin Hagler was present at the fight, whom Ray asked to come and for whom he paid for the ticket himself.
Howard fought aggressively, tugging at Leo and trying to get in close. Leonard mostly tried to respond from a distance. With 30 seconds left in the 4th round, Howard managed to catch his opponent with an accurate right hand to the jaw immediately after Sugar threw a jab. Ray fell, it was first knockdown of his career.
Kevin Howard consistently landed right hands in response, and the fight turned out to be competitive. In the ninth round, Ray staggered his opponent with a left hand. After a protracted series of blows, the referee stops the fight. Sugar won, but was so disappointed with his performance that at the post-match press conference he again announced his retirement:
“I am currently retired. There is no point in deceiving yourself or anyone else. I was afraid for my health, there is no point in continuing to disgrace myself.”
During his periods of inactivity, Leonard took a job as a boxing commentator for the cable television network HBO. In addition, he also launched a television network in his name from Maryland, which showed news, interviews and fights around the clock.
Sugar Ray Leonard, right, fight Kevin Howard, left, (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
"I wanted to fight monsters"
In 1986, the boxing world learned that Leonard was starting to train again and was seriously considering a meeting with. By the way, at that time the middleweight king defeated Duran, brutally knocked out Hearns and beat every top middleweight who decided to encroach on his titles. It was in this regard that many observers believed that the ruthless Hagler would easily cope with Leonard, who had not entered the ring for three years, and had only fought one fight in the previous 5 years.
“Michael J. Fox and I attended the Hagler-John Mugabi fight. We sat and drank beer, and while watching the fight, I told Michael that I could beat Hagler. Michael responded, “Ray, would you like another beer?” I said "Yeah, but I can still beat Marvin"
Their mentalities were as different as their paths to titles. For their first fight as a pro, Hagler received $50, Leo - 40,000. It took Marvin more than 50 fights to become a champion, Sugar - 26. They were like fire and water in everything. Bright, open, charming Ray Leonard against the reserved, reserved and brutal Hagler.
The long-awaited fight was scheduled for April 6, 1987. In terms of its scale at that time, the event was simply grandiose. Leonard agreed to the condition that Hagler receive a larger payday (Marvin earned about $20 million in total, Ray about $12 million), and Marvelous allowed Sugar to choose the gloves, the number of rounds and the size of the ring.
Of Hagler's three titles, only the WBC middleweight title was on the line. The WBA stripped him of his title because Marvin did not face mandatory challenger Erol Graham, and the IBF simply refused to sanction the fight, declaring that if Leonard won, the title would become vacant.
"This fight puts Leonard's eyesight and life at risk, as well as the reputation of any commission that approves him."- said the famous sports doctor and boxing commentator Ferdie Pacheco.
The alarming mood was not accidental. Marvin Hagler was the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world according to KO Magazine. In a UPI poll, 18 of 21 boxing writers bet on Hagler to win, while only three picked Sugar. On the eve of the fight, Marvin was considered a 3 to 1 favorite.
Only the lazy did not dissuade Ray from this adventurous venture. Sugar's friends and wife were against Sugar dating Marvin; all close people were afraid that Leonard might go blind or suffer severe beatings. Few people believed in the boxer except himself.
The moment of truth has arrived. Hagler walked forward. Leo tried not to stagnate in front of him: he struck and moved. Marvin pays attention to working on his opponent’s torso and already in the first round changes stances from right-handed to left-handed. In round 3, Sugar begins to act differently: he hit and stuck to his opponent. In the fourth, Hagler picked up the pace and again became southpaw (at the beginning of the fight, the southpaw stance brought him more success). Despite this, the start of the battle is with Leonard.
In the middle rounds, Marvin Hagler found the right pace and increasingly overtook his opponent, forcing him to exchange. After the first six rounds of the fight, Sugar's punch accuracy was 50%. The middle of the fight was almost entirely in favor of the champion. From the eighth round, Leonard began to move a lot again, stopping only to deliver a short series of punches. The ninth three-minute period turned out to be dramatic and bright; Ray barely made it to the end. The end of the battle was with him with a slight advantage.
After twelve rounds of a high-class and exciting fight, Sugar Ray Leonard won by split decision. He got it to the goal 306 out of 629 hits(49%), and Hagler - 291 of 792(37%). Their fight was named “Fight of the Year 1987” and “Upset of the Year”, and later “Upset of the Decade”.
The judge's decision gave rise to heated discussions among the boxing media. Hagler himself disagreed with the official verdict, and various publications kept putting up their own scores, giving victory to one or the other, but everyone agreed on one thing - the fight was close.
"Leonard - Hagler"
Later, it became known that during downtime in the 80s, Ray began using cocaine and alcohol as adrenaline substitutes, in search of new sensations. Leonard admitted that he used cocaine from 1984 to 1989. This caused irreparable damage to his marriage; his first wife, Juanita, left him in 1990.
Donnie Lalonde and rematch with Tommy Hearns
Despite another promise to retire, Sugar returned to the ring a year and a half after the fight with Hagler. His opponent was Canadian Donny Lalonde, who was on a good winning streak and also held the WBC light heavyweight title. It is worth saying that in this fight another belt was at stake - the vacant WBC in the new weight category - super middleweight. ( The fighters fought in the super-middleweight division - approx. website). Sugar was considered the favorite.
The fight took place on November 7, 1988. It was highly publicized and Leonard's purse was at least $15 million. It was also Sugar's first fight without the authoritative mentor Angelo Dundee in his corner. Dundee was outraged by the low fee received for the fight with Hagler, as a result of which the famous and mega-successful “trainer-fighter” duo broke up. Jenks Morton was now in command in Ray's corner.
Despite the substantial salary and titles in two divisions, there was a corresponding risk for Sugar. The powerful Donny Lalonde was 10 cm taller. He took the center of the ring and actively acted with his front hand. Sugar circled around his opponent, looking for an opportunity for a quick spurt of attack, and from the first round he began to hit with emphasis.
Midway through the fourth round, Ray missed a counter right hand. top part head and ended up on the floor of the ring. In the same round, a cut opened on the bridge of his nose. As the fight progressed, it became more intense and exciting. At the end of the fifth segment of the fight, Sugar shook his opponent with a right hand from the side.
As in the fight with Hagler, Leonard was clearly tired by the eighth round. In the middle of the ninth, Lalonde shook him and went for the finish, but Ray survived and managed to seize the initiative. After just 20 seconds, he sent his opponent to the floor. Lalonde stands up. A short finish from Sugar - Donnie falls backward and cannot recover for a long time, his face is covered in blood.
At the end of 9 rounds, Ray reached the target 205 of 382 strikes (54%), and Lalonde - 122 of 508(24%). Leonard became the second boxer in history (after Thomas Hearns) to win titles in five weight categories.
“When I step into the ring, something happens to me. All the motivation I need is competition, a competitive moment. People think I'm motivated by attention, money, my ego. But I just love competition, I love to compete and win.”(c) Sugar Ray Leonard.
After defeating Lalonde, Ray vacated the light heavyweight title and faced Thomas Hearns, who had also won the WBO super middleweight belt in his previous bout.
However, Leonard refused to have Tommy's title on the line due to the WBO's involvement in apartheid in South Africa. And if Leonard has not lost since their first meeting, then Hearns, in addition to many significant victories, managed to suffer two early defeats from middleweights Marvin Hagler and Airen Barkley.
Sugar was considered a 3 to 1 favorite. Leo's guaranteed purse was $13 million, Thomas's was $11 million. One of Ray's conditions was a fine for a fighter who would weigh more than 74.4 kg at the official weigh-in.
At a press conference before the fight, Hearns' trainer and manager Emanuel Steward accused Leonard of taking steroids, to which he laughed and suggested that he undergo a doping test. ( The Nevada State Athletic Commission at that time only took urine tests immediately before the fight - approx. website).
The rematch between 33-year-old Sugar and 30-year-old Hitman took place on June 12, 1989. Ray entered the fight wearing red and white shorts with the inscription AMANDLA. This word means "Power" in Zulu and was often used in anti-apartheid demonstrations. Leonard’s action was due to the fact that on the same day was the 25th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s imprisonment for an anti-government conspiracy.
As in their first meeting, Hearns started the fight on top, throwing straight punches. Leonard worked back, focusing on his opponent's body and the single right hands that got him results in the first fight. In the middle of the third round, he was given a knockdown, but on the replay it became clear that the blow hit the back of the head when Sugar Ray went down, performing a defensive element.
In the fifth round, Leo managed to shake his opponent, but Hitman withstood a prolonged barrage of blows. From the middle of the fight, Ray clearly looks primed for a knockout blow (mainly a left side). In the second half of the fight, Hearns was more effective. At the beginning of the eleventh segment of the fight, Thomas again knocked down his opponent, this time with a completely legitimate knockdown. In the last three minutes, Leonard went all-in, understanding the need to knock out his opponent, and even shocked Thomas.
Following the results of twelve rounds of competitive battle, the judges declared a draw. The crowd booed the decision, with most feeling that Hearns had done enough to win. Many years later, Ray Leonard admits that he lost the second fight against Thomas. However, neither fighter complained. Directly at the post-match press conference, both warriors referred to the fact that “this is the decision of the judges and they know better.”
Afterwards, they tried more than once to organize a third fight between Leonard and Hearns, but in the end they could not agree on the issue of the weight limit.
"Leonard - Hearns 2"
Final stage of career
Six months after the rematch with Hitman, Leo meets Roberto Duran in his third fight. The Panamanian scored a surprise victory over Airen Barkley in the middleweight division eight months earlier. However, the fight with Leo took place at an intermediate weight - 162 pounds (up to 73.5 kg). Sugar was the favorite.
The event took place in an outdoor arena on a cold night. For the most part, the whole action took place in the center of the ring and resembled a competition in speed and accuracy, where Leonard was better. He allowed himself to flaunt his opponent a lot and systematically hit straight right hands from long range.
Overall, Ray more than successfully took the fight, which was difficult for Duran to give more than two rounds. The sixth segment of the battle turned out to be bright. During the fight, Sugar received three cuts and $15 million, becoming the first boxer in history to earn more than $100 million in his career.
After the fight, Leonard retired from boxing again. But a little over a year later, at the age of 34, he returned. Of course, for the chance to become a champion again, but in junior middleweight. This very chance was provided by the young WBC champion Terry Norris. Sugar, who was almost 11 years older than his opponent, was considered a 12 to 5 favorite.
Norris was more accurate in combat, especially with his front hand. He neutralized his opponent's jab by knocking down, blocking or moving away from it. At the end of the second round, Leo missed a left hook and ended up on the canvas. Norris, in his usual manner, added a right hand to his opponent, who was already flying to the canvas. At the start of the third round, Sugar Ray found himself shaken.
Leonard had local success, but Terry was better than him in everything. At the end of the sixth round, Ray accidentally hit the referee, and at the end of the seventh he was knocked down again. Sugar continued to take a lot of damage, but still moved forward and looked for his chance. The chance did not present itself, Norris won a crushing victory. After the fight, Leo announced right in the ring that this was his last appearance in the ring. As for Norris, he would make many more title defenses and become one of the greatest fighters in the history of the junior middleweight division.
“It was a sad victory. Ray is my idol, and I beat him." — Terry Norris.
“He was fast and smart. Norris is a young Sugar Ray Leonard. If he continues like this, he will dominate for a very long time." — .
Despite the promise, another return to the ring still took place more than six years later. His opponent was the famous ex-champion Hector Camacho. Camacho was also far from at the peak of his career, but still in in better shape than 40-year-old Sugar.
“I’m not like the others, I can come back” -
“This is your last return, I guarantee you.” — Hector Camacho.
Throughout the fight, Camacho looked better than Leonard, and at the beginning of the fifth round he sent him to the canvas. After the finish, the referee stopped the fight. Until 1998, Leonard had several fights scheduled in succession, all of which fell through. He never returned to the ring.
Life outside the ring, legacy
At just over 60 years old, Ray Leonard is in excellent shape. He has appeared in many films and television shows. He starred in commercials and sponsored a research foundation that was looking for a cure for diabetes. Leonard has given a number of motivational talks to children and teenagers. He now has four children and lives in California with his second wife, Bernadette.
Sugar Ray Leonard was voted Fighter of the Decade during the most competitive time in professional boxing history - the 1980s. He was repeatedly recognized as boxer of the year by various publications, became a world champion in five weight categories and is rightfully one of the greatest fighters for long years existence of professional boxing.
He dominated the middleweights' most competitive era. He never felt it necessary to sign an agreement with the two promoters who ruled boxing, Don King and Bob Arum. Ray remained a free agent who forged his own career while keeping himself clear of the sport's pervasive corruption. However, he couldn't avoid one mistake that tarnishes the careers of many great fighters: He couldn't resist the temptation of "one more fight."
Sugar Ray can be safely called a symbol of an entire era, a symbol of the struggle with oneself. The man who couldn't live without challenges
