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. Leonard was the aggressor throughout, with Bonds circling the ring. Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Durn, billed as " The Brawl in Montreal ", was a welterweight professional boxing match contested between WBC, The Ring and lineal champion Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Durn. Leonard received $1 million and Benitez, a two-division champion with a record of 3801, received $1.2 million. Thomas Hearns) 16 September 1981 - 9 November 1982 . Afterward, Leonard retired again, saying, "For sure, my career is definitely over for me in the ring." [44], On February 15, 1982, Leonard defended the unified title against Bruce Finch, the WBC fourth-ranked contender, in a bout at Reno, NV. 19522000: 6063.5 kg, 20042012: 6064 kg. [62], After the fight, Leonard vacated the light heavyweight title, but kept the super middleweight title. Leonard pledged he would support his son, even if he had to scrap plans to attend college. Despite years away from the ring, Leonard defeated Hagler and secured his place as one of the best. I'm in the best shape possible. He got up, but after a few more punches, the referee stopped the fight. 2 . Juanita Wilkinson, Leonard's high school girlfriend, told him she was pregnant in the summer of 1973. In a career that spanned 25 years, Robinson amassed 175 wins, 110 knockouts and just 19 losses. Early in the seventh round, Hearns hurt Leonard but punched himself out going for the knockout. He continued to score well in the fourth and opened a cut above Leonard's right eye. Picking himself off the canvas twice, Leonard showed . "He's a great trainer, a throwback", Leonard said. Rounds nine and ten were good rounds for Leonard, but he ran into trouble in the eleventh round. He tried to get me against the ropes, I'd pivot, spin off and Pow! With Hearns fatigued, Leonard came back and had a strong finish to the round. On June 12, 1989, Leonard defended the WBC Super Middleweight Championship in a rematch with Thomas Hearns at Caesar's Palace. Durn was awarded a unanimous decision, although it was mistakenly read as a majority decision in the ring. Leonard learned of the suit several days after returning home from the Olympics. The Panamanian seized the evening and gave it what shape and momentum it had. "No one, I mean no one, can make me miss punches like that", Leonard said. In round seven, Leonard started to taunt Durn. 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. [78][79] Leonard is among the most sought-after motivational/inspirational speakers in the world today. Knowing he needed a big finish, Leonard fought furiously and had a big final round. Six years later, Robinson captured the middleweight title for the first time by defeating Jake LaMotta. Sugar Ray Robinson died just about broke, he suffered 19 career defeats and he didn't beat as many world champions in consecutive fights (there were of course far less world champions back in . After Foreman's thrilling challenge of Holyfield-Don King asked Tyson to fight him. Hagler did better, but Leonard's superior speed and boxing skill still allowed him to control the fight. From 1977-1997, Leonard only lost three professional fights. It ended in 1990, after HBO was not offered an opportunity to bid on the telecast rights to Leonard's fight with Terry Norris. Jim Murray, long-time sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times, wrote, "It wasn't even closeHe didn't just outpoint Hagler, he exposed him. In the second, Durn rocked Leonard with a left hook, sending him into the ropes. Floyd bounced back and won two in a row over Sanchez to secure his spot in Atlanta. Although Price landed multiple good blows, Leonard knocked him out in the first round, advancing his record to 250 with 16 knockouts.[28]. Duran rode out his trilogy with Sugar Ray Leonard with little fire. "I wanted more", Leonard said. For three rounds Durn drove at Sugar Ray with a fury, and there were moments when it seemed the fight could not last five. His relationship with HBO lasted for more than a decade. However, less than a week after the fight, Leonard said he planned to fight again. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I snapped it back again. Many of the people being considered wanted absolute control and a cut somewhere near the manager's traditional 33%. He continued to taunt Durn mercilessly. [38], "I made him quit", Leonard said. Hagler continued to score somewhat effectively in round six. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Hearns, with too much faith in his powerful right hand, lost to Sugar Ray Leonard in their first match. This fight proved to be one of the most controversial fights to date. He said he started using medication after he retired in 1982, following surgery to repair a detached retina. 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.. [85] During his appearance on The Colbert Report in 2011, Leonard was defeated by host Stephen Colbert in a thumb wrestling contest. "[43], The fight was named "Fight of the Year" by The Ring. "[83] Speaking of his promotional company, Leonard said, "We did some great shows with evenly matched fights. [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]. [81], In 2001, Leonard launched Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Inc., a boxing promotional company, and announced the company's strategic partnership with ESPN. It was a highly competitive and tactical battle. Moore fought and lost to Sugar Ramos for the inaugural WBC title. 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. It was a fascinating fight in which a determined Leonard roared back from the brink of defea. Bonds rose but Leonard didn't let him off the hook. [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. [95] He has since made public appearances to bring attention to the issue of child sex abuse, declaring himself a "poster child" for the cause and encouraging victims to report their abuse.[96]. Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor. However, Hagler's moments were more spectacular and one of Hagler's cornermen: Roger Perron (in an interview that took place on an episode of HBO's Legendary Nights episode segments in 2003) later stated that: "the ninth round was probably Marvin (Hagler)'s, best round". goes on to explain what went through his mind before he quit the fight - a bout in which he wasn't . He testified about the burden of diabetes and the need for continued research funding to find a cure.[93]. The Classic bout between Sugar Ray Leonard V Thomas Hearns.Leonard Snatches Victory from the jaws of defeat with a dramatic late Stoppage! Bonds was a southpaw, which made him a good opponent for Leonard, given that his next opponent was scheduled to be the WBA Light Middleweight Champion Ayub Kalule, a southpaw. I knew he would indulge himself, he'd gain 4050 lbs and then sweat it off to make 147." As a boy growing up in Detroit, Sugar Ray Robinson was neighbors with heavyweight champion Joe Louis. Hagler backed off, and Leonard danced away with Hagler in pursuit. 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, 312 with 26 knockouts, was guaranteed at least $6 million and Leonard was guaranteed over $10 million. "[72], In January 1997, it was announced that Leonard had been voted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in Canastota, New York. . 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. It was like looking in a mirror". Leonard suffered his last two losses as an amateur in 1974. To revisit this article, select My Account, then View saved stories. He knocked Leonard down with a left hook in the second round, and in the seventh, he dropped Leonard again with a short right. Robinson inspired Ali's famous matador style, which he used to defeat Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title in 1964. "But then he adjusted to my style. "I didn't feel like being bothered by all those complications by asking him for any money for support", she said. [76], Leonard has worked as a boxing analyst for ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, HBO and EPIX. By 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. [68] He then offered Hearns a third fight, but Hearns said he could no longer make the weight and moved up to the light heavyweight division. After the Los Angeles Times broke the story, Leonard held a press conference and publicly acknowledged that the accusations were true. He hit Leonard with a big left hand and backed him into a corner. Hearns started to stick and move, and he started to pile up points again. Foreman had an 84 inch reach. Hagler buckled Leonard's knees with a right uppercut near the end of the round, which finished with Leonard on the ropes. [50], Leonard and Howard fought on May 11, 1984, in Worcester, Massachusetts. Kalule and his handlers had expected Leonard to use lateral movement against him, but Leonard chose to fight inside instead. By 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. Hosted (yes, there was a host) by Mario Lopez,. WASHINGTON POST. The bout took place on June 20, 1980 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada. 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. "And Voom! Judges Chuck Giampa and Franz Marti had Leonard ahead by scores of 7774 and 7775, respectively. [18] He planned to study business administration and communications. He took control, attacking and driving Leonard against the ropes, bulling him back, hitting him with lefts and rights to the body as he maneuvered the champion against the ropes from corner to corner. [14]:75, In his fourteenth professional fight, Leonard fought his first world-ranked opponent, Floyd Mayweather, who was ranked seventeenth. 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. Hearns (left) had not lost in his 32 fights before facing Leonard. Tyson had a 71 reach, even shorter than Frazier's. Bonds got up and continued to move, with Leonard in pursuit. His most famous commercial was a 7 Up ad he did with his son, Ray Jr., Roberto Durn and Durn's son Roberto Jr. in the early 1980s. "I wasn't aware I was in a championship early because I hit him so easy", Leonard said. Robinson wouldn't go by his birth name for the rest of his career. However, he was able to outpunch Hagler along the ropes and got the better of several bristling exchanges. Although he would prescribe the training procedures, he would leave the day-to-day work to Dave Jacobs and Janks Morton. October 30, 1974 - Kinshasa, Zaire It was the way that Ali won which made it the defining moment of his career, shocking the world by defeating a supposedly unbeatable Foreman by spending a good. After the quick and slick Leonard won the first two rounds on all three scorecards, Hagler started the third round as a southpaw. At the final bell, even uniformed ringside security rushed into the ring applauding and lauding Leonard's effort. Leonard went the distance but lost by a lopsided decision. Judges Raymond Baldeyrou and Harry Gibbs scored the fight 146144 and 145144, respectively. Leonard boasted that he would have a couple of ten-round bouts and then take on Milton McCrory, Donald Curry, Durn, Hearns and finally Hagler. "[66] Although Leonard dominated the fight, he suffered several cuts. "I think I pretty much fought from the heart." These seven fights are the highlight of his career. [9] In 2016, he was voted by The Ring to be the greatest living fighter. He turned pro that same year. Leonard called it "the hardest single punch I ever threw."[30]. Leonard started to do better by the fifth round, finding some punching room and throwing numerous multi-punch combinations. HBO believed it would be inappropriate for Leonard to continue with them if they couldn't bid on his fights. "There was no indication that he was in pain or getting weak. According to Bill Nack: It was, from almost the opening salvo, a fight that belonged to Durn. A paying crowd of 12,379 generated a live gate of $6.2 million. He said he quit using drugs in early 1986, when he woke up one morning and "what I saw in the mirror was scary." Eventually, Leonard admitted that Hearns deserved the decision[citation needed]. The first fight occurred in '81 and was a highly anticipated welterweight unification match. Camacho, a light-hitting southpaw, was a three-time world champion with a record of 6231. Many felt that the ten-point must scoring system was not properly used and those rounds should have been scored 108. 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. It was his first defeat. Hagler's corner was much more reserved prompting Clancy to comment: "They're talking to him like it's an IBM meeting or somethingno emotion." Afterward, Leonard announced, "I'm finishedI've fought my last fight. The referee stopped the fight with Camacho teeing off on a defenseless Leonard on the ropes. This decision was met with a torrent of criticism from fans and the media, who felt Leonard was taking unnecessary risks with his surgically repaired eye. That's why he's living."[32][33]. Also, Leonard and Janks Morton split because of personal differences. In the sixth, there was an accidental clash of heads, which opened a cut on the forehead of Benitez. Remembering "The Showdown": Hearns and Leonard fought 35 years ago. For his services, Dundee would get 15% of Leonard's purse. Leonard was the winner by a technical knockout at 2:44 of round eight, regaining the WBC Welterweight Championship. She also said he was an occasional cocaine user. 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. Durn hesitated. [69], On February 9, 1991, Leonard went down to 154lbs and fought WBC Light Middleweight Champion Terry Norris at Madison Square Garden. 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. May 11 - Kevin Howard, Massachusetts, KO 9 1987 Leonard won the WBC middleweight title in a 12-round contest against Marvin Hagler in April. Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor.Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professionally between 1977 and 1997, winning world titles in five weight classes; the lineal championship in three weight classes; as well as the undisputed . He was voted off in Week 4 of the show. The nickname stuck. Leonard fired back and hurt Lalonde with a right. On June 20, 1980, Leonard returned to the Olympic Stadium in Montreal to defend his title against Roberto Durn before a crowd of 46,317. He then announced, "I am retiring from boxing right now." "I've had it. 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