by Jt Clark

Created on: September 11, 2009   Last Updated: September 17, 2009

Sugar Ray Leonard, One of the best boxers of all time was born May 17th, 1956. Sugar Ray Leonard won three National Golden Gloves titles, two AAU championships, and the 1975 Pan-American Games crown. On top of all that, he made the USA Olympic boxing team in 1976. Sugar Ray Leonard took gold in those Olympics as an amateur fighter against a strongly favored Andres Aldama. Aldama had acquired 5 straight knock outs to reach the championship match. The championship match went to the end, but Sugar Ray pulled off a 5-0 upset, to win the gold.

After the win, Leonard retired from boxing, and went to college at Maryland University. But, his father became gravely ill, and his family in need of money. So sugar ray became a professional boxer. Leonard's trainer was Muhammad Ali's former, Angelo Dundee. His first fight, due to large publicity, gained him the most money for a first fight in the history of boxing. That record has since been broken, but at the time, it was a record. He fought Luis Vega. Leonard won in 6 rounds with a unanimous.

He won his first twenty five fights, most impressive being a match against Pete Ranzany for the North American Boxing Federation welter weight championship. Sugar Ray won by KO in 4 rounds. Sugar Ray eventually signed to fight WBC World welterweight champion Wilfred Benitez. Sugar Ray won this fight, by a technical knock out with three seconds left in the fight. In 1979, after winning the title, he was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring Magazine. Sugar Ray easily won his first defense against British fighter, Dave Green.

Sugar Ray returned to again protect his title against Robert Duran in a fight called, "The Brawl in Montreal" by Sports Illustrator. Duran won the fight by a unanimous decision. The rematch was held in New Orleans, where Duran quit in round 8. That is where his famous quote, "No mas." is remembered, although it was the commentator no Duran who said them. He lost another title bout in a tough fight against Thomas Hearns who was 32-0 with 30 KOs. It was a tough fight, and it ended early, with the scorecards pointing towards Hearns.

Leonard retired from boxing, and became a commentator for CBS and HBO. Retirement, though was a tough time for him. He admitted to taking cocaine from 1982-1986. He also was faced with reports of abuse against his wife. He blamed his mistake to immaturity, and the need to be in the sport of boxing. So, in 1986, he returned to boxing claiming to regain his title, and then face fighters such as Duran and Hagler. He fought Kevin Howard from Philadelphia in his first return to boxing, only to be knocked flat on his back in round 4. The referee ended the fight. After the fight at a press conference he announced yet again, his retirement.

In May of 1986, Sugar Ray re-joined professional boxing to fight World Middle weight champion Marvin Hagler. For more money, they agreed to a 12 round limit. Leonard came out with quick flashy punches, while Hagler was throwing big, strong punches. Neither fighter went down, and the final result was a split decision for Sugar Ray.

Sugar Ray fought Hearns yet again, and claimed the victory, but he believed, along with most of America, that Hearns should have gotten the win. He also fought Don LaLonde, who got a knockdown in round 4. Leonard went on to win that fight with a KO in round 9. With that win, he won two titles in one fight. The WBC Super Middle Weight championship, and the WBC Light Heavy Weight championship. Leonard had one last fight in 1991, against Terry Norris. Norris knocked Sugar Ray down twice, and won with a very lopsided decision.

Learn more about this author, Jt Clark.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.