A paying crowd of 12,379 generated a live gate of $6.2 million. Hagler backed off, and Leonard danced away with Hagler in pursuit. 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. For the Camacho fight, Leonard had a new trainer, Adrian Davis. Always moving forward, he mauled and wrestled Leonard, scoring inside with hooks and rights. Picking himself off the canvas twice, Leonard showed . Leonard, with a badly swollen left eye, came out roaring for the thirteenth round. Leonard came back to stop Howard in the ninth round, but the stoppage was disputed, with some feeling that the referee stopped the fight prematurely. Hearns managed to rise, but was dropped by a flurry of hard punches near the end of the round. Leonard knocked him out in the third round. In his later years, Robinson worked in show business, even doing some television acting. [50], Leonard and Howard fought on May 11, 1984, in Worcester, Massachusetts. Thomas Hearns) 16 September 1981 - 9 November 1982 . In 1972, Leonard boxed in the featherweight quarterfinals of the National AAU Tournament, losing by decision to Jerome Artis. The time was 2:54 of round fifteen.[29]. 19522000: 6063.5 kg, 20042012: 6064 kg. Also, Leonard and Janks Morton split because of personal differences. They fought before a live crowd of 23,618. "[66] Although Leonard dominated the fight, he suffered several cuts. 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. [21], Leonard had hoped to get lucrative endorsements following his gold medal win, but the negative publicity from the paternity suit chased off any big commercial possibilities. . WBA-WBC era (1963-1983) No . After the verdict was announced, Leonard announced his retirement. 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. It was a highly competitive and tactical battle. Over his 25-year career, Robinson won the world welterweight and middleweight crowns and was dubbed "pound for pound, the best." Hearns, with too much faith in his powerful right hand, lost to Sugar Ray Leonard in their first match. By the fifth, Leonard, who was moving a lot, began to tire and Hagler started to get closer. The fight ended with Hagler and Leonard exchanging along the ropes. In snowshoesLeonard repeatedly beat Hagler to the punch. Late in the round, Leonard dropped Benitez with a left. TYson had warched film of Foreman destroying Joe Frazier. Shirley was the only judge to give Leonard a 108 margin in the twelfth. The Panamanian seized the evening and gave it what shape and momentum it had. According to Bill Nack: It was, from almost the opening salvo, a fight that belonged to Durn. He also had the distinction of being the first boxer ever to earn $100 million in purses. 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.. On December 7, 1989, Leonard defended the title against Roberto Durn, who was the reigning WBC Middleweight Champion. Leonard went the distance but lost by a lopsided decision. [1] He was named after Ray Charles, his mother's favorite singer. 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. During the night Durn was admitted to a hospital with stomach pains, and discharged the following day. 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. 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. "[77], Leonard has provided commercial endorsements for companies including Coca-Cola, EA Sports, Ford, Nabisco, Revlon and 7 Up. Durn hesitated. 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." "He's a great trainer, a throwback", Leonard said. Leonard learned of the suit several days after returning home from the Olympics. We never could tell what he was thinking. If he had scored it 109, as his two colleagues did, Hearns would have won by a split decision. Roberto Duran takes on Sugar Ray Leonard at the Superdome in New Orleans in November 1980. . HBO believed it would be inappropriate for Leonard to continue with them if they couldn't bid on his fights. In Poland, local fighter Jan Kwacz was given a disqualification victory over Leonard after being knocked down three times in the first round but the referee ruled that Leonard had punched after the bell.[16]. What is known is that Robinson grew up in Detroit, and he was 11 years old when his mother, tired of her husband's absence from the family's life, up and left the city, moving herself, her son and two daughters to Harlem. "But you guys know me. He testified about the burden of diabetes and the need for continued research funding to find a cure.[93]. Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard breaks down some of his most iconic fights of all time, including his fights with Andrs Aldama in 1976, Dick Eklund in 1978,. [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. Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns during their first fight, on September 16, 1981 in Las Vegas. Fearful that her son would get pulled into this shady world, Robinson's mother turned to the Salem Methodist Episcopal Church, where a man by the name of George Gainford had just started a boxing club. Sugar Ray Robinson turned pro in 1940 and won his first 40 fights. His older brother, Roger, started boxing first. "I'm watching John 'The Beast' Mugabi outbox Hagler. 1 in its book "The 100 Greatest Boxers of All Time.". Dickie Eklund (left) smiles before the Sugar Ray fight. He was paid $40,044 for the fight. The win over Barkley was in many ways the final memory of the old rampaging warrior. From 1977-1997, Leonard only lost three professional fights. I know how Hagler felt now."[70]. "He has really helped me get ready. Camacho applied pressure from the opening bell and started to score well in the third. Terry Norris battered Leonard all around the ring in Madison Square Garden on his way to a one-sided decision that convinced Leonard his day in the sun had ended. 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. Durn retired from boxing . Robi is the daughter of Paul Robi, one of the original Platters, and she is the ex-wife of Lynn Swann. "That's it", he said. Robert Durn's hair flies as Sugar Ray Leonard throws a punch in the early rounds of their welterwight fight on 25 November 1980. He died at the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, California, on April 12, 1989. Sports Illustrated called his scorecard "a monument to indecision." This movie brought back memories of his fight with Dicky Eklund. [49], Before the fight with Howard, Dave Jacobs rejoined Leonard's team in a limited role. Leonard became a sensation in. Boxing in Serenity [23] Leonard won by a tenth-round knockout. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. [69], On February 9, 1991, Leonard went down to 154lbs and fought WBC Light Middleweight Champion Terry Norris at Madison Square Garden. Come under with a punch.". Leonard responded with a furious flurry, landing few punches but whipping the upset-hoping crowd into a frenzy. Leonard married his high school sweetheart, Juanita Wilkinson, in January 1980. 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. 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. Hagler looked stiff and mechanical and missed the speedy Leonard time and again prompting CBS ringside commentator Gil Clancy to remark "and is he ever missingLeonard isn't doing anything to make him miss, he's just missing!". 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. Sugar Ray Robinson held the world welterweight title from 1946 to 1951, and by 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. It's less revisionist and says right up front, in the first sentence of the prologue, what Sugar Ray won't confess to: "On the night of April 6, 1987, Sugar Ray Leonard stole a fight. Kalule and his handlers had expected Leonard to use lateral movement against him, but Leonard chose to fight inside instead. Sylvester Stallone, who co-hosted during the first season, was one of the executive producers, along with Mark Burnett. Although Price landed multiple good blows, Leonard knocked him out in the first round, advancing his record to 250 with 16 knockouts.[28]. Now and then he got loose and counteredleft-right-left to Durn's bobbing headbut he missed punches and could not work inside, could not jab, could not mount an offense to keep Durn at bay.[31]. Hearns started to stick and move, and he started to pile up points again. My word is my bond", Leonard said. The fight took place on September 9, 1978. "[71] The rules state that a boxer must be retired for five years before being eligible for induction. Pat Putnam of Sports Illustrated wrote, "Leonard gave them artistic perfection when they wanted heated battle, and they booed lustily. They fought for Lalonde's WBC Light Heavyweight Championship and the newly created WBC Super Middleweight Championship, which meant that Lalonde had to make 168lbs. April - Marvin Hagler, Las Vegas, W 12 1988 Leonard won the WBC light heavyweight and super middleweight titles by knocking out Don Lalonde in November. I think he needs a psychiatrist more than he needs anything else." The induction ceremony was on June 15, 1997.[73]. Between rounds twelve and thirteen, Angelo Dundee told Leonard, "You're blowing it, son! The referee stopped the fight with Bonds taking punishment in a corner.[39]. 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. While training, Leonard started to see floaters. [42] Some also considered the stoppage premature. By 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. WASHINGTON POST. himself. 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. 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. . The British challenger had a record of 332. "To make a man quit, to make Roberto Durn quit, was better than knocking him out."[35]. But the TV show came about and made my decision a lot easier. 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. The featherweight quarterfinals of the old rampaging warrior fought on May 11, 1984, in January 1980 world! Decision to Jerome Artis with Bonds taking punishment in a corner. [ 39 ] November.... 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