1 in its book "The 100 Greatest Boxers of All Time.". November 30, 1979: Leonard wins his first world titles by defeating Wilfred Bentez via 15th round TKO. Close Alert. After hurting Hearns with a right, Leonard exploded with a combination of punches. Robinson, who had a son from a previous marriage, helped raise Millie's two children. The fight grossed over $35 million. WBA-WBC era (1963-1983) No . 17 May 1956 -. In round seven, Leonard started to taunt Durn. My journey has ended, my dream is fulfilled. [14]:63, When Leonard decided to turn professional, Janks Morton introduced him to Mike Trainer, a friend of his who was an attorney. Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns II, billed as " The War ", was a professional boxing match contested on June 12, 1989 for the WBC and WBO super middleweight titles. Hearns, with too much faith in his powerful right hand, lost to Sugar Ray Leonard in their first match. At the final bell, even uniformed ringside security rushed into the ring applauding and lauding Leonard's effort. His opponent was Dave "Boy" Green. [42] Some also considered the stoppage premature. "The whole fight, I was moving, I was moving", Leonard said. Leonard led by scores of 6866, 6866 and 6766.[35]. She also said he was an occasional cocaine user. Always moving forward, he mauled and wrestled Leonard, scoring inside with hooks and rights. Known for his punching power, he won world championships in four weight classes, though his reputation took a hit with his "no ms" loss to Sugar Ray Leonard in 1980. Robinson was born Walker Smith Jr. on May 3, 1921, although the location is a source of debate. . I already had it in the back of my mind to dissolve the company. He testified about the burden of diabetes and the need for continued research funding to find a cure.[93]. Leonard had no answer for the skillful, younger, faster man. "[36] Arcel was angry. Moore fought and lost to Sugar Ramos for the inaugural WBC title. I used when I felt bad, I used when I missed competing at that level", he said. Outside of the ring, Robinson relished his celebrity, parading around Harlem with a pink Cadillac and making appearances at his high-profile Harlem nightclub. He hit more oftenHe made Hagler into what he perceived him to be throughout his careera brawler, a swarmer, a man who could club you to death only if you stood there and let him. It was his first defeat. During the night Durn was admitted to a hospital with stomach pains, and discharged the following day. He made three successful title defenses, stopping Luis Primera, Randy Shields, and Pablo Baez. goes on to explain what went through his mind before he quit the fight - a bout in which he wasn't . Remembering "The Showdown": Hearns and Leonard fought 35 years ago. He finished his career in 1965 with 175 victories. With little money Robinson helped his mother save for an apartment by earning change dancing for strangers in Times Square the Smiths built their new life in a section of Harlem dominated by flophouses and gangsters. Leonard's most memorable punch came late in the round. Astrological Sign: Taurus. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. The induction ceremony was on June 15, 1997.[73]. His decision was to push Froot Loops onto the Finals, where they were taken out by Cinnamon Toast Crunch. A paying crowd of 12,379 generated a live gate of $6.2 million. By the fifth, Leonard, who was moving a lot, began to tire and Hagler started to get closer. He went to a doctor and discovered that he had a detached retina. 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. "I was ringside", Leonard said. In 2002, Leonard was voted by The Ring as the ninth greatest fighter of the last 80 years. As a boy growing up in Detroit, Sugar Ray Robinson was neighbors with heavyweight champion Joe Louis. Between rounds twelve and thirteen, Angelo Dundee told Leonard, "You're blowing it, son! Blood flowed down his forehead and the bridge of his nose but stayed out of his eyes. Robinson's ability to cross weight classes caused boxing fans and writers to dub him "pound for pound, the best," a sentiment that has not faded over the years. The fight was a classic match between a slugger in Marvin Hagler, left, and a boxer in Sugar Ray Leonard. He wasn't afraid, he was being a smart businessman. Afterward, Leonard retired again, saying, "For sure, my career is definitely over for me in the ring." The time was 2:54 of round fifteen.[29]. "He's a great trainer, a throwback", Leonard said. He lost a disputed decision to Anatoli Kamnev in Moscow, after which, Kamnev gave the winner's trophy to Leonard. When he did, he hit harder. The fight was postponed when Leonard had minor surgery on his right eye to fix a loose retina. He turned pro that same year. He stuck out his chin, inviting Durn to hit it. Dickie Eklund (left) smiles before the Sugar Ray fight. He said he quit using drugs in early 1986, when he woke up one morning and "what I saw in the mirror was scary." Named after Ray Charles, Leonard's parents reportedly wanted him to become a singer, although as . In 2009, the foundation expanded to support programs that help people rebuild their communities in ten cities across the United States. His relationship with HBO lasted for more than a decade. Durn forced the issue and took the fight to Leonard, cutting off the ring and denying Leonard space to fight his fight. For the Camacho fight, Leonard had a new trainer, Adrian Davis. "And Voom! Tyson had a 71 reach, even shorter than Frazier's. When Leonard left the show, he was replaced as host by Tony Danza for the final season. 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." "For the first time in a long time, I allowed someone to push me", Leonard said. The action see-sawed back and forth for the rest of the round, with each man having his moments. In the second, he dropped Aldama with a left to the chin. 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. Although he would prescribe the training procedures, he would leave the day-to-day work to Dave Jacobs and Janks Morton. Judge Dave Moretti scored it 115113 for Leonard, while judge Lou Filippo had it 115113 for Hagler. 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. Wherever he went, he brought a large entourage of trainers, women and family members. Floyd bounced back and won two in a row over Sanchez to secure his spot in Atlanta. [81], In 2001, Leonard launched Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Inc., a boxing promotional company, and announced the company's strategic partnership with ESPN. It supports accessible housing, healthcare services, and educational services and job training. Boxing in Serenity Leonard blamed his poor performance against Norris on lack of motivation, a rib injury, moving down in weight, and divorce, which was being litigated while he was in training. The odds started at 41, then settled at 31. [45] Leonard's next fight was scheduled to be against Roger Stafford on May 14, 1982, in Buffalo, New York. Leonard was a shy child, and aside from the time he nearly drowned in a creek during a flood in Seat Pleasant, Maryland, his childhood was uneventful. Durn said. Leonard responded with a furious flurry, landing few punches but whipping the upset-hoping crowd into a frenzy. I don't believe it. When they fought again a . 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.. Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns feature in fight one of a BBC Sounds look back at some of boxing's greatest fights. Robinson's birth certificate lists his place of birth as Ailey, Georgia, while the boxer stated in his autobiography that he was born in Detroit, Michigan. Hearns won rounds nine through twelve on all three scorecards. Leonard and . 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. He finished his career with a record of 3631 with 25 knockouts. Hosted (yes, there was a host) by Mario Lopez,. Duran rode out his trilogy with Sugar Ray Leonard with little fire. However, Emanuel Steward, Hearns' manager and trainer, said, "I felt that the referee was justified in stopping the fight Tommy did not have enough energy to make it through the fight. "I decided to search for a substituteI resorted to cocaine. "[71] I know how Hagler felt now."[70]. Leonard made his first title defense in Landover, Maryland, on March 31, 1980. Hearns was ahead on points." [78][79] Leonard is among the most sought-after motivational/inspirational speakers in the world today. [17] Leonard won his first four Olympic bouts by 50 decisions. "[72], In January 1997, it was announced that Leonard had been voted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in Canastota, New York. 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. It was like looking in a mirror". He requested a contract for the Lalonde fight and Leonard refused. The Senate hearing was titled "Type 1 Diabetes Research: Real Progress and Real Hope for a Cure". By 1958, he had become the first boxer to win a divisional world championship five times. 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. The fight took place at the new Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. The fight was cancelled, and Leonard had surgery to repair the retina on May 9, 1982. The announcement generated a lot of controversy because of Leonard's inactivity and eye injuries, yet it also excited many sports fans who had hoped to see them fight years earlier. [55], Leonard was awarded a controversial split-decision. He then announced, "I am retiring from boxing right now." The cuts required a total of 60 stitches. "He does have a heart. Many consider the 1976 U.S. team to be the greatest boxing team in the history of the Olympics. [11], Leonard, the fifth of seven children of Cicero and Getha Leonard, was born in Wilmington, North Carolina. He was among the very best of his generation and put on some incredible performances in his fights. I know this. Leonard received $1 million and Benitez, a two-division champion with a record of 3801, received $1.2 million. 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. "[43], The fight was named "Fight of the Year" by The Ring. It was the only time in Leonard's career that he was knocked out. Leonard's attorney, Mike Trainer, said, "There never has been a linkage between his broadcasting and his fighting. 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 . Lot, began to tire and Hagler started to taunt Durn for a substituteI resorted to cocaine began to and. Robinson was born in Wilmington, North Carolina record of 3801, received $ 1.2 million to. Inviting Durn to hit it night Durn was admitted to a hospital with stomach pains and... By the ring. went, he mauled and wrestled Leonard, cutting off the ring. fighter of Year. 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