Sugar Ray Leonard
- Actor
- Producer
- Stunts
Considered one of the best fighters of all time, Ray Leonard burst onto
the international scene by winning the light-welterweight gold medal at
the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. He turned professional with a
lawyer, Mike Trainer, handling the business
side of his career whilst hiring the legendary trainer
Angelo Dundee to guide him towards the
top. Dundee's success with
Muhammad Ali and Trainer's business
savvy ensured that three years later, Sugar Ray Leonard was not only a
millionaire, but ready for his first world title.
Puerto Rican Wilfredo Benitez, himself a world champion since the age
of 17, surrendered the WBC welterweight title in 1979, and Sugar Ray
was on his way. The next seven years saw Leonard engage in some of the
most famous battles in ring history with his three most famous rivals;
Thomas Hearns (aka Thomas "The Hitman"
Hearns), Roberto Durán (aka
Roberto "Hands of Stone" Duran) and
Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Duran
was the victor in early 1980, taking the WBC crown after a brutal
contest. However, honor was restored later that same year, with the
famous "No Mas" victory. Duran was out-boxed, out-sped and humiliated
and, in the eighth round, surrendered with the words "No Mas - No
More".
1981 saw the WBA/WBC welterweight unification bout with Hearns. Victory
came in the fourteenth round after a see-saw fight that saw both
fighters hurt before Sugar Ray prevailed. Retirement followed but, in
1984, returned at light-middleweight, although he retired again soon
after. Clearly, he wasn't the same fighter as in his hey-day. However,
the pull of the limelight was too much and, in 1987, returned to the
ring with an audacious challenge for the WBC world middleweight crown
against the fearsome champion
Marvelous Marvin Hagler in Las
Vegas. Despite being a heavy underdog, Leonard confounded the critics
by beating Hagler for the first time since 1980, and taking his beloved
world title. Hagler retired, claiming he was robbed.
Many dispute Leonard's victory, and opinion is divided, even to this
day. Although he won the WBC super-middleweight & light-heavyweight
titles, it was clear that Sugar Ray's best days were behind him. A
hollow rubber match victory against Duran and a draw with Hearns
carried little weight, and he took a beating in a WBC
light-middleweight title against "Terrible" Terry Norris in 1991,
getting knocked down twice and sustaining a nasty beating. Six years
later, a non-title contest against
Hector Camacho (aka Hector
"Macho" Camacho) finally persuaded Sugar Ray Leonard that his time was
up. After some years establishing himself as a top promoter, he joined
forces with ex-British paratrooper & reality TV mogul
Mark Burnett to create
The Contender (2005). With
movie star Sylvester Stallone also on
board, "The Contender" gives an insight to the hopes & fears of young
professional prize-fighters as they compete for a $1 million prize and
a headline-grabbing main event in Las Vegas. It was of particular
importance to Leonard, as he wanted the public to see that although he
had all the trappings of success, such as wealth & glory, the road to
the top was filled with setbacks and problems, both physically &
emotionally, which he himself had to overcome in his boxing days. Ray
Leonard still remains in the public eye to this day, and his legacy as
one of the sport's greatest exponents means that his place in boxing
history is forever secure.
the international scene by winning the light-welterweight gold medal at
the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. He turned professional with a
lawyer, Mike Trainer, handling the business
side of his career whilst hiring the legendary trainer
Angelo Dundee to guide him towards the
top. Dundee's success with
Muhammad Ali and Trainer's business
savvy ensured that three years later, Sugar Ray Leonard was not only a
millionaire, but ready for his first world title.
Puerto Rican Wilfredo Benitez, himself a world champion since the age
of 17, surrendered the WBC welterweight title in 1979, and Sugar Ray
was on his way. The next seven years saw Leonard engage in some of the
most famous battles in ring history with his three most famous rivals;
Thomas Hearns (aka Thomas "The Hitman"
Hearns), Roberto Durán (aka
Roberto "Hands of Stone" Duran) and
Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Duran
was the victor in early 1980, taking the WBC crown after a brutal
contest. However, honor was restored later that same year, with the
famous "No Mas" victory. Duran was out-boxed, out-sped and humiliated
and, in the eighth round, surrendered with the words "No Mas - No
More".
1981 saw the WBA/WBC welterweight unification bout with Hearns. Victory
came in the fourteenth round after a see-saw fight that saw both
fighters hurt before Sugar Ray prevailed. Retirement followed but, in
1984, returned at light-middleweight, although he retired again soon
after. Clearly, he wasn't the same fighter as in his hey-day. However,
the pull of the limelight was too much and, in 1987, returned to the
ring with an audacious challenge for the WBC world middleweight crown
against the fearsome champion
Marvelous Marvin Hagler in Las
Vegas. Despite being a heavy underdog, Leonard confounded the critics
by beating Hagler for the first time since 1980, and taking his beloved
world title. Hagler retired, claiming he was robbed.
Many dispute Leonard's victory, and opinion is divided, even to this
day. Although he won the WBC super-middleweight & light-heavyweight
titles, it was clear that Sugar Ray's best days were behind him. A
hollow rubber match victory against Duran and a draw with Hearns
carried little weight, and he took a beating in a WBC
light-middleweight title against "Terrible" Terry Norris in 1991,
getting knocked down twice and sustaining a nasty beating. Six years
later, a non-title contest against
Hector Camacho (aka Hector
"Macho" Camacho) finally persuaded Sugar Ray Leonard that his time was
up. After some years establishing himself as a top promoter, he joined
forces with ex-British paratrooper & reality TV mogul
Mark Burnett to create
The Contender (2005). With
movie star Sylvester Stallone also on
board, "The Contender" gives an insight to the hopes & fears of young
professional prize-fighters as they compete for a $1 million prize and
a headline-grabbing main event in Las Vegas. It was of particular
importance to Leonard, as he wanted the public to see that although he
had all the trappings of success, such as wealth & glory, the road to
the top was filled with setbacks and problems, both physically &
emotionally, which he himself had to overcome in his boxing days. Ray
Leonard still remains in the public eye to this day, and his legacy as
one of the sport's greatest exponents means that his place in boxing
history is forever secure.