Contents
Sugar Ray Leonard
Winning world boxing titles in five weight divisions and defining a celebrated era of rivalries.
Durán rematch · Hearns fight
- Born
- 17 May 1956
- Birthplace
- Wilmington, United States
More people
Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard is an American former boxer whose speed and tactical adaptability carried him from Olympic gold to world titles. His major opponents included Roberto Durán, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler.
Early life
Family move
Born in North Carolina and raised in the Washington, D.C., area.
Boxing beginnings
Started boxing in 1969 after following his older brother Roger into the sport.
Career
- 1976
Olympic gold
Won the light-welterweight title in Montreal.
- 1977
Professional debut
Entered professional boxing after his amateur career.
- 1979
World champion
Defeated Wilfred Benítez for the welterweight title.
- 1980s
Multi-division champion
Moved through weight classes and fought leading rivals.
Achievements
Durán rematch
Regained the welterweight title in the fight remembered as No Más.
Hearns fight
Stopped Thomas Hearns to unify welterweight titles.
Hagler fight
Won a split decision for the middleweight championship.
Beyond sport
Diabetes research
His foundation supports research, care and awareness for childhood diabetes.
Memoir
Published The Big Fight in 2011, discussing struggles behind his public boxing career.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation ↗Photo: Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA. CC BY-SA 2.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
