Ray Charles Leonard also famously known as Sugar is a great boxing champion who beat several Hall of fame boxers during his lifetime. He is the only boxer to have gained titles from five different weight divisions.
Background
Sugar was born on 17th of May, 1956 in Rocky Mountain of North Caroline. He was the fifth child to Gertha and Cicero Leonard and had six siblings. Leonard’s name came from his mother’s favorite lead singer Ray Charles.
At the age of three, Leonard moved with his family to Washington D.C. He was ten when the family found a permanent residence in Palmer Park in Maryland. Leonard’s mother was a nurse while his father worked as a manager in a supermarket. The financial situation during the time when Leonard was growing up was fairly tight.
The early days of Leonard were spent amid crimes and violence. Many of his high school mates got involved in crimes and many of them ended in prison. Leonard’s will to stay clear-headed made him stay away from the bad habits. It was Leonard’s two older brothers who pursued him to join the Palmer park community center and try his hands on boxing which they were already part of. Soon boxing became Leonard’s passion for life.
Education
Leonard completed his school education from Parkdale High school in Palmer Park in Maryland.
After being introduced to the game of boxing by his brothers, there was no looking back for Leonard. He was a quick learner and made boxing his fervor. It was in 1973 that he won the National Golden Gloves and in 1974, he became the National Amateur Athlete Union Champion. Leonard was greatly influenced by the then fighting champion Muhammad Ali who was also called Sugar
Leonard won many awards in the following years. He won National Golden Gloves thrice and AAU Championship twice. In 1975, he was awarded the Pan American Title. It was in the year 1976 during the Montreal Olympics in Canada that gained Leonard his fame and distinction when he rose above several injuries to win the Gold Medal in 139-pound light-welterweight division.
Leonard had never considered being a professional boxer. His aim was to earn some cash from the Olympics and move ahead with some other career. But he had to come back to the ring when the financial stress grew in the family with both of his parents becoming unwell.
Leonard gave some gruesome fights and won several titles in the following years. In 1979, Leonard won the World Boxing Council’s welterweight title. In the next ten years, Leonard fought several matches with great champions including Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran and created a distinct position for him in the field of boxing.
Leonard decided to retire from the ring in 1984 but came back for one final match with the defender Marvin Hagler for Middleweight Crown. The match is considered one of the best matches in the history of boxing. He retired from boxing in 1997.
In 2009, Leonard, with his wife Bernadette started Sugar Foundation which is involved in the research and study for juvenile diabetes and creates alertness about medical conditions. In 2011, Leonard came back to the news when he took part in the dance reality show ‘Dancing with the Stars – Season 12’. Leonard also got his memoir published in the same year titled ‘The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of the Ring’. He was also successful in establishing his own firm named Sugar Boxing Inc.
Leonard also became the mentor and host to the first three seasons of Contender on ESPN and NBC which was produced by Mark Burnett Productions and DreamWorks Television. Ray also began his acting career with the movie ‘The Fighter’ recently. He also remained in the media through his consultancy work in Hugh Jackman starring ‘Reel Steel’ with Walt Disney Pictures and DreamWorks.
Leonardo also acts as a host on PBC on NBC which broadcasts boxing along with co-hosts Kenny Rice, BJ Flores, Kenny Albert, Liam Mchugh and Al Michaels. With his long-term commitment to the world of boxing from a very young age, Leonard was successfully able to initiate a career as a television broadcaster for ESPN, HBO, ABC and NBC. Leonard has also been part of several commercial endorsements covering Ford, Coca-cola, EA Sports and much more.
His famous Speech with title POWER- Prepare, Overcome, and Win Every Round are being used by many fortune 500 companies globally. With a good commercial career, Leonard is also active among his fans through his interest in boxing, philanthropy, and fitness.
Today Leonard’s net worth is around $120 million and is one of the richest boxers of all time. His efforts of a lifetime have made him successful and rich. Currently, Leonard stays in South Carolina with his wife Bernadette and four children.
Achievements
Achievements gathered by Leonard are based on the great boxing matches he won during his lifetime. He made world fame when he earned a Gold medal at the Pan American Games in 1975 followed by the Gold medal in the Olympics that was held in Canada in 1976.
Leonard was named the fighter of the year by the Ring magazine in 1979. He earned back World Boxing Council welterweight title in 1980. Leonard gained the title of the Sportsman of the Year title by Sports Illustrated and called the fighter of the year by the Ring magazine once again in the year 1981. He was also named the Athlete of the Year by Wide World of Sports the same year.
Leonard once again gained the fighter of the year title by the Ring magazine in 1987 after winning over Marvin Hagler. Leonard, by the time of his retirement, had created a career record of 36-2-1.
In January 1997, he was inducted into the ‘International Boxing Hall Of Fame’ in Canastota, New York.
He remains the only boxer till date to have won world titles in five different weight classes.
Though there is very limited information on the religious beliefs held by Leonard, he is found to be an atheist and believes in his efforts to make things work.
Views
He believes that people have more potential than they think. And though it hurts getting what you need, once you reach the destination, it all becomes worth the efforts. He also mentioned that each of the matches that he fought during his lifetime was a test in the ring. Each of the people on the earth has been gifted with some gift and one has to recognize it to have it materialized.
Quotations:
"You have to know you can win. You have to think you can win. You have to feel you can win."
"People can do more than they ever believe they can do. Physically, mentally, academically. You have to be pushed. It hurts. But it's worth it, and it's a great thing."
"My toughest fight was myself. For me to disclose and let things out was not easy because we don't want to seem weak or like we are different, but I learned that it's okay."
Personality
Leonard was an adventurist and with each of his comebacks, he has revealed his trust on himself. As he mentioned he wanted to see how close he can get to the edge of the mountain. After retirement, Leonard mentioned that he miss boxing less and miss his companions more.
Leonard had two different personalities inside and outside of the ring. While the boxer within the ring wanted to fight and win over his opponent through bruises and scars, Leonard when outside the ring was charismatic and charming with his delightful smile.
Leonard was fast and this helped him in his fights. His gruesome fights were harsh and made him look violent and arrogant. He was the second most celebrated boxer after Muhammad Ali and was named Sugar Ray after him.
Leonard was a quiet child when young which turned to this haughty and snooty boxer when he was introduced to the ring by his brothers. Leonard, in one of his interviews, mentioned himself to being not athletically inclined, introvert and non-confrontational.
Physical Characteristics:
Leonard is 5’ 9’’ tall.
Quotes from others about the person
"He had to change his whole life to be Sugar Ray Leonard. And still, today, down inside, it's Ray Leonard. But Sugar Ray Leonard won't let him out," says his former wife, Juanita Wilkinson, on ESPN Classic's Sports Century series.
Interests
Athletes
Muhammad Ali
Connections
Leonard fathered a child Ray Charles Leonard, Jr. in 1973 through his high school sweetheart Juanita Wilkinson. He married her later in 1980. It was in 1990 when Leonard and Juanita filed for divorce. They had two children together. It is believed that Leonard’s involvement with drugs and alcohol lead to the end of the marriage.
On 20th of August 1993, Leonard married Bernadette Robi. He had three other children including Daniel Ray Leonard, Camille Leonard, and Jarrel Leonard.
