Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard, October 2007
Statistics
Real name	Ray Charles Leonard
Nickname(s)	Sugar
Rated at	Welterweight Light Middleweight Middleweight Super Middleweight Light Heavyweight
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Reach	74 in (188 cm)
Nationality	American
Born	(1956-05-17) May 17, 1956 (age 56) Rocky Mount, North Carolina, USA
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	40
Wins	36
Wins by KO	25
Losses	3
Draws	1
No contests	0
Medal record Olympic Men's Boxing Gold 1976 Montreal Light Welterweight

Sugar Ray Leonard (born May 17, 1956) is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother's favorite singer, Ray Charles. Leonard was the first boxer to earn more than $100 million in purses, won world titles in five weight divisions and defeated future fellow International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees Wilfred Benítez, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Durán and Marvin Hagler.^[1][2] Leonard was named "Boxer of the Decade" for the 1980s.^[3]

Early life[link]

Leonard, the fifth of seven children, was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina to Cicero and Getha Leonard. He grew up in Wilmington, N.C. When he was three, the family moved to Washington, D.C. When he was ten, they settled permanently in Palmer Park, Maryland. His father worked as a supermarket night manager, his mother was a nurse.

Leonard was a shy child, and aside from the time he nearly drowned in a creek during a Seat Pleasant flood, his childhood was uneventful. He stayed home a lot, reading comic books and playing with his dog. "He never did talk too much," his mother said. "We never could tell what he was thinking. But I never had any problems with him. I never had to go to school once because of him."^[4]

Amateur career[link]

Leonard started boxing at the Palmer Park recreation center in 1969. His older brother Roger started boxing first. Roger helped start the boxing program, urging the center's director, Ollie Dunlap to form a team. Dave Jacobs, a former boxer, and Janks Morton volunteered as boxing coaches. Roger won some trophies and showed them off in front of Ray, goading him to start boxing.

In 1972, Leonard boxed in the featherweight quarterfinals of the National AAU Tournament, losing by decision to Jerome Artis. It was his first defeat. Later that year, he boxed in the Eastern Olympic Trials. The rules stated that a boxer had to be seventeen to box in international competition, so Leonard, only sixteen, lied about his age.^[5] He made it to the lightweight semifinals, losing a disputed decision to Greg Whaley, who took such a beating that he wasn't allowed to continue in the trials. Whaley never boxed again.^[6]

Sarge Johnson, assistant coach of the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, said to Dave Jacobs, "That kid you got is sweet as sugar." The nickname stuck. However, given his style and first name, it was probably only a matter of time before people started calling him Sugar Ray, after the man many consider to be the best boxer of all time, Sugar Ray Robinson.^[7]

In 1973, Leonard won the National Golden Gloves Lightweight Championship, but lost to Randy Shields in the lightweight final of the National AAU Tournament. The following year, Leonard won the National Golden Gloves and National AAU Lightweight Championships.

Leonard suffered his last two losses as an amateur in 1973. He lost a disputed decision to Anatoli Kamnev in Moscow, after which, Kamnev gave the winner's trophy to Leonard. In Poland, Kazimier Szczerba was given a decision victory over Leonard, even though he was dominated in the first two rounds and dropped three times in the third.^[8]

Leonard won the National Golden Gloves and National AAU Light Welterweight Championships in 1974. The following year, he again won the National AAU Light Welterweight Championship, as well as the Light Welterweight Championship at the Pan American Games.

In 1976, Leonard made the U.S. Olympic Team as the light welterweight representative. The team also included Leon and Michael Spinks, Howard Davis, Jr., Leo Randolph, Charles Mooney and John Tate. Many consider the 1976 U.S. team to be the greatest boxing team in the history of the Olympics.^[9]

Leonard won his first four Olympic bouts by 5–0 decisions. He faced Kazimier Szczerba in the semifinals and won by a 5–0 decision, avenging his last amateur loss. In the final, he boxed the great Cuban knockout artist Andrés Aldama, who scored five straight knockouts to reach the final.

Leonard landed several good left hooks in the first round. In the second, he dropped Aldama with a left to the chin. Late in the final round, he again hurt Aldama, which brought a standing eight count from the referee. With only a few seconds left in the fight, a Leonard combination forced another standing eight count. Leonard was awarded a 5–0 decision and the Olympic Gold Medal.

Afterward, Leonard announced, "I'm finished...I've fought my last fight. My journey has ended, my dream is fulfilled. Now I want to go to school." He was given a scholarship to the University of Maryland, a gift from the citizens of Glenarden, Maryland. He planned to study business administration and communications.^[10]

He finished his amateur career with a record of 145–5 and 75 KO's.^[11][12]

Achievements[link]

• 1973 National Golden Gloves Lightweight Champion, defeating Hilmer Kenty
• 1973 National AAU Light Welterweight Championship runner-up, losing to Randy Shields
• 1974 National AAU Light Welterweight Champion
• 1974 National Golden Gloves Light Welterweight Champion
• 1975 National AAU Light Welterweight Champion
• 1975 Pan American Games Light Welterweight Gold Medalist
• 1976 Olympic Light Welterweight Gold Medalist

Olympic Results

• Defeated Ulf Carlsson (Sweden) points 5–0
• Defeated Valery Limassov (Soviet Union) points 5–0
• Defeated Clinton McKenzie (Great Britain) points 5–0
• Defeated Ulrich Beyer (East Germany) points 5–0
• Defeated Kazimierz Szczerba (Poland) points 5–0
• Defeated Andrés Aldama (Cuba) points 5–0^[13]

Change in plans[link]

Juanita Wilkinson, Leonard's high school girlfriend, told him she was pregnant in the summer of 1973. They decided to have the baby but marriage would be put off until after the Olympics in 1976. Leonard would continue to pursue his Olympic dream while she and the baby, Ray Charles Leonard Jr., lived with her parents. When Leonard boxed in the Olympics, he had a picture of Wilkinson taped to his sock.

Shortly before the Olympics, Wilkinson had filed an application to receive $156 a month in child support payments from Prince George's County. She named Leonard as the father and the county's state attorney's office filed a civil suit against Leonard to establish paternity and get support payments for the child. Leonard learned of the suit several days after returning home from the Olympics. The headline in the Washington Star read, "Sugar Ray Leonard Named in Welfare Dept. Paternity Suit."^[14]

Wilkinson went to the Olympics to watch Leonard box, but she did not tell him about the suit and never asked him for any money. "I didn't feel like being bothered by all those complications by asking him for any money for support," she said. Leonard pledged he would support his son, even if he had to scrap plans to attend college.^[15]

Leonard had hoped to get lucrative endorsements following his gold medal win, but the publicity from the paternity suit chased off any big commercial possibilities. To make matters worse, his father was hospitalized with meningitis and his mother suffered a heart attack. With neither parent able to work, with his child and the mother of his child to support and without any endorsement opportunities, Leonard decided to become a professional boxer.^[16]

Professional career[link]

Early professional career[link]

When Leonard decided to turn professional, Janks Morton introduced him to Mike Trainer, a friend of his who was an attorney. Trainer talked twenty-four of his friends and clients into underwriting Leonard's career with an investment of $21,000 to be repaid within four years at 8% interest. Trainer then made Leonard the sole stockholder in Sugar Ray Leonard, Inc.

Angelo Dundee, Muhammad Ali's trainer, was brought in to be Leonard's trainer and manager. Many of the people being considered wanted absolute control and a cut somewhere near the manager's traditional 33%. Dundee had a different proposition. Although he would prescribe the training procedures, he would leave the day-to-day work to Dave Jacobs and Janks Morton. He would also choose Leonard's opponents. For his services, Dundee would get 15% of Leonard's purse.^[17]

Leonard made his professional debut on February 5, 1977 before a crowd of 10,270 at the Civic Center in Baltimore, Maryland. He was paid $40,044 for the fight. His opponent was Luis "The Bull" Vega, whom he defeated by a six-round unanimous decision.^[18] After the fight, Leonard paid back his $21,000 loan to the investors.^[19]

In his fourteenth professional fight, Leonard fought his first world-ranked opponent, Floyd Mayweather, who was ranked seventeenth. The fight took place on September 9, 1978. Leonard won by a tenth-round knockout.^[20] A month later, Leonard defeated his old amateur nemesis Randy Shields by a ten-round unanimous decision.^[21]

On August 12, 1979, Leonard knocked out Pete Ranzany in four rounds to win the NABF Welterweight Championship.^[22] The following month, he made his first title defense against Andy Price. Many felt that Price would give Leonard a tough fight, but Leonard took him out in the first round, advancing his record to 25–0 with 16 knockouts.^[23]

First world title[link]

Leonard fought Wilfred Benitez for the WBC Welterweight Championship on November 30, 1979 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Leonard received $1 million and Benitez, a two-division champion with a record of 38–0–1, received $1.2 million.

It was a highly competitive and tactical battle. In the first round, Leonard rocked Benitez with a left hook that came off a jab and right cross. Late in the third, Leonard dropped Benitez on the seat of his pants with a stiff left jab. More embarrassed than hurt, Benitez got up quickly.

Benitez started to do better in the fourth, slipping numerous punches and finding the range with his right hand. "I wasn't aware I was in a championship early because I hit him so easy," Leonard said. "But then he adjusted to my style. It was like looking in a mirror."

In the sixth, there was an accidental clash of heads, which opened a cut on the forehead of Benitez. Blood flowed down his forehead and the bridge of his nose but stayed out of his eyes.

Leonard landed the harder punches and had Benitez hurt several times late in the fight, but Leonard couldn't put him away. Benitez was very slick. "No one, I mean no one, can make me miss punches like that," Leonard said.

Going into the final round, Leonard led by scores of 137–130, 137–133, and 136–134. The two went toe-to-toe in the fifteenth. Late in the round, Leonard dropped Benitez with a left. He got up, but after a few more punches, the referee stopped the fight. The time was 2:54 of round fifteen.^[24]

The Boxing Writers Association of America and The Ring named Leonard "Fighter of the Year" for 1979.

Leonard made his first title defense in Landover, Maryland on March 31, 1980. His opponent was Dave "Boy" Green. The British challenger had a record of 33–2. In the fourth round, Leonard knocked Green out with a devastating left hook. Leonard called it "the hardest single punch I ever threw."^[25]

The brawl in Montreal[link]

On June 20, 1980 Leonard returned to the Olympic Stadium in Montreal to defend his title against Roberto Durán before a crowd of 46,317. Durán, the former Undisputed World Lightweight Champion, had a record of 71–1 and was the #1 welterweight contender. Durán received $1.5 million and Leonard, working for a percentage of the closed-circuit gate as well as a guarantee, received over $9 million.

Angelo Dundee counseled Leonard to box, to move side to side and not to get caught on the ropes. However, Leonard decided to fight Durán's way. "Flat-footed," he said. "I will not run."^[26]

Durán forced the issue and took the fight to Leonard, cutting off the ring and denying Leonard space to fight his fight. Durán attacked at almost every turn. Leonard battled back again and again, but he had to work just to find room to breathe and swing, at times simply to survive. In the second, Durán rocked Leonard with a left hook, sending him into the ropes. Leonard started to do better by the fifth round, finding some punching room and throwing numerous multi-punch combinations. The two fought with great intensity throughout the fight. According to Bill Nack:

It was, from almost the opening salvo, a fight that belonged to Durán. The Panamanian seized the evening and gave it what shape and momentum it had. 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. Always moving forward, he mauled and wrestled Leonard, scoring inside with hooks and rights. For three rounds Durán drove at Sugar Ray with a fury, and there were moments when it seemed the fight could not last five. Unable to get away, unable to counter and unable to slide away to open up the ring, Leonard seemed almost helpless under the assault. Now and then he got loose and countered—left-right-left to Duran's bobbing head—but he missed punches and could not work inside, could not jab, could not mount an offense to keep Durán at bay.^[26]

Durán was awarded a unanimous decision, although it was mistakenly read as a majority decision in the ring. The scorecard of judge Angelo Poletti was incorrectly added and announced as 147–147. He actually scored it 148–147. In rounds, he had it three for Durán, two for Leonard, and ten even. Sports Illustrated called his scorecard "a monument to indecision." Judges Raymond Baldeyrou and Harry Gibbs scored the fight 146–144 and 145–144, respectively. The Associated Press had it 144–141 for Durán, while The New York Times had Leonard ahead 144–142.

"I did the best I could," Leonard said. "I think I pretty much fought from the heart." Asked if Leonard was the best he ever fought, Durán thought for a moment and then answered, "Si, si." Durán said. "He does have a heart. That's why he's living."^[27][28]

Revenge in New Orleans[link]

The rematch took place November 25, 1980 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Leonard received $7 million and Durán received $8 million.

Dave Jacobs disagreed with the decision to have an immediate rematch with Durán and terminated his relationship with Leonard when the rematch was made. "My idea is that he should have a tuneup fight before he fights with Roberto again," Jacobs said. "I think he won the fight with Durán, but I don't think it is healthy for him to be fighting Durán right away."^[29]

After the Montreal fight Durán went on a partying binge and ballooned in weight. Leonard was aware of this, and in an interview for Beyond the Glory he said: "My intention was to fight Durán ASAP because I knew Durán's habits. I knew he would indulge himself, he'd gain 40–50 lbs and then sweat it off to make 147." Unlike the fight in Montreal, Leonard used his superior speed and movement to outbox and befuddle Durán. "The whole fight, I was moving, I was moving," Leonard said. "And Voom! I snapped his head back with a jab. Voom! I snapped it back again. He tried to get me against the ropes, I'd pivot, spin off and Pow! Come under with a punch."

In round seven, Leonard started to taunt Durán. Leonard's most memorable punch came late in the round. Winding up his right hand, as if to throw a bolo punch, Leonard snapped out a left jab and caught Durán flush in the face. "It made his eyes water," Leonard said. He continued to taunt Durán mercilessly. He stuck out his chin, inviting Durán to hit it. Durán hesitated. Leonard kept it up, continuing to move, stop, and mug.

In the closing seconds of the eighth round, Durán turned his back to Leonard and quit, saying to referee Octavio Meyran, "No Mas." Leonard was the winner by a technical knockout at 2:44 of round eight, regaining the WBC Welterweight Championship. Leonard led by scores of 68–66, 68–66 and 67–66.^[30]

Durán said he quit because of stomach cramps, caused by overeating after the weigh-in. "At the end of the fifth round, I got cramps in my stomach and it kept getting worse and worse," Duran later said. "I felt weaker and weaker in my body and arms." He then announced, "I am retiring from boxing right now." During the night Durán was admitted to a hospital with stomach pains, and discharged the following day.

Everyone was surprised by Durán's actions, none more so than his veteran trainers, Freddie Brown and Ray Arcel. "I was shocked," Brown said. "There was no indication that he was in pain or getting weak."^[31] Arcel was angry. "That's it," he said. "I've had it. This is terrible. I've handled thousands of fighters and never had anyone quit on me. I think he needs a psychiatrist more than he needs anything else." Durán's manager, Carlos Eleta, said, "Durán didn't quit because of stomach cramps. He quit because he was embarrassed. I know this."^[32] According to Randy Gordon, who witnessed Durán's antics beforehand and was in his dressing room immediately afterwards, Durán quit because of his huge eating binge prior to the fight.^[33]

"I made him quit," Leonard said. "To make a man quit, to make Roberto Durán quit, was better than knocking him out."^[34]

Second world title[link]

On March 28, 1981, Leonard defended his title against Larry Bonds, the WBC sixth-ranked contender, at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. 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.

Leonard was the aggressor throughout, with Bonds circling the ring. He staggered Bonds with a right in the fourth round and dropped him with a follow-up combination. Bonds got up and continued to move, with Leonard in pursuit. Leonard dropped him again in the tenth. Bonds rose but Leonard didn't let him off the hook. The referee stopped the fight with Bonds taking punishment in a corner.^[35]

Leonard moved up to the junior middleweight division and faced Kalule on June 25, 1981 at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. Kalule, who was 36–0, had been the WBA Light Middleweight Champion for two years.

Kalule and his handlers had expected Leonard to use lateral movement against him, but Leonard took the fight to Kalule. After eight tough rounds, Leonard was ahead although Kalule appeared to be coming on strong in the eight and ninth. Leonard finally hurt him with a right to the head. Shortly afterward, Leonard dropped him with a flurry of punches. Kalule got up but the referee waved it off. Leonard celebrated his victory with a full 360-degree, no-hands flip.^[36] Despite an official stoppage time of 2.59, the fight was actually stopped at 3.06 into the round, meaning Kalule should have been saved by the bell.^[37]

The Showdown[link]

Promoted as "The Showdown," Leonard fought Thomas Hearns on September 16, 1981 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to unify the World Welterweight Championship in a scheduled fifteen-rounder. They fought before a live crowd of 23,618. Hearns was paid $5.1 million, and Leonard made over $11 million.

Hearns, 32–0 with 30 knockouts, won the WBA Welterweight Championship in 1980, scoring a second-round knockout of Jose 'Pipino' Cuevas in Detroit, Michigan. He made three successful title defenses, stopping Luis Primera, Randy Shields, and Pablo Baez.

The fight began as expected, Leonard boxing from a distance and Hearns stalking. Leonard had difficulty with Hearns' long reach and sharp jab. 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. Leonard, becoming more aggressive, hurt Hearns in the sixth with a left hook to the chin. Leonard battered Hearns in rounds six and seven, but Hearns regrouped. Hearns started to stick and move, and he started to pile up points again. The roles reversed: Leonard became the stalker and Hearns became the boxer. The fight billed as a classic showdown between a powerful knockout artist and the best boxer/puncher the welterweight division had seen in decades devolved into a tactical and boring fight.

Hearns won rounds nine through twelve on all three scorecards. Between rounds twelve and thirteen, Angelo Dundee told Leonard, "You're blowing it, son! You're blowing it!"

Leonard, with a badly swollen left eye, came out roaring for the thirteenth round. After hurting Hearns with a right, Leonard exploded with a combination of punches. Hearns' legs were clearly gone and after more pressure from Leonard he was bundled through the ropes, no knockdown was given as it wasn't a punch that sent him there. Hearns managed to rise, but was dropped by a flurry of hard punches near the end of the round.

In round fourteen, after staggering Hearns with an overhand right, Leonard pinned Hearns against the ropes, where he unleashed another furious combination, prompting referee Davey Pearl to stop the contest and award Sugar Ray Leonard the Unified World Welterweight Championship. Hearns was leading by scores of 124–122, 125–122, and 125–121.

After the fight, there was controversy due to the scoring of rounds six and seven. Even though Leonard dominated, hurting Hearns and battering him, all three judges gave both rounds to Leonard by a 10–9 margin. Many felt that the ten-point must scoring system was not properly used and those rounds should have been scored 10–8.^[38] Some also considered the stoppage premature: at ringside veteran announcer announcer Don Dunphy said 'They're stopping the fight. I don't believe it. Hearns was ahead on points'

The fight was named "Fight of the Year" by The Ring.

Leonard was named "Fighter of the Year" by The Ring and The Boxing Writers Association of America. He was also named "Athlete of the Year" by ABC's Wide World of Sports and "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated.^[39]

Retirement and return[link]

On February 15, 1982, Leonard defended the unified title against Bruce Finch, the WBC #4 contender. Leonard knocked him out in the third round.^[40] Leonard's next fight was scheduled to be against Roger Stafford on May 14, 1982 in Buffalo, New York. While training, Leonard started to see floaters. He went to a doctor and discovered that he had a detached retina.^[41]

On November 9, 1982, after consulting with doctors, friends and family, Leonard invited Marvin Hagler and other boxing dignitaries to a charity event in Baltimore, Maryland. Standing in a boxing ring with ABC's Howard Cosell nearby, Leonard announced his retirement, saying a bout with Hagler would unfortunately never happen. Leonard maintained his eye was fully healed, but that he just didn't want to box anymore.^[42]

Missing the limelight and the competition, Leonard announced in December 1983 that he was returning to the ring. Leonard boasted that he would have a couple of ten-round bouts and then take on Milton McCrory, Donald Curry, Durán, Hearns and finally Hagler. This decision was met with a torrent of criticism from fans and the media, who felt Leonard was taking unnecessary risks with his surgically repaired eye.^[43]

A bout with Philadelphia's Kevin Howard, who was 20–4–1, was scheduled for February 25, 1984. The fight was postponed when Leonard had minor corrective surgery on his right eye. This latest eye injury further fueled the flames of those who opposed Leonard's comeback.^[44]

Before the fight with Howard, Dave Jacobs rejoined Leonard's team in a limited role. Jacobs had quit in 1980, disagreeing with Leonard's decision to have an immediate rematch with Durán.^[45]

Leonard and Howard fought on May 11, 1984 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Howard knocked Leonard flat on his back in the fourth round. It was the first knockdown of Leonard's professional career. 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. Leonard was ahead on all three scorecards at the time of the stoppage. At the post-fight press conference, Leonard surprised everyone by announcing his retirement again, saying he just didn't have it anymore.^[46]

The Super Fight[link]

On March 10, 1986, Marvelous Marvin Hagler knocked out John "The Beast" Mugabi in eleven rounds to retain the Undisputed World Middleweight Championship for the twelfth time and advance his record to 62–2–2. "I was ringside," Leonard said. "I'm watching John 'The Beast' Mugabi outbox Hagler. Of all people, John 'The Beast' Mugabi." It was then that Leonard decided to come back and fight Hagler. He called Mike Trainer and said, "I can beat Hagler."

On May 1, 1986, Leonard announced on a Washington, D.C. talk show that he would return to the ring to fight Hagler. 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. Hagler took a few months to decide, then agreed to the match.^[47]

The fight, promoted as "The Super Fight," was scheduled for April 6, 1987 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Leonard was guaranteed $11 million, and Hagler was guaranteed $12 million. Hagler was a heavy favorite. The odds started at 4–1, then settled at 3–1.

The original fight plan for Leonard was to go toe-to-toe with Hagler and try to cut him, but the plan changed about five days before the fight. Leonard got hit by sparring partner Quincy Taylor and was badly buckled. "He almost knocked me out," Leonard said. After that, Leonard decided to box Hagler.^[48]

Many were surprised that Hagler, a natural southpaw, opened the fight boxing out of an orthodox stance. After the quick and slick Leonard won the first two rounds on all three scorecards, Hagler started the third round as a southpaw. Hagler did better, but Leonard's superior speed and boxing skill still allowed him to control the fight. Hagler looked stiff and mechanical and missed the speedy Leonard time and again prompting ringside commentator for the NBC network re-broadcast Gil Clancy to remark "...and is he ever missing...Leonard isn't doing anything to make him miss, he's just missing!"

By the fifth, Leonard, who was moving a lot, began to tire and Hagler started to get closer. Hagler buckled Leonard's knees with a right uppercut near the end of the round, which finished with Leonard on the ropes. Hagler continued to score somewhat effectively in round six. Leonard, having slowed down, was obliged to fight more and move less. However, he was able to outpunch Hagler along the ropes and got the better of several bristling exchanges. Hagler never seized control of the fight as he had against Thomas Hearns two years earlier, when he brutalized Hearns and scored a third-round knockout. Hagler's punches lacked snap and, although he was scoring solidly to the body, he looked nothing like the powerful fighter who had dominated the middleweight division for the previous five years. Leonard's observation that the Hagler who beat John Mugabi was older and slower proved to be spot on.

In rounds seven and eight, Hagler's southpaw jab was landing solidly and Leonard's counter flurries were less frequent. Round nine was the most exciting round of the fight. Hagler hurt Leonard with a left cross and pinned him in a corner. Leonard looked to be in trouble, but he furiously fought his way out of the corner. The action see-sawed back and forth for the rest of the round, with each man having his moments.

Round ten was tame by comparison, as the pace slowed after the furious action of the previous round. Despite Leonard's obvious fatigue, he boxed well in the eleventh. Every time Hagler scored, Leonard came back with something flashier. Between rounds eleven and twelve, Leonard's trainer Angelo Dundee implored Sugar Ray to get up off his stool yelling "We got three minutes...new champ...new champ!" Leonard yelled "Yeah!" and played to the screaming crowd. Hagler's corner was much more reserved prompting Clancy to comment "They're talking to him like it's an IBM meeting or something...no emotion." In the final round, Hagler continued to chase Leonard. He hit Leonard with a big left hand and backed him into a corner. Leonard responded with a furious flurry, landing few punches but whipping the upset-hoping crowd into a frenzy. Hagler backed off, and Leonard danced away with Hagler in pursuit. The fight ended with Hagler and Leonard exchanging along the ropes. At the final bell, even uniformed ringside security rushed into the ring applauding and lauding Leonard's effort.^[49]

Leonard threw 629 punches and landed 306, while Hagler threw 792 and landed 291.^[50]

Leonard was awarded a controversial split-decision. Judge Dave Moretti scored it 115–113 for Leonard, while judge Lou Filippo had it 115–113 for Hagler. Judge Jose Guerra scored the fight 118–110 for Leonard. Many felt that Hagler deserved the decision because he was the aggressor and landed the harder punches. British boxing journalist Hugh McIlvanney wrote that Leonard's plan was to "steal rounds with a few flashy and carefully timed flurries....he 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."^[51]

Many others felt that Leonard deservedly got the decision, arguing that Leonard landed more punches and showed better defense and ring generalship. Jim Murray, long-time sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times, wrote, "It wasn't even close...He didn't just outpoint Hagler, he exposed him. He made him look like a guy chasing a bus. In snowshoes.... Leonard repeatedly beat Hagler to the punch. When he did, he hit harder. He hit more often.... He made Hagler into what he perceived him to be throughout his career—a brawler, a swarmer, a man who could club you to death only if you stood there and let him. If you moved, he was lost."^[52]

The fight was named "Fight of the Year" and "Upset of the Year" by The Ring.

Despite requests from the Hagler camp, Leonard was uninterested in a rematch and retired on May 27, 1987. "I'll try, I'll give it a shot," Leonard said of his latest retirement. "But you guys know me."^[53] A month after Hagler's formal retirement in June 1988 Leonard would announce another comeback.

Another comeback[link]

On November 7, 1988, Leonard made another comeback, facing Don Lalonde at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. They fought for Lalonde's WBC Light Heavyweight Championship and the newly created WBC Super Middleweight Championship, which meant that Lalonde had to make 168 lbs. Many were critical of Leonard for stipulating that his opponent—a natural 175 pounder—should weigh less than his usual fighting weight, weakening him. The newly created Super Middleweight division gave Leonard the opportunity to win a world title in yet another weight class.

Lalonde, 31–2 with 26 knockouts, was guaranteed at least $6 million and Leonard was guaranteed over $10 million.

This would be Leonard's first professional fight without Angelo Dundee. For Leonard's fight with Hagler, Dundee worked without a contract and received $175,000, which was less than 2% of Leonard's purse. Dundee was unhappy with that amount. He requested a contract for the Lalonde fight and Leonard refused. "I don't have contracts. My word is my bond," Leonard said. Janks Morton and Dave Jacobs trained Leonard for the Lalonde fight.^[54][55]

Lalonde's size and awkwardness troubled Leonard. In the fourth round, a right hand to the top of Leonard's head dropped him for just the second time in his career. Early in the ninth, Lalonde hurt Leonard with a right to the chin. Leonard fired back and hurt Lalonde with a right. He drove him to the ropes and unleashed a furious assault. Lalonde tried to tie up Leonard, but got dropped with a powerful left hook. He rose but was soon down again, and the fight was stopped. Judges Chuck Giampa and Franz Marti had Leonard ahead by scores of 77–74 and 77–75, respectively. Judge Stuart Kirshenbaum had Lalonde ahead 76–75.^[56]

After the fight, Leonard vacated the light heavyweight title, but kept the super middleweight title. Also, Leonard and Janks Morton split because of personal differences. Morton was replaced as co-trainer by Pepe Correa, who had worked with Leonard for most of the previous fifteen years.^[57]

On June 12, 1989, Leonard defended the WBC Super Middleweight Championship in a rematch with Thomas Hearns at Caesar's Palace. It was promoted as "The War." Hearns was guaranteed $11 million and Leonard was guaranteed $14 million.

Hearns dropped Leonard with a right cross in the third round, but Leonard came back and battered Hearns around the ring in the fifth. Early in the seventh round, Hearns hurt Leonard but punched himself out going for the knockout. With Hearns fatigued, Leonard came back and had a strong finish to the round. Rounds nine and ten were good rounds for Leonard, but he ran into trouble in the eleventh round. Three booming rights from Hearns sent Leonard down for the second time in the fight. Knowing he needed a big finish, Leonard fought furiously and had a big final round.

The judges scored the fight a draw and Leonard retained the title. Judge Jerry Roth scored the fight 113–112 for Hearns, Judge Tom Kazmarek scored it 113–112 for Leonard, and Judge Dalby Shirley scored it 112–112. Shirley was the only judge to give Leonard a 10–8 margin in the twelfth. If he had scored it 10–9, as his two colleagues did, Hearns would have won by a split decision. The decision was soundly booed, as most felt that Hearns had won.^[58] Eventually, Leonard admitted that Hearns deserved the decision.

On December 7, 1989, Leonard defended the title against Roberto Durán, who was the reigning WBC Middleweight Champion. Durán was guaranteed $7.6 million and Leonard's arrangement guaranteed him over $13 million.^[59]

For the Durán fight, Leonard cut his entourage from twenty-one to six. Dave Jacobs was one of the people let go, leaving Correa as the sole trainer. Correa was instructed not to spare the whip. "For the first time in a long time, I allowed someone to push me," Leonard said.

The fight took place at the new Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. Leonard used constant lateral movement and won by a lopsided twelve-round unanimous decision over a listless Durán. The scores were 120–110, 119–109, and 116–111. In a fight that many considered to be very boring, both fighters were booed often by the fans and many left the arena before the decision was announced. Pat Putnam of Sports Illustrated wrote, "Leonard gave them artistic perfection when they wanted heated battle, and they booed lustily. 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." The victory over Duran came at the cost of a cut left eye which required multiple stitches to close.^[60] Many observed Leonard was lucky championship distance was now 12 rounds instead of the traditional 15. Had Durán inflicted the massive cut with 3-4 rounds to go, it's doubtful Leonard would have been able to finish and Durán would have been credited with one of boxing's great comeback stories.

In January 1990, Leonard relinquished the WBC Super Middleweight Championship, saying that he was unsure whether he would fight again.^[61] When Leonard decided to continue his career, he offered Hagler a rematch, but Hagler decided to stay retired.^[62] 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.^[63]

On February 9, 1991, Leonard went down to 154 lbs and fought WBC Light Middleweight Champion Terry Norris at Madison Square Garden. Leonard entered the bout as a 3-1 favorite but Norris dominated the fight, giving Leonard a heavy beating. He knocked Leonard down with a left hook in the second round, and in the seventh, he dropped Leonard again with a short right. Leonard had no answer for the skillful, younger, faster man. Unable to turn his punches over crisply, Leonard often slapped at his opponent. Leonard went the distance but lost by a lopsided decision. The scores were 120–104, 119–103, and 116–110. After the verdict was announced, Leonard announced his retirement. "It took this fight to show me it is no longer my time," Leonard said. "Tonight was my last fight. I know how Hagler felt now."^[64]

The last comeback[link]

In October 1996, the 40-year-old Leonard announced that he was coming out of retirement to fight Héctor Camacho for the lightly regarded IBC Middleweight Championship. Camacho, a light-hitting southpaw who at 34 and as a former lightweight was also considered past his prime, had a record of 62–3–1. Leonard decided to fight Camacho after commentating on his fight with the 45 year old Roberto Duran the previous year, in which Camacho had won a disputed decision which Leonard had called "an early Christmas gift."

Leonard blamed his poor performance against Norris to lack of motivation, a rib injury, moving down in weight, and divorce, which was being litigated while he was in training. "It was stupid for me to fight Norris at 154 lbs," Leonard said. "This is different. I'm in the best shape possible."^[65]

For the Camacho fight, Leonard had a new trainer, Adrian Davis. "He's a great trainer, a throwback," Leonard said. "He has really helped me get ready."^[66]

In January 1997, it was announced that Leonard had been voted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in Canastota, New York. The rules state that a boxer must be retired for five years before being eligible for induction. 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 induction ceremony was on June 15, 1997.^[67]

The fight with Camacho took place on March 1, 1997 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Camacho applied pressure from the opening bell and started to score well in the third. He continued to score well in the fourth and opened a cut above Leonard's right eye. In the fifth, Camacho dropped Leonard with a right followed by two left uppercuts. Leonard got up, but was unable to ward off Camacho. The referee stopped the fight with Camacho teeing off on a defenseless Leonard on the ropes. It was the only time in Leonard's career that he was knocked out.

Afterward, Leonard retired again, saying, "For sure, my career is definitely over for me in the ring." However, less than a week after the fight, Leonard said he planned to fight again. He blamed his loss on a torn right calf muscle. His doctor suggested that he cancel the fight, but Leonard wanted to go through with it. Before the fight, he was given a shot of novocaine.^[68]

Leonard said he planned to have a series of tuneup fights before fighting a champion.^[69] He was scheduled to fight Tony Menefee on February 15, 1998 in Australia, but he pulled out of the fight, saying that he didn't have the motivation. The Camacho fight was Leonard's last. He finished his career with a record of 36–3–1 with 25 knockouts.^[70]

Professional Boxing Record[link]

36 Wins (25 knockouts, 11 decisions), 3 Losses (1 knockout, 2 decisions), 1 Draw[71]
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, Time	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	36-3-1	Héctor Camacho	TKO	5 (12), 1:08	1997-03-01	Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey	For IBC Middleweight title.
Loss	36-2-1	Terry Norris	UD	12	1991-02-09	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York	For WBC Light Middleweight title.
Win	36-1-1	Roberto Durán	UD	12	1989-12-07	Mirage Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC Super Middleweight title.
Draw	35-1-1	Thomas Hearns	PTS	12	1989-06-12	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC Super Middleweight title. For WBO Super Middleweight title.
Win	35–1	Donny Lalonde	TKO	9 (12), 2:30	1988-11-07	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Won WBC Light Heavyweight & vacant WBC Super Middleweight titles.
Win	34–1	Marvin Hagler	SD	12	1987-04-06	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Won WBC & The Ring Middleweight titles. The Ring magazine's "Fight of the Year" (1987)
Win	33–1	Kevin Howard	TKO	9 (10), 2:27	1984-05-11	DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts
Win	32–1	Bruce Finch	TKO	3 (15), 1:50	1982-02-15	Centennial Coliseum, Reno, Nevada	Retained WBC, WBA & The Ring Welterweight titles.
Win	31–1	Thomas Hearns	TKO	14 (15), 1:45	1981-09-16	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC & The Ring & won WBA Welterweight titles. The Ring magazine's "Fight of the Year" (1981)
Win	30–1	Ayub Kalule	TKO	9 (15), 3:06	1981-06-25	Astrodome, Houston, Texas	Won WBA & The Ring Light Middleweight titles.
Win	29–1	Larry Bonds	TKO	10 (15), 2:22	1981-03-28	Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York	Retained WBC & The Ring Welterweight titles.
Win	28–1	Roberto Durán	TKO	8 (15), 2:44	1980-11-25	Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana	Won WBC & The Ring Welterweight titles.
Loss	27–1	Roberto Durán	UD	15	1980-06-20	Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec	Lost WBC & The Ring Welterweight titles.
Win	27–0	Dave Green	KO	4 (15), 2:27	1980-03-31	Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland	Retained WBC & The Ring Welterweight titles.
Win	26–0	Wilfred Benitez	TKO	15 (15), 2:54	1979-11-30	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Won WBC & The Ring Welterweight titles.
Win	25–0	Andy Price	KO	1 (12), 2:52	1979-09-28	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained NABF Welterweight title.
Win	24–0	Pete Ranzany	TKO	4 (12), 2:41	1979-08-12	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Won NABF Welterweight title.
Win	23–0	Tony Chiaverini	RTD	4 (10)	1979-06-24	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	22–0	Marcos Geraldo	UD	10	1979-05-20	Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Win	21–0	Adolfo Viruet	UD	10	1979-04-21	Dunes Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	20–0	Daniel Aldo Gonzalez	KO	1 (10), 2:03	1979-03-24	Community Center, Tucson, Arizona
Win	19–0	Fernand Marcotte	TKO	8 (10), 2:33	1979-02-11	Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida
Win	18–0	Johnny Gant	TKO	8 (12), 2:57	1979-01-11	Capitol Centre, Landover, Maryland
Win	17–0	Armando Muniz	RTD	6 (10)	1978-12-09	Civic Center, Springfield, Massachusetts
Win	16–0	Bernardo Prada	UD	10	1978-11-03	Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, Maine
Win	15–0	Randy Shields	UD	10	1978-10-06	Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Win	14–0	Floyd Mayweather, Sr.	TKO	10 (10), 2:16	1978-09-09	Civic Center, Providence, Rhode Island
Win	13–0	Dicky Eklund	UD	10	1978-07-18	Hynes Auditorium, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	12–0	Rafael Rodriguez	UD	10	1978-06-03	Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Win	11–0	Randy Milton	TKO	8 (10), 2:55	1978-05-13	Memorial Auditorium, Utica, New York
Win	10–0	Bobby Hayman	TKO	3 (10)	1978-04-13	Capitol Centre, Landover, Maryland
Win	9–0	Javier Muniz	KO	1 (8), 2:45	1978-03-19	Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, Connecticut
Win	8–0	Art McKnight	TKO	7 (8), 1:52	1978-03-01	Hara Arena, Dayton, Ohio
Win	7–0	Rocky Ramon	UD	8	1978-02-04	Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Win	6–0	Hector Diaz	KO	2 (8), 2:20	1977-12-17	DC Armory, Washington, District of Columbia
Win	5–0	Augustin Estrada	KO	5 (8), 1:54	1977-11-05	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	4–0	Frank Santore	KO	5 (8), 2:55	1977-09-24	Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Win	3–0	Vinnie DeBarros	TKO	3 (6), 1:59	1977-06-10	Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut
Win	2–0	Willie Rodriguez	UD	6	1977-05-14	Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Win	1–0	Luis Vega	UD	6	1977-02-05	Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland

Titles in boxing[link]

Major World Titles:

• WBC Welterweight Champion (147 lbs)
• (2) WBC Welterweight Champion (147 lbs)
• WBA Light Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)
• WBA Welterweight Champion (147 lbs)
• WBC Middleweight Champion (160 lbs)
• WBC Super Middleweight Champion (168 lbs)
• WBC Light Heavyweight Champion (175 lbs)

The Ring/Lineal Championship Titles:

• The Ring Welterweight Champion (147 lbs)
• (2) The Ring Welterweight Champion (147 lbs)
• The Ring Light Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)
• The Ring Middleweight Champion (160 lbs)

Regional/International Titles:

• NABF Welterweight Champion (147 lbs)

Media appearances[link]

Leonard has worked as a boxing analyst for ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, and HBO. His relationship with HBO lasted for more than a decade. It ended in 1990, after HBO was not offered an opportunity to bid on the telecast rights to Leonard's fight with Terry Norris. HBO believed it would be inappropriate for Leonard to continue with them if they couldn't bid on his fights. Leonard's attorney, Mike Trainer, said, "There never has been a linkage between his broadcasting and his fighting."^[72]

Leonard has done commercial endorsements for numerous companies, including Coca-Cola, EA Sports, Ford, Nabisco, Revlon and 7 Up. His most famous commercial was a 7 Up ad he did with his son, Ray Jr., Roberto Durán and Durán's son Roberto Jr. in the early 1980s.^[73][74]

Leonard is among the most sought-after motivational/inspirational speakers in the world today. His speech, entitled "Power" (Prepare, Overcome and Win Every Round), is consistently booked with major Fortune 500 companies throughout the United States and abroad.^[75]

Leonard has also worked as an actor. He has appeared in numerous television shows, including Half & Half, L.A. Heat, Married With Children, Renegade and Tales From The Crypt. He has also appeared in several movies, including I Spy and most recently The Fighter, starring Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg. This movie brought back memories of his fight with Dicky Eklund.

In 2001, Leonard launched Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing Inc., a boxing promotional company, and announced the company's strategic partnership with ESPN. Together, Leonard and ESPN would produce and promote "Sugar Ray Leonard and ESPN II Presents Friday Night Fights," which would air the first Friday of every month for twelve months.^[76]

Leonard worked as adviser in 2011 robot boxing film Real Steel.

Leonard dissolved the company in 2004. He had a falling out with partner Bjorn Rebney, whom he called "a cancer in my company." He also started a new time-consuming project, the reality boxing show The Contender.

Speaking of his promotional company, Leonard said, "We did some great shows with evenly matched fights. I took great pride in it. But the TV show came about and made my decision a lot easier. I already had it in the back of my mind to dissolve the company. The working environment was not healthy."^[77]

For four seasons, Leonard served as host and mentor to the aspiring fighters on The Contender. Sylvester Stallone, who co-hosted during the first season, was one of the executive producers, along with Mark Burnett. The first season of the television show rewarded the tournament champion $1,000,000 but this reward was reduced to $500,000 in the second season, then increased to $750,000. Some may speculate it was because Sugar Ray could not afford to keep handing out a million dollars.^[78]

Leonard competed on season 12 of Dancing with the Stars, which premiered on Monday, March 21, 2011, on ABC. His partner was Anna Trebunskaya. He was voted off in Week 4 of the show.^[79][80]

During his appearance on The Colbert Report in 2011, Leonard was defeated by host Stephen Colbert in a thumb wrestling contest.^[81]

Personal life[link]

Family[link]

Leonard married his high school sweetheart, Juanita Wilkinson, in January 1980. Their six-year-old son, Ray Jr., served as the ring bearer.^[82] In 1984, they had another son, Jarrel.^[83]

They were divorced in 1990. During divorce proceedings, Juanita Leonard accused her husband of physically abusing her while under the influence of alcohol. She also said he was an occasional cocaine user.

After the Los Angeles Times broke the story, Leonard held a press conference and acknowledged that the accusations were true. He said he started using after he retired in 1982, following surgery to repair a detached retina. "I wanted more," Leonard said. "I wanted that arena. I didn't want anyone to tell me my career had to end."

"I decided to search for a substitute...I resorted to cocaine. I used when I felt bad, I used when I missed competing at that level," he said. "It was a crutch, something that enabled me to forget."

He said he quit using drugs in early 1986, when he woke up one morning and "what I saw in the mirror was scary."

"I can never erase the pain or the scars I have made through my stupidity, my selfishness," Leonard said. "All I can do is say I'm sorry, but that is not enough."^[84]

In 2011, Sugar Ray revealed in an NPR broadcast that he had been free of alcohol since July 2006.

In 1989, Leonard was introduced to Bernadette Robi by Kenny G at a Luther Vandross concert. Robi is the daughter of Paul Robi, one of the original Platters and she is the ex-wife of Lynn Swann.

Leonard and Robi were married at Leonard's $8.7 million estate in Pacific Palisades, California in August 1993. At the wedding ceremony, the grounds were converted into a garden with 10,000 roses and blossoms of other flowers flown in from the Netherlands. They have two children, Camille and Daniel Ray.^[85]

Leonard is also the godfather of Khloe Kardashian and has appeared on many episodes of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

Charity work[link]

For many years, Leonard has been the International Chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk for a Cure and is actively involved in raising both awareness and funds.

Leonard testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs in 2009. The Senate hearing was titled "Type 1 Diabetes Research: Real Progress and Real Hope for a Cure." He testified about the burden of diabetes and the need for continued research funding to find a cure.^[86]

Leonard and his wife, Bernadette, founded the Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and its annual Walk for a Cure. In 2009, the foundation expanded to support programs that help people rebuild their communities in ten cities across the United States. It supports accessible housing, healthcare services, and educational services and job training.^[87]

Molestation[link]

In his autobiography: "The Big Fight: My Life in and out of the Ring," published in June 2011, Leonard reveals that as a young boxer he was the victim of sexual abuse from an Olympic trainer.^[88]

See also[link]

• List of WBC World Champions
• The No Más Fight
• Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns
• List of boxing triple champions‎
• List of boxing quadruple champions
• List of boxing quintuple champions

References[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Sugar Ray Leonard on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Images and media from Commons
	Quotations from Wikiquote

• The Super Fight: Hagler vs Leonard
• Official Site
• The Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation
• Professional boxing record for Sugar Ray Leonard from BoxRec
• Ray Leonard's Amateur Boxing Record
• Sugar Ray Leonard's U.S. Olympic Team Bio

This article is about the band Sugar Ray. For the boxers, see Sugar Ray Leonard or Sugar Ray Robinson or Sugar Ray Seales.

Sugar Ray
Current photo from Sugar Ray's Facebook Fan Page
Background information
Origin	Newport Beach, California, United States
Genres	Alternative rock, pop rock, alternative metal
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Atlantic (1995–2006) Pulse Recordings (2008–present)
Website	www.sugarray.com
Members
Mark McGrath Rodney Sheppard Justin Bivona Jesse Bivona Al Keith
Past members
Murphy Karges Stan Frazier Craig "DJ Homicide" Bullock

Sugar Ray is a band from Orange County, California. The band, starting off more as an alternative metal band, first gained fame in 1997 with their release of the song "Fly". This song's success, coupled with its pop rock sound that was quite different from the rest of their material at the time, led the band into changing into a mainstream, pop music style. Subsequent albums shared this similar style, and the band landed a number of hits with "Every Morning", "Someday", and "When It's Over".

History[link]

[edit] Formation and Lemonade and Brownies (1988–1996)

Prior to Sugar Ray, in the late 1980s, Rodney Sheppard and Stan Frazier had been together in a band under the name The Tories. Later additions Murphy Karges and Mark McGrath changed the band's name to "Shrinky Dinx". After signing with Atlantic Records, the name was changed to Sugar Ray upon threat of lawsuit from the Milton Bradley Company, maker of the Shrinky Dinks toy.^{[citation needed]}

The band's debut album, Lemonade and Brownies, was released in 1995 and though it failed to produce a major hit single it did earn them recognition in alternative circles. Their early work was strongly influenced by funk metal, hip-hop, punk, and alternative rock.^[1] This first album leaned on experimenting with those many influences, combining genres.

After they gained fame with the 1997 album Floored in 1998, the single "Speed Home California" and "Mean Machine" off Lemonade and Brownies was featured in the PlayStation game Road Rash 3D, and its Nintendo 64 counterpart Road Rash 64, respectively.

[edit] Floored (1997–1998)

Sugar Ray's first mainstream hit came in the summer of 1997 with their song "Fly", which was released on the album Floored and featured reggae artist Super Cat. "Fly" was notable for not sounding anything at all like the rest of the tracks on the album and received frequent radio play, resulting in a number one rank on the Billboard's Hot 100 List. As a result of the success of "Fly", Floored sold well and was certified double platinum. However, by the end of 1997, critics were skeptical that Sugar Ray could put out another successful song and labeled them a one-hit wonder.^[1] The same year, Sugar Ray was featured in the movie Father's Day, starring Billy Crystal and Robin Williams. Floored featured a strong nu metal influence and was their last "heavy" album before they moved into a more adult contemporary direction.

[edit] 14:59 (1999–2000)

Their 1999 album 14:59 was the reply to these accusations, with the title implying that their 15 minutes of fame were not quite up — their "fame clock" reading 14:59.^[2] "Every Morning", which received widespread comparisons to "Fly", rose to similar success during the spring of 1999, reaching No. 3 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Their follow-up single "Someday" received extensive airplay later that year as well and reached No. 7 in the U.S. 14:59 outsold its predecessor and was certified triple platinum. Another Billboard hit, "Falls Apart", gained popularity as well.

[edit] Sugar Ray (2001–2002)

In 2000, Sugar Ray did a cover version of John Cale and Brian Eno's "Spinning Away" for the soundtrack to "The Beach". Their 2001 self-titled album Sugar Ray produced another hit with "When It's Over", although it failed to reach the same level of success as their previous singles, still reaching No. 13 in the U.S. Other singles such as "Answer the Phone" and "Under the Sun" gained some popularity as well, despite the inefficiency of a billboard spot.

[edit] In the Pursuit of Leisure (2003–2005)

Sugar Ray's 2003 effort In the Pursuit of Leisure, and the first single from that album, "Mr. Bartender (It's So Easy)", received a lukewarm reception.^{[citation needed]} The album also contained the band's cover of Joe Jackson's famous "Is She Really Going Out With Him?". In 2005, Sugar Ray released a greatest hits album, with three new songs, "Shot of Laughter", "Time After Time", and "Psychedelic Bee".

[edit] Music for Cougars (2006–present)

After releasing their Greatest Hits album, in 2005, the band went into a period of relative inactivity for a number of years, with Mark McGrath starting a new job as an anchor on the television show Extra. In January 2006, Sugar Ray was released from their recording contract with Atlantic Records. An exception to this was during mid 2007, with their inclusion of the previously unreleased song "Into Yesterday" on the Surf's Up movie soundtrack, and a brief tour in Asia in August 2007 where they headlined SingFest, Singapore's first international music festival.

Sugar Ray appeared on the May 18, 2008, season 3 finale of American Dad, titled "Spring Break-Up", as themselves, playing "Fly" at a Spring Break party. They also starred in the first live-action Scooby-Doo movie as themselves performing the song "Words to Me".

An announcement came the next day, on May 19, 2008, that the band would be entering the studio to record their first album of new material since 2003. It was also announced that the band signed a new record deal with Pulse Recordings and that the new album should be released in the summer of 2009.^[3]

On March 6, 2009, Mark McGrath posted an update on Facebook announcing that a new album, titled Music for Cougars, was on the way. It was released on July 21, 2009. The first single was "Boardwalk".^[4]

On August 22, 2010, Sugar Ray's Twitter page announced that Craig "DJ Homicide" Bullock has left the band.^[5]

Sugar Ray released on their blog a song called "Down With Whatever" that was previously unreleased.^{[citation needed]} Also on their blog, they make mention of new music before planning another tour.^{[citation needed]}

As of April 2012, Murphy Karges and Stan Frazier are no longer in Sugar Ray, and have been replaced by bassist Justin Bivona and drummer Jesse Bivona, respectively. Al Keith has also joined as percussionist, making Sugar Ray a 5-piece band once again.

Band members[link]

Current members

• Mark McGrath – lead vocals, guitar (1992–present)
• Rodney Sheppard – lead guitar, backing vocals (1988–present)
• Justin Bivona – bass guitar, backing vocals (2012–present)
• Jesse Bivona – drums, backing vocals (2012–present)
• Al Keith – percussion, vibes (2012–present)

Former members

• Murphy Karges – bass guitar, backing vocals (1990–2012)
• Stan Frazier – drums, percussion, guitar, backing vocals (1988–2012)
• Craig "DJ Homicide" Bullock – turntables, programming, scratches, keyboards, backing vocals (1997–2010)

Session musicians

• David Kahne – keyboards, programming on Floored (1997); 14:59 (1999); Sugar Ray (2001); In the Pursuit of Leisure (2003)
• Super Cat – vocals on "Fly" from Floored (1997)
• KRS-One – vocals on "Live & Direct" from 14:59 (1999)
• Nick Hexum – vocals on "Stay On" from Sugar Ray (2001)
• Esthero – vocals on "Heaven" from In the Pursuit of Leisure (2003)
• ProHoeZak – vocals on "Mr. Bartender (It's So Easy)" from In the Pursuit of Leisure (2003)
• Shaggy – vocals on "56 Hope Road" from In the Pursuit of Leisure (2003)
• Collie Buddz – vocals on "Girls Were Made to Love" from Music for Cougars (2009)
• Rivers Cuomo – vocals on "Love Is the Answer" from Music for Cougars (2009)
• Donavon Frankenreiter – vocals on "Dance Like No One's Watchin'" from Music for Cougars (2009)

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Lemonade and Brownies (1995)
• Floored (1997)
• 14:59 (1999)
• Sugar Ray (2001)
• In the Pursuit of Leisure (2003)
• Music for Cougars (2009)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Sugar Ray official site
• Press release for 'The Best of Sugar Ray'

Marvelous Marvin Hagler (born Marvin Nathaniel Hagler in Newark, New Jersey, May 23, 1954)^[1] is a retired American professional boxer who was Undisputed World Middleweight Champion from 1980 to 1987. Hagler made twelve undisputed title defenses and holds the highest KO% of all middleweight champions at 78%. At six years and seven months, his reign as undisputed middleweight champion is the second longest of the last century, behind only Tony Zale (although Zale was inactive for 4 years due to World War II). In 1982, annoyed that network announcers often did not refer to him by his nickname, "Marvelous," Hagler legally changed his name to Marvelous Marvin Hagler."^[2]

Hagler is an inductee of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame. He was named Fighter of the Decade (1980s) by Boxing Illustrated and twice named Fighter of the Year by Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America. In 2001 and 2004 the Ring named him the 4th greatest middleweight of all time^[3] and in 2002 named him the 17th-greatest fighter of the past 80 years. The International Boxing Research Organisation (IBRO) rates Hagler as the sixth-greatest middleweight of all time.^[4] Boxrec rates Hagler the fifth-best middleweight of all time.^[5] Many analysts and boxing writers consider Hagler to have one of the best "chins" in boxing history.^[6]

Early life and amateur career[link]

Hagler was raised by his mother in Newark, New Jersey's Central Ward. During the summer of 1967, the Newark Riots occurred July 12–17. Twenty-six people were killed and $11 million in property damage was caused by the disorder, which included the destruction of the Hagler family's tenement. Following the riots, the Haglers moved to Brockton, Massachusetts where Hagler soon began boxing training at the Petronelli brothers' gym in 1969. In 1973, Hagler became the National AAU 165-pound champion after defeating Atlanta's Terry Dobbs.

Professional career[link]

Early career[link]

Hagler was a # 1 ranked middleweight boxer for many years before he could fight for the title. Hagler struggled to find high profile opponents willing to face him in his early years. Joe Frazier told Hagler, 'You have three strikes against you, "You're black, you're a southpaw, and you're good.'^[7] He often had to travel to his opponents' hometowns to get fights. His first break came when he was offered --on 2 weeks' notice-- a chance against Willie 'the Worm' Monroe, who was being trained by Joe Frazier. Hagler lost the decision but the fight was close enough that Monroe gave him a rematch. This time Hagler knocked out Monroe in 12 rounds. In a third fight, he stopped Monroe in 2. Boston promoter Rip Valenti took an interest in Hagler and began bringing in top ranked opponents for Marvin to face. He fought 1972 Olympics gold medalist Sugar Ray Seales; Hagler won the first time, the second was a draw and Hagler knocked out Seales in the third fight. Number 1 ranked Mike Colbert was knocked out in the twelfth and also had his jaw broken by Hagler. Briton Kevin Finnegan was stopped in 8. Afterwards Finnegan required 40 stitches in his face.^[8] He dropped a controversial decision to Bobby 'Boogaloo' Watts, but knocked out Watts in 2 rounds in a rematch. Hagler won a ten-round decision over 'Bad' Bennie Briscoe. By then, promoter Bob Arum took notice and signed him.

First title shot[link]

In November 1979, Hagler fought World Middleweight Champion Vito Antuofermo at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. After fifteen rounds, most thought that Hagler had won. Referee Mills Lane directed Hagler to turn and face the television cameras. "Congratulations," he said. "Now stay facing this way until they announce the decision and I raise your arm." Hagler and many others were surprised when the decision was announced as a draw and Antuofermo retained his title. This only added to Hagler's frustrations.^[9]

World Champion[link]

Antuofermo lost his title later to Alan Minter, who gave Hagler his second title shot. Hagler went to Wembley Arena to face Minter. The tense atmosphere was stoked further when Minter was quoted as saying that "No black man is going to take my title"^[10] -- Minter would later insist he meant "that black man".^[11] Hagler took command and his slashing punches soon opened up the cut prone Minter. The referee halted the contest after 3 rounds. After 7 years and 50 fights, Hagler was now World Middleweight Champion. At the conclusion of this bout a riot broke out and Hagler and his trainers had to be carried away to their locker rooms by the police, in the middle of a rain of beer bottles and glasses.

Hagler proved a busy world champion. He defeated future world champion Fulgencio Obelmejias of Venezuela by a knockout in eight rounds and then former world champ Antuofermo in a rematch by TKO in four rounds. Both matches were fought at the Boston Garden near Hagler's hometown, endearing him to Boston fight fans. Syrian born Mustafa Hamsho, who won his shot in an eliminator with Wilfredo Benitez and would later defeat future world champion Bobby Czyz, became Hagler's next challenger, put up a lot of resistance but was finally beaten in 11 tough rounds. Michigan fighter William "Caveman" Lee lasted only one round, and in a rematch in Italy, Obelmejias lasted five rounds. British Champion (and mutual Alan Minter conqueror) Tony Sibson followed in Hagler's ever-growing list of unsuccessful challengers. Sibson provided one of the most entertaining (to this point) fights of Marvelous Marvin's career, but he ultimately fell short, lasting six rounds. Next, came Wilford Scypion, who only lasted four. By then, Hagler was a staple on HBO, the Pay Per View of its time.

Marvin Hagler vs Roberto Durán[link]

A fight against Roberto Durán followed. Durán was the first challenger to last the distance with Hagler in a world-championship bout. Durán was the WBA Light Middleweight Champion and went up in weight to challenge for Hagler's middleweight crown. Hagler won a unanimous 15-round decision, although after 12 rounds two of the judges had Durán ahead in a tough contest. Hagler fought tenaciously over the final three rounds to earn a unanimous decision.

More defenses[link]

Then came Juan Roldán of Argentina, who became the only man to be credited with a knockdown of Hagler, scoring one knockdown seconds into the fight. Hagler protested bitterly that he had been pulled/pushed to the canvas and HBO replay clearly showed that he had indeed been pulled down. Hagler took his revenge though, brutalizing Roldan over ten rounds and stopping him in the middle of round ten. Sugar Ray Leonard was calling the fight ringside with HBO analyst Barry Tompkins. He noted to Tompkins between rounds that Hagler looked older and slower. "Marvin might finally be slowing down, Barry" Leonard remarked. Many people believe this is the fight that gave Sugar Ray Leonard the idea that he could actually win a fight with the aging Hagler. Hamsho was given a rematch, but the Syrian was again TKO'd, this time in only three rounds. Hamsho angered Hagler with a trio of intentional headbutts in the second round and a fourth early in the third, goading the normally patient and cautious Hagler into a full-out attack that left Hamsho battered and defensless in a matter of seconds.

The War[link]

On April 15, 1985, Hagler and Thomas Hearns met in what was billed as The Fight; later it would become known as "The War." Hagler, despite a cut to the head and being covered in blood, managed to overpower Hearns in the third round after a glancing right hand followed by two more rights and a left, scoring a decisive knockout. The first round of Hagler v Hearns is one of the best three minutes in boxing in middleweight history as the two fighters stood toe-to-toe trading blows. Rounds two and three cannot live up to the first, as Hearns broke his hand in the first round, but are still very competitive. The fight only lasted eight minutes but it is rightly regarded as a classic and is considered to this day to be Hagler's greatest achievement.

Hagler vs Mugabi[link]

Next was Olympic silver medalist John Mugabi of Uganda, who was 26-0 with 26 knockouts and was ranked the number one contender by all three major bodies. The fight was fought on March 10, 1986 as Hagler had hurt his back and could not fight on the first date booked in 1985. Hagler stopped Mugabi in the 11th round of a brutal fight. Many ringside observers, including analyst Gil Clancy, noticed that Hagler was showing signs of advanced ring wear and age. He was much slower of hand and foot and seemed much easier to hit. He had also completely morphed his ring style from a slick, quick-fisted, boxer/puncher to a strictly flat-footed, stalking, slugger to compensate for his loss of speed and reflexes. Hagler was now said to be seriously considering retirement.^[12] Hagler's promoter Bob Arum was quoted as saying he was expecting Hagler to retire in the face of being challenged by Sugar Ray Leonard.

Marvin Hagler vs Sugar Ray Leonard[link]

The Fight[link]

Hagler's next challenger was Sugar Ray Leonard, who was returning to the ring after a three-year retirement. During the pre-fight negotiations, in return for granting Hagler a larger share of the purse Leonard obtained several conditions which would be crucial to his strategy; a large ring (24x24ft), 12oz gloves and the fight was to be over 12 - not 15 - rounds. Leonard was 2 years younger, had half as many fights, and unbeknown to Hagler had engaged in several 'real' fights behind closed doors (i.e. gloves, rounds, a referee, judges and no head gear) in order to shake off his ring rust. The fight took place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on April 6, 1987. Hagler was the betting favorite.

Hagler, a natural southpaw, opened the fight boxing out of an orthodox stance. After the quick and slick Leonard won the first two rounds on all three scorecards, Hagler started the third round as a southpaw. Hagler did better, though Leonard's superior speed and boxing skill kept him in the fight. But by the fifth, Leonard, who was moving a lot, began to tire and Hagler started to get closer. As he tired Leonard began to clinch with more frequency (in total referee Richard Steele gave him over 30 warnings for holding, although never deducted a point). Hagler buckled Leonard's knees with a right uppercut near the end of the round, which finished with Leonard on the ropes. Hagler continued to score effectively in round six. Leonard, having slowed down, was obliged to fight more and run less. In rounds seven and eight, Hagler's southpaw jab was landing solidly and Leonard's counter flurries were less frequent. Round nine was the most exciting round of the fight. Hagler hurt Leonard with a left cross and pinned him in a corner. Leonard was in trouble, then furiously tried to fight his way out of the corner. The action see-sawed back and forth for the rest of the round, with each man having his moments. Round ten was tame by comparison, as the pace slowed after the furious action of the previous round. Clearly tiring, Leonard boxed well in the eleventh. Every time Hagler scored, Leonard came back with something flashier, if not as effective. In the final round, Hagler continued to chase Leonard. He hit Leonard with a big left hand and backed him into a corner. Leonard responded with a flurry and danced away with Hagler in pursuit. The fight ended with Hagler and Leonard exchanging along the ropes. Hagler began dancing in celebration of his performance while Leonard alternately collapsed to the canvas and raised both his arms in triumph.^[13] Leonard threw 629 punches and landed 306, while Hagler threw 792 and landed 291.^[14]

Leonard was announced as winner by split decision, which remains hotly disputed to this day.

Reaction[link]

Official ringside judge JoJo Guerra, whose 118-110 scorecard was derided in many quarters, commented that:

Judge Dave Moretti, who scored it 115-113 for Leonard:

Lou Filippo, who scored it 115-113 for Hagler and felt that Hagler's bodyshots and aggression earned him the nod, said:

Hugh McIlvanney, commenting in the British Sunday Times and Sports Illustrated:

McIlvanny also referred to Budd Schulberg's contention about a 'compound optical illusion', namely that simply being more competitive than expected meant that Leonard appeared more effective and to be doing more than he actually was.^[19] Harry Gibbs, the British judge who ironically had been rejected by the Hagler camp, said he also scored it for Hagler.

Jim Murray, long-time sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times felt that Leonard deservedly got the decision, arguing that Leonard landed more punches and showed better defense and ring generalship, and writing:

The scorecards from the ringside press attest to the closeness of the fight (6-5, 3 drawn) more pundits awarded the fight to Leonard rather than to Hagler, although counting those who scored it even, more felt Hagler deserved to keep his title than didn't:

Rematch[link]

Hagler requested a rematch but Leonard chose to retire again (the third of five high profile retirements announced by Leonard), having said he would do so beforehand.^[21] Leonard vacated his middleweight champions title at his immediate post-fight press conference.^{[22][22][23][23]} Hagler himself retired from boxing in June 1988, declaring that he was "tired of waiting" for Leonard to grant him a rematch.^[24] In 1990 Leonard finally offered him a rematch which reportedly would have earned him $15m, but he declined. By then he had settled down to a new life as an actor in Italy and was now uninterested in boxing.^[25][26] He said "A while ago, yeah, I wanted him so bad, but I'm over that.^[25]

Training style[link]

Hagler had a unique training regimen in which he would hole up on Cape Cod in motels that had closed for the winter. For his "road work" he would take to the pavement in army boots, declaring running shoes "sissy shoes." He would run much of his route backwards to prepare for movements in the boxing ring.

Awards and recognition[link]

• Named Fighter of the Decade (1980s) by Boxing Illustrated
• Named Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year for 1983 and 1985.
• Named Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year for 1983 and 1985.
• Inducted into both the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993.

Career after boxing[link]

After the loss to Leonard, Hagler moved to Italy, where he became a well-known star of action films. His roles include a US Marine in the films Indio and Indio 2. Other notable films starring Hagler include Brutal Bonanza, Geno's Plan and Lethal Lunch Date. In 1995, he starred alongside Giselle Blondet in the low-budget thriller Black Market Wedding. Hagler does boxing commentary for British television. Another foray into the entertainment field includes work in the video game Fight Night: Round 3.

Former middleweight southpaw boxer Robbie Sims is Hagler's half brother. Hagler has five children with his first wife, Bertha, including Charelle, Celeste, James, Marvin, Jr., and Gentry.^[27] Although he owns a home in Bartlett, New Hampshire, Hagler currently lives in Milan.^[28] In May 2000, he married his second wife Kay, an Italian woman, in Pioltello, Italy.^[29]

Professional boxing record[link]

62 Wins (52 knockouts, 9 decisions, 1 disqualification), 3 Losses, 2 Draws[30]
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Rd., Time	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	62-3-2	Sugar Ray Leonard	SD	12	1987-04-06	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Lost WBC & The Ring Middleweight titles. The Ring magazine's "Fight of the Year" (1987)
Win	62-2-2	John Mugabi	KO	11 (12), 1:29	1986-03-10	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC, WBA, IBF & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	61-2-2	Thomas Hearns	TKO	3 (12), 1:52	1985-04-15	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC, WBA, IBF & The Ring Middleweight titles. The Ring magazine's "Fight of the Year" (1985)
Win	60-2-2	Mustafa Hamsho	TKO	3 (15), 2:31	1984-10-19	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York	Retained WBC, WBA, IBF & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	59-2-2	Juan Roldán	TKO	10 (12), 0:39	1984-03-30	The Riviera Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC, WBA, IBF & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	58-2-2	Roberto Durán	UD	15	1983-11-10	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC, WBA, IBF & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	57-2-2	Wilford Scypion	KO	4 (15), 2:47	1983-05-27	Providence Civic Center, Providence, Rhode Island	Retained The Ring & won vacant IBF Middleweight titles.
Win	56-2-2	Tony Sibson	TKO	6 (15), 2:40	1983-02-11	Centrum, Worcester, Massachusetts	Retained WBC, WBA & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	55-2-2	Fulgencio Obelmejias	TKO	5 (15), 2:35	1982-10-30	Teatro Ariston, San Remo, Liguria	Retained WBC, WBA & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	54-2-2	William Lee	TKO	1 (15), 1:07	1982-03-07	Bally's Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey	Retained WBC, WBA & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	54-2-2	Mustafa Hamsho	TKO	11 (15), 2:09	1981-10-03	Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois	Retained WBC, WBA & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	53-2-2	Vito Antuofermo	RTD	4 (15)	1981-06-13	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts	Retained WBC, WBA & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	52-2-2	Fulgencio Obelmejias	TKO	8 (15), 0:20	1981-01-17	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts	Retained WBC, WBA & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	51-2-2	Alan Minter	TKO	3 (15), 1:45	1980-09-27	Wembley Arena, Wembley, London	Won WBC, WBA & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	50-2-2	Marcos Geraldo	UD	10	1980-05-17	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	49-2-2	Bobby Watts	TKO	2 (10)	1980-04-19	Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, Maine
Win	48-2-2	Loucif Hamani	KO	2 (10), 1:42	1980-02-16	Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, Maine
Draw	47-2-2	Vito Antuofermo	PTS	15	1979-11-30	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	For WBC, WBA & The Ring Middleweight titles.
Win	46-2-1	Norberto Rufino Cabrera	RTD	8 (10)	1979-06-30	Esplanade de Fontvieille, Monte Carlo
Win	45-2-1	Jamie Thomas	TKO	3 (10)	1979-05-26	Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, Maine
Win	44-2-1	Bob Patterson	TKO	3 (10)	1979-03-12	Providence Civic Center, Providence, Rhode Island
Win	43-2-1	Sugar Ray Seales	TKO	1 (10), 1:26	1979-02-03	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	42-2-1	Willie Warren	TKO	7 (10)	1978-11-11	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	41-2-1	Bennie Briscoe	UD	10	1978-08-24	The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win	40-2-1	Kevin Finnegan	TKO	7 (10)	1978-05-13	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	39-2-1	Doug Demmings	TKO	8 (10)	1978-04-07	Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Win	38-2-1	Kevin Finnegan	TKO	9 (10)	1978-03-04	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	37-2-1	Mike Colbert	TKO	12 (15)	1977-11-26	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts	Won vacant Massachusetts Middleweight title.
Win	36-2-1	Jim Henry	UD	10)	1977-10-15	Marvel Gymnasium, Providence, Rhode Island
Win	35-2-1	Ray Phillips	TKO	7 (10), 1:11)	1977-09-24	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	34-2-1	Willie Monroe	TKO	2 (10), 1:46)	1977-08-23	The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Won vacant North American Middleweight title.
Win	33-2-1	Roy Jones	TKO	3 (10), 2:10)	1977-06-10	Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut
Win	32-2-1	Reggie Ford	KO	3 (10), 2:14)	1977-03-16	Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	31-2-1	Willie Monroe	TKO	12 (12), 1:20)	1977-02-15	Hynes Auditorium, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	30-2-1	George Davis	TKO	6 (10), 2:56)	1976-12-21	Hynes Auditorium, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	29-2-1	Eugene Hart	RTD	8 (10)	1976-09-14	The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win	28-2-1	DC Walker	TKO	6 (10)	1976-08-03	Arena, North Providence, Rhode Island
Win	27-2-1	Bob Smith	TKO	5 (10), 2:05	1976-06-02	Roseland Ballroom, Taunton, Massachusetts
Loss	26-2-1	Willie Monroe	UD	10	1976-03-09	The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win	26-1-1	Matt Donovan	TKO	2 (10), 2:40	1976-02-07	Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Loss	25-1-1	Bobby Watts	MD	10	1976-01-13	The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win	25-0-1	Johnny Baldwin	UD	10	1975-12-20	Hynes Auditorium, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	24-0-1	Lamont Lovelady	TKO	7 (10)	1975-09-30	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	23-0-1	Jesse Bender	KO	1 (10), 1:38	1975-08-07	Exposition Building, Portland, Maine
Win	22-0-1	Jimmy Owens	DQ	6 (10)	1975-05-24	Brockton High School Gymnasium, Brockton, Massachusetts
Win	21-0-1	Jimmy Owens	SD	10	1975-04-14	Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	20-0-1	Joey Blair	KO	2 (10), 2:22	1975-03-31	Harvard Club of Boston, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	19-0-1	Dornell Wigfall	KO	6 (10), 1:25	1975-02-15	Brockton High School Gymnasium, Brockton, Massachusetts
Win	18-0-1	DC Walker	TKO	2 (10)	1974-12-20	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Draw	17-0-1	Sugar Ray Seales	PTS	10	1974-11-26	Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington
Win	17–0	George Green	KO	1 (10), 0:30	1974-11-16	Brockton, Massachusetts
Win	16–0	Morris Jordan	TKO	4 (10), 2:20	1974-10-29	Brockton High School Gymnasium, Brockton, Massachusetts
Win	15–0	Sugar Ray Seales	UD	10	1974-08-30	WNAC-TV Studio, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	14–0	Peachy Davis	KO	1 (10), 1:00	1974-08-13	Sargent Field, New Bedford, Massachusetts
Win	13–0	Bobby Williams	TKO	3 (10)	1974-07-16	Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	12–0	Curtis Phillips	TKO	5 (10)	1974-05-30	Exposition Building, Portland, Maine
Win	11–0	James Redford	TKO	2 (10)	1974-05-04	Brockton High School Gymnasium, Brockton, Massachusetts
Win	10–0	Tracy Morrison	TKO	8 (10)	1974-04-05	WNAC-TV Studio, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	9–0	Bob Harrington	KO	5 (10)	1974-02-05	Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	8–0	James Redford	KO	4 (8)	1973-12-18	Boston, Massachusetts
Win	7–0	Manny Freitas	TKO	1 (8), 1:33	1973-12-06	Exposition Building, Portland, Maine
Win	6–0	Cocoa Kid	KO	2 (8)	1973-11-17	Brockton, Massachusetts
Win	5–0	Cove Green	TKO	4 (8)	1973-10-26	Brockton High School Gymnasium, Brockton, Massachusetts
Win	4–0	Dornell Wigfall	PTS	8	1973-10-06	Brockton High School Gymnasium, Brockton, Massachusetts
Win	3–0	Muhammed Smith	KO	2 (6)	1973-08-08	Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	2–0	Sonny Williams	UD	6	1973-07-25	Boston Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Win	1–0	Terry Ryan	KO	2 (4)	1973-05-18	Brockton High School Gymnasium, Brockton, Massachusetts	Professional Debut