Sugar Ray Leonard Biography

Ray Charles Leonard, born on May 17, 1956, is an American former professional boxer known as Sugar Ray Leonard. He competed professionally from 1976 to 1997, winning world titles in five weight classes and the undisputed welterweight championship. As an amateur, he earned a light welterweight gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. Sugar Ray Leonard became the first boxer to surpass $100 million in fight earnings and received the title Boxer of the Decade for the 1980s. The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 1979 and 1981, while the Boxing Writers Association of America honored him in 1976, 1979, and 1981. In 1973, he won the National Golden Gloves Lightweight Championship but lost in the US National Championships final. In 1975, he captured the US National Championships at light welterweight and the Light Welterweight Championship at the Pan American Games.