Sugar Ray Leonard.

Sugar Ray Leonard. Sugar Ray Leonard, born in 1956, American professional boxer, winner of boxing titles in various weight categories, who was one of the most successful and popular boxers of the 1980s. Born Ray Charles Leonard in Wilmington, North Carolina, Leonard had an outstanding amateur career of 145 wins and 5 losses that included a Golden Gloves championship and the light welterweight gold medal at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montréal, Québec, Canada. He planned to retire from boxing after the Olympics, but family-related financial needs led him to turn professional. He fought his first professional bout in 1977. Leonard won the World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight title in 1979 but lost it the following year to Roberto Duran. Later in 1980, Leonard regained the title in a rematch when Duran pulled out after the eighth round. In 1981 Leonard took the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title from Thomas Hearns by knockout and also became the WBA junior middleweight champion. He retired in 1982 because of a detached retina, but returned to boxing in 1984. In 1987 Leonard won the middleweight title, and in 1988 the WBC super middleweight and light heavyweight titles, making him the first boxer to win titles in five different categories. Leonard took a six-year break from the ring after his 1991 loss to Terry Norris. He returned to boxing in 1997, but after losing to Hector Camacho, he retired for the final time. Leonard was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997 with a career record of 36 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.