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Sugar Ray Leonard
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pencil on paper
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21cm x 30cm
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unframed
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For Sale £15 original sketch plus print (£4 print only) incl. UK P&P
Named the Fighter of the Decade in the 1980’s and widely considered to be one of the best boxers of all time, Sugar Ray Leonard won world titles at multiple weights. Like Ali he too won Olympic gold, like Ali he trained under Angelo Dundee and like Ali he was noted for his fast hands.
He won his first World Title at Welterweight in 1979 but was beaten by ‘Hands of Stone’ Roberto Duran in 1980, however, in November the same year, he won it back controversially, when Duran quit with the words ‘I can’t continue’ … not ‘no more’ as has been (mis) quoted.
Taking his second World Title, this time at Junior Middleweight in 1981, and later that year, despite a serious eye injury, narrowly beat Thomas ‘The Hitman’ Hearns to unify the Welterweight Title. Although he maintained his eye injury was healed, he retired from Boxing in 1982 and entered a difficult period in his life, apparently involved with (recreational) drugs for a while. Missing the limelight he got himself together and returned to the ring in 1984. Although he was beaten (and retired again), in 1987 he returned to fight ‘Marvellous’ Marvin Hagler for the World Middleweight Championship in Las Vegas and despite Hagler being the heavy favourite, Ray won on a split decision, albeit controversially.
In 1988 he won two titles in one fight, the newly created Super Middleweight and Lightweight Championship by beating Don LaLonde. The following year he fought Hearns again, despite Leonard having been knocked down twice, again controversially, a draw was given, so he retained his titles. Later that year he fought Duran for a third time, although Leonard took the fight by a unanimous decision both fighters were booed from the ring.
Beaten in 1991, he retired once again, only to make a comeback in 1997, aged 40 against Hector Comacho. Perhaps he courted the limelight again but years past his prime; Leonard was soundly beaten sadly looking every bit his age. Prophetically one quote attributed to him, ‘A fighter never knows when it’s the last bell. He doesn’t want to face that’.
Another quote, ‘My ambition is not just to be a good fighter. I want to be great, something special’ …. Let the record, my recollection and that of millions of other show, he certainly was very special.