Sugar Ray Leonard Biography
A native of Wilmington, North Carolina, Sugar Ray Leonard (Ray Charles) is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor.
Sugar Ray Leonard Age
Leonard was born on May 17, 1956, in Wilmington, North Carolina, U.S. He is 65 years old as of 2021.
Sugar Ray Leonard Height
Leonard stands at a height of 1.79 m.
Sugar Ray Leonard Family
Leonard was born to his parents Cicero a nurse and Getha Leonard a supermarket night manager. He is the fifth of seven children of his parents and was named after his mother’s favorite singer Ray Charles. At age three, his family moved to Washington, D.C., and later settled permanently in Palmer Park, Maryland.
Sugar Ray Leonard Wife
Leonard was first married to his high school sweetheart, Juanita Wilkinson from January 1980 to 1990 when they divorced. They have two sons Ray Jr. and Jarrell.
In August 1993, he married Bernadette Robi the daughter of Paul Robi, one of the original Platters, and the ex-wife of Lynn Swann. The couple also has two children.
Sugar Ray Leonard Education
Leonard schooled at Parkdale High School.
Sugar Ray Leonard Career
In 1969, Leonard began boxing at the Palmer Park Recreation Center. He won the National Golden Gloves Championship and the National AAU Light Welterweight Championship in 1974. Also, in 1976, he was selected for the United States Olympic Team as a light welterweight.
Many people consider the 1976 Olympic boxing team to be the best in Olympic history. Leonard was given the nickname Sugar Ray after Sugar Ray Robinson, widely regarded as the greatest boxer of all time. He won all four of his Olympic bouts by 5-0 scores. In 1974, he lost his last two amateur matches to Anatoli Kamenev and Randy Shields.
Leonard faced the great Cuban knockout artist Andrés Aldama in the final, who had knocked out five opponents in a row to reach the final. In the first round, Leonard landed some strong left hooks. With a left to the chin, he lowered Aldama. He won the Olympic Gold Medal with a 5-0 decision and had a 165–5 record and 75 knockouts at the end of his amateur career.
In February 1977, Leonard became a professional. Muhammad Ali’s assistant, Angelo Dundee, was hired as Leonard’s trainer and boss. For his services, Dundee will receive 15% of Leonard’s earnings. He captured the NABF Welterweight Championship in August 1979.
Retirement and return
Leonard defended his unified title against Bruce Finch, the WBC fourth-ranked challenger, in about in Reno, Nevada on February 15, 1982. In the third round, Leonard knocked him out. On May 14, 1982, he was scheduled to face Roger Stafford in his next fight.
He declared his retirement in November 1982 after undergoing surgery to patch a detached retina. Leonard declared his return to the ring in December 1983. After minor surgery on his right eye, his bout with Philadelphia’s Kevin Howard was rescheduled for February 1984.
Sugar Ray Leonard Net Worth
Leonard has an estimated net worth of $120 million.