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The year 1981 began with Sugar Ray Leonard enjoying his reign as WBC welterweight champion of the world. His first challenger to his crown was an unheralded trash man from Denver, Colorado named Larry Bonds. Most champions usually schedule an easy title defense after a few big and difficult fights, and Ray was no exception. […]

Mention the name Spinks in the year 1980 and the name that came to mind was Michael, the younger brother of the brief heavyweight champion Leon.  Michael had also been an Olympic gold medalist in Montreal in 1976, but had no desire to turn professional. However when working as a janitor in his native St.

Immediately after quitting against Leonard, Duran came up with an excuse that he quit because he had stomach cramps. I knew it was nonsense and that a real champion doesn’t ever quit. It was not fair to Sugar Ray, since the press was reporting Duran’s claims as if they were factual. Ray wasn’t really the

The action from the rematch at the Superdome in New Orleans, began with both fighters entering the ring at the same time. I was admittedly nervous as round 1 began. True to his word, Ray began boxing Duran from the opening bell. Duran was constantly moving forward aggressively, but Leonard was not allowing himself to

For the November 25, 1980 rematch, I went to the cavernous Atlantic City Convention Hall to watch the closed circuit broadcast of the fight. I had paid $20 for my ticket to their fight in June, but the price had been jacked to $35. I didn’t care because I was more than excited to see

After the loss to Duran, Sugar Ray and his wife Juanita took a vacation to Hawaii to relax after the tough fight. It was Ray’s first loss as a professional, and the pounding he took and the sting of losing to someone he disliked so much hurt. Leonard admitted that after a few days in

The year of 1980 began with Muhammad Ali talking comeback and with Sugar Ray Leonard the newly crowned WBC welterweight champion of the world. Ali had been the face of boxing for more than 15 years, and was probably the most famous person on the planet. His good looks and gift of gab made him

I went to Dallas, Texas for a month in June of 1980 for a residence airline training program I was in. That same month, Sugar Ray Leonard was set to fight Roberto Duran at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada on Friday June 20th. Since I didn’t have a credit card and couldn’t rent a car,

Thomas Hearns was the other up and coming welterweight on the scene in 1980. The 6 foot 1 inch fighter from Detroit had been managed by Emanuel Steward, and fought out of the Kronk Gym. Thomas could box and was very successful doing that as an amateur, but as a professional most of his fights

After his TKO win in November of 1979 over Wildredo Benitez, Sugar Ray Leonard was in the public eye more and more. With Ali talking of retirement but long past prime, the good looking talented welterweight from Palmer Park, Maryland fit the role of boxing`s new face perfectly Leonard’s next opponent was Davey Boy Green