After his huge win over Thomas Hearns on September 16, 1981, Sugar Ray Leonard planned his first title defense for February 15, 1982 at the Centennial Coliseum in Reno, Nevada. His opponent was Bruce Finch, the 5th ranked welterweight contender from Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a record of 28-3-2, with 24 knockouts. Since it was being shown on HBO, there was no way in the world I was going to be able to see it live, and would have to settle for newspaper clippings the next day in the sports pages.
Of course I’ve seen the bout a bunch of times on tape, and Ray had no problems with his overmatched foe. Leonard dropped him twice in the second round, before knocking him down and out for good in the third. Leonard was the face of boxing in 1982, and I just hoped that when he fought again, I could see it live.
I was going to get my wish, because Ray’s next fight was to be against Roger Stafford in Buffalo on May 14th live on ABC Sports. Since the local Philadelphia airline I worked for flew to Buffalo, I made plans to fly stand-by on Thursday May 6th, and go see Ray train at the hotel in Buffalo he was training at. As my flight got ready to land in Buffalo, I was filled with excitement at the idea of seeing my favorite boxer in person.
After renting a car, I made my way to the Hilton Hilton where he was training, and went to the ballroom converted into a boxing gym to see his workout. I had to wear a suit since I was flying stand-by, and I vividly remember how hot the ballroom was. Dealing with heat was worth seeing Leonard, and he looked better in person than I could have expected. He was quick and muscular as he sparred for a few rounds, but suddenly everything changed. He climbed through the ropes, left the room and never said a word. His camp walked right behind him, leaving me wondering what had just happened.
I found out the next day that Ray had been having problems with his eye, and had been diagnosed with a detached retina. An emergency surgery was planned for the following Monday, leaving his boxing future uncertain at best. It explained everything, and made me realize I may had seen Ray’s last round in the ring ever.
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