Former professional boxer Sugar Ray Leonard has a name like no other in the ring, and many people consider him one of the best boxers of his generation, who only had to accept 3 defeats in a career in which he fought 40 times in the ring. He has also made a name for himself as a motivational speaker, while at the same time he is also a bit of an actor.
Sugar Ray Leonard Bio
The boxer was born on May 17, 1956, as Ray Charles Leonard in Wilmington, North Carolina. He was raised together with his 6 siblings by their parents, Cicero Leonard and Getha Leonard, and grew up in a family where boxing was in their blood. Both he and his brother took it as a profession, their father was also a boxer, but he did not do it for too long, and only after Sugar started fighting did he know that his father was a boxer at a young age.
The very quiet, soft-talking, and shy boy went to Parkdale High School. In 1969 he had started to learn boxing, following in the footsteps of his older brother. Only 3 years later he fought for featherweight in the National AAU Tournament but lost in the quarter-finals.
When he finished his amateur career, the man who would later become a legendary boxer had a record 145 wins and only 5 defeats.
Sugar Ray Leonard fought professionally until 1988 when he retired in 1988. Nevertheless, he would return to the ring to fight until 1997. Before his last two fights, which he lost, he only recorded one draw, one defeat, and 36 wins. In his career, he defeated people like Floyd Mayweather Sr., Wilfred Benítez, Dave Boy Green, and Thomas Hearns. He only lost to Héctor Camacho, Terry Norris, and Roberto Durán, whom he beat again afterward.
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Thirty-five of his victories were by knockout, eleven by decision, while one was a draw. On the same line, he lost only once by knockout and twice by decision.
Throughout his career, Leonard won the NABF welterweight title as well as the titles in the WBC, The Ring, and lineal welterweight, which he was to win again after losing to Roberto Durán. There were also the super-middleweight WBC title and the super-middleweight WBO title, which he won, and two men’s amateur boxing titles at the 1975 Pan American Games and the 1976 Olympics.
Sugar Ray Leonard’s Family – Wife, Daughter, and Sons
As already mentioned, Sugar comes from a large family and has 6 other siblings, himself being the fifth child. His siblings include Roger Leonard, who is also a professional boxer, Benny Leonard, Sandy Leonard, and Sharon Leonard.
Looking at his relationships, the boxer has had his fair share of relationships, even if he is not one of those of whom one can say that he has dated many women in the past. The first woman he married was Juanita Wilkinson, with whom he had been dating since both were in high school.
His relationship with Juanita Wilkinson was not without problems like many others, but they survived until they married in 1980 at the age of 23. Before that, they had a son when they were only 16 years old.
Until 1990, the couple had been separated for two years and were in the process of finalizing a divorce, which was peppered with allegations of assault and adultery against the boxer. When the divorce was finalized, their second son Jerrel was 7 years old, while their first son Ray jr. was 17 years old.
Bernadette Robi was the next woman to marry Sugar Ray in 1993. Bernadette was a Sports Illustrated model before she met and married the legendary boxer after being introduced by Kenny G at a Luther Vandross concert. They have remained very close ever since.
Apart from his two sons with Juanita Wilkinson, Sugar Ray Leonard also has a daughter, Camille Leonard, and a son, Daniel Ray Leonard.
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Height and Weight
As the legendary boxer that he is, it is among other things his physique that gave him an advantage in this very physical game. He has a very athletic physique, even though he may not be the biggest man in many rings, nor is he the biggest. Nevertheless, boxing is not necessarily a game of the biggest and the greatest.
In numbers, he stands a height of 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) and a body weight of 137 lbs (62 kg).
