A Rousing Showdown with Sugar Ray

June 1, 2012, 9:59 am

Sugar Ray Leonard is one of the greatest boxers of all time.  He won titles in five different weight divisions with a career record of 36-3-1.  He joined Chad on the Morning Sports Page Friday to talk about his life as a boxer and his troubling past as the victim of sexual abuse.

In his interview with Chad, Leonard proclaimed that one of the reasons he chose boxing as a career path was because he thought it was the safest route for him.  He said he viewed football and baseball as dangerous sports because there are so many variables.  In boxing, you have the power to control what happens.  And for Leonard the ring was the place that he felt the safest.

Leonard also talked about his participation in the 1976 summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada.  He said that out of all his titles, wins, championships, his gold medal at the Montreal games was his greatest accomplishment.  He said it was the only time in his life when winning wasn’t about money or fame.  It was about winning something for him and his country.  In his mind, there is no greater honor than being an Olympic champion.

Aside from his Olympic medal, something Leonard is very grateful for is the way that he has been able to help people who have gone through traumatizing circumstances like himself.  He claimed that one of the biggest accomplishmentscame when he was praised at his book signings for being courageous enough to speak about his victimization. 

The book entitled, The Big Fight: My Life in and Out of the Ring is an incredible read.  It can be found on Amazon or at sugarrayleaonard.com.

Take a listen to Chad’s great interview with the former champ.