Sugar Ray Leonard is a boxing icon known for the speed, skill and charisma that carried him to a professional record of 36 wins and just three defeats.
The first loss came at the hands of Roberto Duran in 1980 – which Leonard would avenge in a famous rematch and eventual trilogy – and the next two were the final fights of his career against Terry Norris in ’91 and Hector Camacho in ’97.
There should be, however, another blemish on the record in the form of Tommy Hearns, whom Leonard beat in ’81 before rematching eight years later.
In the second fight, Leonard, defending his WBC Super-Middleweight Title, ate a big shot in the opening round but was forced down on one knee with the follow up. Though ‘Sugar’ Ray later took advantage of a tiring Hearns, particularly in the ninth when he landed his own hurtful blows, ‘Hitman’ found his rythym again and floored Leonard in the eleventh – the bout’s second and final knockdown before the scorecards were required.
One judge gave it to the champion 112-113, another the same score but flipped and the third called it 112-112, making it a split draw with both having their hands raised. The crowd and analysts in Caesars Palace that night made it clear that they felt Hearns did enough to win.
31 years later, in an interview with Harvard Business Review, ‘Sugar’ Ray admitted he felt the same when asked if he regretted his many comebacks.
“I regret the ones I lost: Héctor Camacho, Terry Norris, the second fight with Tommy Hearns (which I won on [one] scorecard, but which he really won as far as I’m concerned). Looking back, I do have regrets, but I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t gone through it.”
Leonard and Hearns – two parts of the legendary four kings alongside Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran – became friends in life after boxing. Leonard would name his foe the best fighter he ever faced.
