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Sports

Sugar Ray's Sweetest Moments

Counting down the biggest wins of the champ's pro career.

As resident Sugar Ray Leonard begins his reign as Honorary Mayor of Pacific Palisades, this is a perfect time for Patch to look back at the defining moments that made him a ring legend. Sugar Ray retired with a professional record of 36-3-1 with 25 KOs and he won titles in five weight divisions. What made him an all-time great, though, was his desire to meet--and beat--the best boxers of his generation. Here are his greatest hits:

5. Nov. 7, 1988: Donny Lalonde, Las Vegas, NV -- KO 9

Sugar Ray beat back Father Time once again to stage one of his most dramatic comebacks. After losing the first four rounds and getting knocked down in the fourth, Leonard had a mountain to climb against a younger and heavier fighter but began to step inside in the fifth round to land combinations. Dazed by a hard right early in the ninth round, Leonard recovered and knocked the light heavyweight champion down with a left hook. Lalonde beat the count but Leonard pinned him against the ropes and finished him off with a rapid-fire combination.  

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4. Nov. 25, 1980: Roberto Duran, New Orleans, LA -- KO 8  

Five months after their first epic encounter in Montreal, when Sugar Ray had opted to slug it out and lost a close 15-round decision, he changed his tactics and stayed on the outside. This time, Leonard repeatedly beat Duran to the punch and avoided being caught against the ropes. Frustrated by his inability to catch the elusive challenger, the proud Panamanian uttered the words "No mas, no mas" and referee Octavio Meyran waved the fight over in the eighth round. Moments earlier, Leonard had frustrated Duran by winding up for his trademark bolo punch, then landing a clean left jab to Duran's chin. Sugar Ray avenged the first defeat of his pro career and regained the welterweight title. 

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3. Nov. 30, 1979: Wilfredo Benitez, Las Vegas, NV -- KO 15

In a chess match between two master boxers, Sugar Ray had the heavier hands and that proved to be the difference. Benitez, the welterweight champion, was undefeated in 39 fights, but Leonard got the better of most of the exchanges and was ahead on the scorecards going into the 15th round. The fighters traded toe-to-toe in the center of the ring until Leonard knocked Benitez down with a chopping left hand. Benitez rose and took the mandatory eight count, but Leonard moved in and began to land when referee Carlos Padilla stepped in to stop it with less than 10 seconds remaining.    

2. April 6, 1987: Marvin Hagler, Las Vegas, NV -- W 12

Few boxing experts gave Sugar Ray much of a chance against the WBC middleweight champion, especially since Leonard had fought only once in the previous five years. Hagler had not lost in 11 years and had made 12 successful title defenses, but Leonard used lateral movement and quick flurries to take the early rounds. The ninth round was the best of the fight. The champion landed a straight left to the challenger's jaw, backing Leonard to the ropes, but he fought his way out of trouble with a series of combinations. Another flurry in the 12th round brought the fans at Caesar's Palace to their feet. Leonard won by a split decision in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. 

1. Sept. 16, 1981: Thomas Hearns, Las Vegas, NV -- KO 14

It was dubbed "The Showdown" -- the welterweight unification between the two best fighters in the world. Thomas Hearns was 32-0 with 30 knockouts and the Motor City Cobra used his longer reach to keep Leonard at bay through the first five rounds. In the sixth, Leonard landed a hook that turned the momentum his way. Hearns regained command in the ninth and was well ahead on points going into the 13th round. With his left eye swelling shut, Sugar Ray heeded the advice of trainer Angelo Dundee and sent the WBA champion through the ropes at the end of the round. Hearns survived on wobbly legs, but Sugar Ray caught him again in the 14th and referee Davey Pearl stopped the fight at the 1:45 mark. 

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