Photo by The Ring/Getty Images
It was a mild and breezy Monday night in the desert. As the November darkness began to fall in Las Vegas, an event billed as “For All the Gold” was about to rock the outdoor arena at Caesars Palace.
Already recognized as a ring great and future hall of famer, 32-year-old Sugar Ray Leonard (34-1, 24 KOs) was moving up in weight to challenge the WBC Light Heavyweight champion. His opponent was 28-year-old titleholder Donny “The Golden Boy” Lalonde (31-2, 26 KOs).
Leonard was the former Welterweight, Super Welterweight and Middleweight Champion of the world.
If an athlete was every riding high, it was Leonard.
Coming off one of the greatest upsets in history in April of 1987, Leonard had done what many deemed impossible by beating the undisputed Middleweight Champion, Marvelous Marvin Hagler.
In Lalonde, he was facing a younger, stronger and bigger man. He was also faced with 18 months of inactivity. No one, however, need remind us that this was Sugar Ray Leonard.
Layoffs, inactivity and retirement were as much a part of Leonard’s career as were his many brilliant performances. It was all part of the formula that made him what many call the greatest fighter of his generation.
The matchup took part under a very unique backdrop. Two titles were on the line, both the WBC Light Heavyweight Championship, owned by Lalonde, and the vacant WBC Super Middleweight title.
A catch weight of 168 pounds was also agreed to. In essence, Leonard was moving from 160 to 168 and Lalonde from 175 to 168.
At the weigh in on the morning of the fight, Lalonde tipped the scale at 167 pounds, while Leonard weighed in at 165. Annoyed at Leonard, who seemingly ignored him, Lalonde quipped, “Ray weighed in at 165. Now I’m not only fighting an old Welterweight, I’m fighting a fat old welterweight.”
Not a bad one liner for a guy deemed as the unknown fighting a legend.
Against Leonard, Lalonde was defending his title for the second time. From Winnipeg, Canada, he had shown his determination and toughness time-and-time again. He had evident power in his right hand, however, many questioned the use or lack thereof in his left.
A result of a hockey injury to his left shoulder, Lalonde was often criticized for being a one handed fighter. Throughout his career he had limited mobility and pain in that shoulder though he had still managed to win 31 fights, 26 by knockout, and win the Light Heavyweight crown.
The fight was broadcast live on closed circuit television and later replayed on HBO. The action was called by Larry Merchant, Jim Lampley and Kevin Rooney, trainer of then Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson.
Prior to the opening bell, Merchant opined, “This is a fight between a Ferrari and a pickup truck. And the pickup truck is trying to make it a demolition derby and the Ferrari is trying to make it a foot race.”
After Ring announcer Chuck Hull made the official introductions of the fighters and the referee, Richard Steele, both fighters stood ready in their corner. Leonard was wearing black trunks with “SUGAR” embossed on the front in gold. Lalonde, also in black trunks, had “LALONDE” imprinted in gold across the front of his trunks.
In a bout scheduled for 12 rounds, Round 1 was, in every sense of the word, a boxing match. Leonard, much more flat footed than we were used to seeing him, was circling Lalonde and trying to use his jab. Looking cool and confident, Lalonde worked his left hand, his left hand!
This was huge news given the pre-fight chatter around the Lalonde left. As the two took turns moving forward, and then backing up, Lalonde continued to fire the left jab and an occasional left hook.
This was surprising to the team calling the fight as well. Lampley indicated, simply, “He’s throwing it.”
Immediately on cue, Rooney shouted, “And landing it!”
With 10 seconds to go in the opening chapter, the two mixed it up, throwing a flurry of punches. Leonard, on his bicycle, moved smoothly away as Lalonde was in pursuit.
As the bell sounded and both men began to walk to their corners, there was a subtle yet noticeable shoulder bump landed by each man. Neither man was willing to give an inch.
As round two began, Lalonde continued to keep his promise, being aggressive and trying to press the action. He believed if he could keep Leonard busy, he would tire in the late stages of the fight. It was becoming apparent that Leonard was content to remain more flat footed than ever before in his career.
With that flat footedness came more action. At the half-way point of the round, Lalonde landed a swift right hand that impaled on the side of Leonard’s face. Rooney shouted, “He hurt Leonard, I think he hurt him!”
Lampley added, “Leonard holding on!” Leonard, openly rubbing the top of his head, seemed to shake it off quickly. Bouncing on his toes, he began landing his own clean punches to close the round.
Round 3 saw Lalonde scoring to the body and Leonard looking to stalk his taller opponent. Again, the two took turns moving backward, and then forward. Leonard was, much to his dismay, being kept at arm’s length by the Lalonde jab.
With his confidence building in Round 4, Lalonde cemented his name in history by landing a thudding overhand right that sent Sugar to the canvas. Merchant exclaimed, “The right hand!”
As the Golden Boy stood in a neutral corner, Leonard took the eight count from Steele. As the action resumed, Lalonde stormed after Leonard landing hard punches as Leonard held on.
Blood was now flowing along the left side of Leonards’ nose. As the bell sounded to end the fireworks,
Lalonde walked back to his corner as only the second man to ever send Leonard to the canvas.
Round five began and looked like a round out of a “Rocky” movie. Leonard began stepping inside, with blood flowing, taking risks and firing punches at the head and body.
Lalonde, who was happy to fight Leonard inside a proverbial phone booth, stood toe-to-toe and fired right back. The ebb and flow continued and, with 30 seconds to go in the round, Leonard landed a furious combination hurting Lalonde.
As the bell rang to end the action, Merchant reminisced, “Leonard had to come back. And he did. That’s why he’s a great fighter.”
As the middle rounds unfolded, the taller Lalonde was standing straight up looking now to measure Leonard for power right hands. Leonard continued to take risks, grinning at Lalonde, and began landing his left hand almost at will.
With a minute to go in Round 6, Lalonde again hurt Leonard with a punishing right hand. He was succeeding at getting Leonard to fight and expend energy.
In the seventh and eighth round, the action continued to sizzle. Lampley pointed out, “Both fighters are getting a little wild.” Merchant concurred, “He’s [Lalonde] trying to turn it into a pier six brawl now.”
Lalonde was in fact swinging wildly, attacking Leonard. He had the fight he wanted, could he win it?
Photo by The Ring/Getty Images
Leonard, cool as a cucumber, bravely stood in the pocket and gave every bit as good as he got. He was now doing more of the pursuing. Lalonde was wobbled in the seventh, but fought back and again became the aggressor in the eighth.
As both fighters met in center ring for the ninth round, Harold Letterman had the fight 76-75 for Lalonde.
Rooney chimed in, adding he had it five rounds to three in favor of Lalonde. As Leonard’s right eye began to swell, Lalonde landed a sensational right hand.
The crowd rose as Lalonde went in for the kill. Leonard, moving and slipping, countered with his own right hurting Lalonde and driving him into the ropes.
With one minute remaining in the round, a Leonard left dropped Lalonde. The crowd at Caesars was going nuts. As Lalonde rose, he gave Leonard a quick nod and a smile as if to say, you got me.
As Steele finished the standing eight count, Leonard attacked as Lalonde had in the fourth round.
Unfortunately for Lalonde, he was not able to survive as Leonard did earlier. Leonard then landed a pulverizing right hand immediately followed by a crushing left.
Lalonde crashed to the canvas. Rooney cried, “They’re stopping the bout!” Lampley added, “I don’t think he’ll get up anymore.”
Leonard would go on to fight just four more times including a second fight with Thomas Hearns and a third with Roberto Duran.
He then attempted two more ill-fated comebacks, losing both badly, to Terry Norris and Hector Camacho though those losses did little to tarnish his storied career.
Lalonde went on to fight 13 more times, largely against unheralded competition. His only two losses were against the “name” fighters he met, Bobby Czyz and Virgil Hill.
On the night he met Leonard, few thought he could be anything more than an opponent. Instead, he rose to the occasion and etched his name into the memory of boxing fans everywhere.
On that night in the desert, Sugar struck Gold. Leonard again proved his greatness by leaving the Ferrari at home.
In a twist few saw coming, he was the pickup truck and won the demolition derby in nine rounds of drama.
