When did Sugar Ray Leonard become a legend?

He already had legendary status with his first retirement in 1982. He unified the welterweight title, beat Ayub Kalule for a junior middleweight belt, 2 legendary fights with Duran, beat Benitez, and Hearns, plus his 1976 Gold Medal.

 

Beating Hearns in 81 confirmed him as an all-time great welterweight. Beating Hagler in 87 elevated that greatness.

 

It depends on how you define the term.

Beating Hagler, after having only one fight in 5 yrs is the stuff of legend.

Nobody thought Leonard was going to beat Hagler.

 

Probably by stopping Hearns, he was seen as a media darling before, but this just cemented what those in the know already knew.

 

He didn't he got a gift decision He stabbed Donald Curry in the back to steal that fight from him

 

no he didn't . Donald did not have the fight. The only thing he did not do well tell Curry his plans. Ray was going to get that fight over Marvin. In light of how McCallum went, I think Marvin would have stopped Curry.

 

I think the Hearns fight, but all the fights made a huge difference. Benitez to Duran to Hearns. He fought legend after legend.

 

True that. They definitely set the deal in motion. Before he retired and became the d**k he became known for.

 

Although I don't think Ray became one. If he was one later chances are he was one from the get go. Hearns and Hagler were nice guys, Hagler could have been the nicest of all of them. Duran is a nice guy deep down, but he could be very rude in the ring like when he did not hug Benitez after the fight.

 

You know the funny thing is...I honestly think Sugar Ray Leonard is starting to become UNDERRATED on boxing forums (believe it or not)

 

Could be. Many people look at his 40 fight career and his retirement after Hearns, which was really only 2 years after he won his first title. then he came back and beat Hagler and then fought Hearns and Duran when they were older. Beating two legends Hagler and Duran and having a draw which should have been a loss vs. the other legend Hearns. His career is hard to define. He did not take the punishment the other 3 fab 4 did. He didn't take the punches they did and pay for the legacy like they did, but he beat them all.

 

Gift.

 

The Brawl in Montreal in my opinion. The reason being is that fight showed he was more than a 7 up commercial and "Pretty boy", and revealed he was a complete fighter and not just a flash in the pan though he did lose. (similar to Ali's loss in the FOTC. ) Also in my opinion that fight was key to what happened in New Orleans and put some self doubt in Duran, Duran knowing his best effort was in Montreal yet Leonard was coming on the last few rds. Psychologically , Montreal was the main reason New Orleans happened in my opinion Not the stomach ache/ wasn't trained nonsense. Montreal also catapulted him to the victories over Kalule, Hearns and Hagler . Leanard knew he could dig down and grind it out , that ability was key against Hagler, and esp Hearns.

 

I agree . The montreal fight is the best example I've seen of a loss making a guy better