orig. Ray Charles Leonard
born May 17, 1956, Rocky Mount, N.C., U.S.
U.S. welterweight and middleweight boxer.
Leonard was an outstanding amateur, winning 145 of 150 bouts, including a 1976 Olympic championship. He turned professional in 1977 and gained the world welterweight title in 1979 by defeating Wilfred Benítez. He lost the title to Roberto Duran in 1980 but recaptured it from him later that year. He retired in the early 1980s with a detached retina but made a comeback in 1984. In 1987 he went into the ring as a middleweight to defeat Marvin Hagler in one of boxing's great matches. He retired again in 1991. He was resoundingly defeated in a final comeback attempt in 1997. Known for his agility and finesse, he won 36 of his 39 professional matches. He later became a television commentator.