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Home
Authors
Sugar Ray Leonard
American
Athlete
About the author
Before I fight, I always pray that no one gets hurt.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Hurt
#Fight
Except for Ali, fighters had never been marketable.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
Duran always disturbs me. The guy is just weird. Before our first fight, both Duran and his wife gave my wife the finger.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Wife
#First
#Fight
Bruce Lee was an artist and, like him, I try to go beyond the fundamentals of my sport. I want the public to see a knockout in the making.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Want
#Public
#Artist
Boxing was the only career where I wouldn't have to start out at the bottom. I had a good resume.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Career
#Boxing
Boxing was not something I truly enjoyed. Like a lot of things in life, when you put the gloves on, it's better to give than to receive.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Life
#Boxing
Boxing is the ultimate challenge. There's nothing that can compare to testing yourself the way you do every time you step in the ring.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Time
#Nothing
#Challenge
#Boxing
#Testing
Before the start of the '76 Olympics, I'd had 160 amateur fights. I won 155 and lost five.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
Although it was a great accomplishment to win a gold medal, as soon as they put it on you, that's it; your career is over.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Career
#Accomplishment
#Gold
Ali's belief in himself was something I picked up on, and it's become my own philosophy.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Belief
#Philosophy
Aaron Pryor wants to get into the ring with me. He wants to be able to retire, and he will. For health reasons.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Will
#Health
Boxing brings out my aggressive instinct, not necessarily a killer instinct.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Instinct
#Boxing
I want my fights to be seen as plays that have a beginning, a middle and an end.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Want
#End
#Beginning
We're all given some sort of skill in life. Mine just happens to be beating up on people.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Life
#People
#Skill
I'll think, If this is his first punch, how are the others gonna feel? That's the only fear I have for myself.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Fear
#First
I'm a competitor and a very proud man. If a guy beats me once, he'll have to do it again to make me believe him.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Man
I'm a free agent. I haven't allowed any promoters to have exclusive options on my fight. I don't need a promoter.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Fight
#Options
I'm not religious, but I believe that what I have is a gift, and I respect it and live up to it.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Respect
#Religious
I've never believed in tying myself up in a long-range contract, and I've been very outspoken on that subject.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
In Italy, I had an Afro, and a lot of the kids came up and felt my hair. It really was funny. I wish I had understood Italian.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Kids
#Hair
#Funny
#Italy
I think an athlete should be honest. I know it's difficult, but if a guy knocked me on my can, I couldn't very well say, I slipped.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
It's hard to talk about yourself.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Talk
No one but myself thought I could beat guys like Tommy Hearns or Roberto Duran.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Thought
I was painfully initiated into boxing, because the guys I fought were a lot bigger than me.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Boxing
To be the best, you need to spend hours and hours and hours running, hitting the speed bag, lifting weights and focusing on training.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Training
#Running
If I hadn't had the talent, the networks wouldn't have televised my fights. No one has made me; I made myself. I paid my dues.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Talent
When I turned pro, Muhammad Ali was laying back, and I was able to fill up an area that was empty.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
When I'm not in training. I'll walk around the streets at 153, but it's not solid; it's my socializing weight.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Training
#Weight
When we got back to the U.S., I wanted to kiss the ground after seeing what people in other countries are denied or don't have.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#People
#Kiss
#Countries
Within our dreams and aspirations we find our opportunities.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Dreams
#Aspirations
You just don't heal that easy unless you're young.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
Generally, the more weight you put on, the less effective you are.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Weight
Holyfield is nothing but class, and I think he's a breath of fresh air for the sport.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Nothing
#Class
I fought tall fighters, short fighters, strong fighters, slow fighters, sluggers and boxers. It was either learn or get knocked off.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
I think I've become one of the best finishers in boxing; if I hurt a guy, I normally take him out.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Hurt
#Boxing
They say that I'm stubborn, and my wife says that, too, but it's paid off so far.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete
#Wife
It's different when you become a professional, because you also have to become a businessman, and that takes something away from it.
Sugar Ray Leonard,
American
Athlete