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The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of the Ring
In this unflinching and inspiring autobiography, the boxing legend faces his single greatest himself.
Sugar Ray Leonard's brutally honest and uplifting memoir reveals in intimate detail for the first time the complex man behind the boxer. The Olympic hero, multichampionship winner, and beloved athlete waged his own personal battle with depression, rage, addiction, and greed.
Coming from a tumultuous, impoverished household and a dangerous neighborhood on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., in the 1970s, Sugar Ray Leonard rose swiftly and skillfully through the ranks of amateur boxing-and eventually went on to win a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics. With an extremely ill father and no endorsement deals, Leonard decided to go pro.
The Big Fight takes readers behind the scenes of a notoriously corrupt sport and chronicles the evolution of a champion, as Leonard prepares for the greatest fights of his life-against Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns, and Wilfred Benitez. At the same time Leonard fearlessly reveals his own contradictions and compulsions, his infidelity, and alcohol and cocaine abuse.
With honesty, humor, and hard-won perspective, Leonard comes to terms with both triumph and struggle-and presents a gripping portrait of remarkable strength, courage, and resilience, both in and out of the ring.
Sugar Ray Leonard's brutally honest and uplifting memoir reveals in intimate detail for the first time the complex man behind the boxer. The Olympic hero, multichampionship winner, and beloved athlete waged his own personal battle with depression, rage, addiction, and greed.
Coming from a tumultuous, impoverished household and a dangerous neighborhood on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., in the 1970s, Sugar Ray Leonard rose swiftly and skillfully through the ranks of amateur boxing-and eventually went on to win a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics. With an extremely ill father and no endorsement deals, Leonard decided to go pro.
The Big Fight takes readers behind the scenes of a notoriously corrupt sport and chronicles the evolution of a champion, as Leonard prepares for the greatest fights of his life-against Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns, and Wilfred Benitez. At the same time Leonard fearlessly reveals his own contradictions and compulsions, his infidelity, and alcohol and cocaine abuse.
With honesty, humor, and hard-won perspective, Leonard comes to terms with both triumph and struggle-and presents a gripping portrait of remarkable strength, courage, and resilience, both in and out of the ring.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2011
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478 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
September 4, 2014
Boxing champ Sugar Ray Leonard KOs the squeaky-clean image that made him famous in his revealing autobiography The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of the Ring.
Beginning with his tough childhood in a rough city suburb, the book moves through his triumphant gold medal Olympic performance and into an unintended pro career peppered with the pitfalls of fame, which constantly threatened his personal and professional life.
Some passages could be longer and segues occasionally misfire; however, even those scenes that fail to deliver the expected punch at least provide interesting anecdotes from a life filled with high contrasts. Boxing fans will enjoy the many colorful reminiscences of his former bouts against such luminaries as...
Roberto Durán
Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns
"Marvelous" Marvin Hagler
Leonard details the strategies he used to defeat his opponents in the ring, but by the end of the book you realize his biggest opponent was always himself.
Beginning with his tough childhood in a rough city suburb, the book moves through his triumphant gold medal Olympic performance and into an unintended pro career peppered with the pitfalls of fame, which constantly threatened his personal and professional life.
Some passages could be longer and segues occasionally misfire; however, even those scenes that fail to deliver the expected punch at least provide interesting anecdotes from a life filled with high contrasts. Boxing fans will enjoy the many colorful reminiscences of his former bouts against such luminaries as...
Roberto Durán
Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns
"Marvelous" Marvin Hagler
Leonard details the strategies he used to defeat his opponents in the ring, but by the end of the book you realize his biggest opponent was always himself.
December 21, 2020
The Champ
"He, truly, is supreme in battle,
Who would conquer himself alone,
Rather than he who would conquer in battle
A thousand, thousand men."
These words, from a Buddhist scripture called the Dhammapada, express a sentiment common to all religions. They also seem to me an appropriate motto for this autobiography of the famous boxer, Sugar Ray Leonard (b. 1956) who frequently called himself simply "the champ". During the height of his boxing career from the late 1970's through the 1980's, Leonard fought and won great fights in the ring against high caliber opposition including Wilfred Benitez, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, and in 1987 coming out of retirement his famous and controversial upset of Marvin Hagler. Yet during the time he was vanquishing his ring opponents and cultivating a smooth, clean-cut public appearance, Leonard was nearly defeated by his own womanizing, alcoholism, and drug addiction. Leonard was a person who needed to conquer himself.
Leonard tells his own story in this new autobiography, "The Big Fight" written (ghostwritten)with the assistance of sportswriter Michael Arkush. I was interested in this book because I lived in Washington, D.C. during Leonard's glory years and followed boxing during that time. Autobiography is a difficult medium. In spite of the best of intentions, few writers of autobiographies are able to describe their lives honestly, both the good parts and the bad parts. Sugar Ray Leonard does not fully succeed in this effort, but he makes a game attempt.
Ray Charles Leonard was named for his mother's favorite singer. Leonard was a quiet, introspective boy who found what he wanted to do when he began to box at a club in suburban Maryland at the age of 14. He progressed rapidly. He was a Golden Gloves champion and in 1976, at the age of 20 won the Golden Medal at the Olympics in Montreal. Leonard gave himself the name "Sugar" after boxing great Sugar Ray Robinson. At first reluctant to turn pro, Leonard fought incessantly and successfully for the first three years of his professional career before winning his first championship in 1979 against Benitez in a grueling fight. Leonard suffered a detached retina and retired and came out of retirement four times during his career. Leonard was fortunate in having trainers who stayed with him and a manager and attorney, Mike Trainer, who looked after Leonard's best interests and did not allow him to be taken advantage of in the corrupt boxing world.
In his autobiography, Leonard makes much of his two identities, Ray and Sugar. Ray Leonard is the child of poor, hardworking parents who tries to behave decently in life. Sugar is the flamboyant boxer, powerful in the ring, but dependent upon the approval of others, egotistical, repeatedly unfaithful to his devoted wife and small children, and increasingly given to alcohol and substance abuse. Sugar sometimes takes the responsibility for his behavior upon himself; in other places in the book he tends to blame growing up in poverty, the continued fighting he witnessed between his parents, and two incidents of sexual abuse from older men that he suffered as an adolescent.
The book shows an individual who is devoted to what can only be described as his calling to be a boxer. Leonard was never so happy as when he was preparing for a fight or in the ring. He was a student of the "sweet science" and was able to size up his competition, physically and mentally, to play to his own strengths and his opponents weaknesses. He also loved the adoration of the crowds and of his immediate retinue, the many women who threw themselves at him, the thrill at being the best in his field, and the lavish sums of money he earned.
Leonard also lost a loving wife and two children, and nearly self-destructed with alcohol and drugs. After his divorce in the late 1980's he ultimately remarried a woman named Bernadette Robi. He reduced his philandering over time and made progress in curing his drug and alcohol addictions. Ray Leonard over the course of his life has at last conquered Sugar.
The fighter still remains. The strongest, most convincing, scenes of this book are those in which Leonard describes and offers his own views of his fights. The book is at its best in describing the first fight with Tommy Hearns in 1981 which Leonard won by a TKO in the 14th round after being behind on the scorecards. The fight with Hagler in 1987 also gets a good description from Leonard's point of view. In a major upset, Leonard won the fight by split decision, a result which remains controversial among die-hard boxing fans. Leonard believes, probably rightly so, that he won the Hagler fight. But he admits that, he lost his 1989 brawling rematch with Thomas Hearns even though the fight was scored a draw.
The book is colloquially and clearly written in words and thoughts that could well be Leonard's own. With some tendency to blame others for his misdeeds, the book shows a substantial attempt at honesty. At long last, Leonard says he is at peace with himself. As the book continued, I became increasingly drawn into it. This is a book both about fighting with one's inner demons and about the fight game -- the brutal, corrupt but undeniably fascinating world of professional boxing.
Robin Friedman
"He, truly, is supreme in battle,
Who would conquer himself alone,
Rather than he who would conquer in battle
A thousand, thousand men."
These words, from a Buddhist scripture called the Dhammapada, express a sentiment common to all religions. They also seem to me an appropriate motto for this autobiography of the famous boxer, Sugar Ray Leonard (b. 1956) who frequently called himself simply "the champ". During the height of his boxing career from the late 1970's through the 1980's, Leonard fought and won great fights in the ring against high caliber opposition including Wilfred Benitez, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, and in 1987 coming out of retirement his famous and controversial upset of Marvin Hagler. Yet during the time he was vanquishing his ring opponents and cultivating a smooth, clean-cut public appearance, Leonard was nearly defeated by his own womanizing, alcoholism, and drug addiction. Leonard was a person who needed to conquer himself.
Leonard tells his own story in this new autobiography, "The Big Fight" written (ghostwritten)with the assistance of sportswriter Michael Arkush. I was interested in this book because I lived in Washington, D.C. during Leonard's glory years and followed boxing during that time. Autobiography is a difficult medium. In spite of the best of intentions, few writers of autobiographies are able to describe their lives honestly, both the good parts and the bad parts. Sugar Ray Leonard does not fully succeed in this effort, but he makes a game attempt.
Ray Charles Leonard was named for his mother's favorite singer. Leonard was a quiet, introspective boy who found what he wanted to do when he began to box at a club in suburban Maryland at the age of 14. He progressed rapidly. He was a Golden Gloves champion and in 1976, at the age of 20 won the Golden Medal at the Olympics in Montreal. Leonard gave himself the name "Sugar" after boxing great Sugar Ray Robinson. At first reluctant to turn pro, Leonard fought incessantly and successfully for the first three years of his professional career before winning his first championship in 1979 against Benitez in a grueling fight. Leonard suffered a detached retina and retired and came out of retirement four times during his career. Leonard was fortunate in having trainers who stayed with him and a manager and attorney, Mike Trainer, who looked after Leonard's best interests and did not allow him to be taken advantage of in the corrupt boxing world.
In his autobiography, Leonard makes much of his two identities, Ray and Sugar. Ray Leonard is the child of poor, hardworking parents who tries to behave decently in life. Sugar is the flamboyant boxer, powerful in the ring, but dependent upon the approval of others, egotistical, repeatedly unfaithful to his devoted wife and small children, and increasingly given to alcohol and substance abuse. Sugar sometimes takes the responsibility for his behavior upon himself; in other places in the book he tends to blame growing up in poverty, the continued fighting he witnessed between his parents, and two incidents of sexual abuse from older men that he suffered as an adolescent.
The book shows an individual who is devoted to what can only be described as his calling to be a boxer. Leonard was never so happy as when he was preparing for a fight or in the ring. He was a student of the "sweet science" and was able to size up his competition, physically and mentally, to play to his own strengths and his opponents weaknesses. He also loved the adoration of the crowds and of his immediate retinue, the many women who threw themselves at him, the thrill at being the best in his field, and the lavish sums of money he earned.
Leonard also lost a loving wife and two children, and nearly self-destructed with alcohol and drugs. After his divorce in the late 1980's he ultimately remarried a woman named Bernadette Robi. He reduced his philandering over time and made progress in curing his drug and alcohol addictions. Ray Leonard over the course of his life has at last conquered Sugar.
The fighter still remains. The strongest, most convincing, scenes of this book are those in which Leonard describes and offers his own views of his fights. The book is at its best in describing the first fight with Tommy Hearns in 1981 which Leonard won by a TKO in the 14th round after being behind on the scorecards. The fight with Hagler in 1987 also gets a good description from Leonard's point of view. In a major upset, Leonard won the fight by split decision, a result which remains controversial among die-hard boxing fans. Leonard believes, probably rightly so, that he won the Hagler fight. But he admits that, he lost his 1989 brawling rematch with Thomas Hearns even though the fight was scored a draw.
The book is colloquially and clearly written in words and thoughts that could well be Leonard's own. With some tendency to blame others for his misdeeds, the book shows a substantial attempt at honesty. At long last, Leonard says he is at peace with himself. As the book continued, I became increasingly drawn into it. This is a book both about fighting with one's inner demons and about the fight game -- the brutal, corrupt but undeniably fascinating world of professional boxing.
Robin Friedman
June 19, 2017
This is an excellent book. Ray Leonard's honesty about his past and experiences is what makes this book so special. I am a boxing fan and I was drawn in from page one. Even people who are not boxing fans should read this book. Simply because it really highlights the mental side of the game. It is these mental facilities that made Leonard into one of the greats, yes he had to train hard and out work everybody in the gym, but what set him apart was his mental abilities. For psyching out his opponents, to being charming and articulate enough to win the hearts and imagination of the world.
The first chapter starts out with Leonard looking in the mirror figuring out who Marvin haggler will be fighting. The superstar boxing champion Sugar Ray or Ray the fighter and man along for the ride. Then a summary of the fight from Leonards first hand perspective. This alone is worth the price of the book. The book then goes back in chronological order. Starting with Ray's father. This part of the book reminded me of how racist America (actually the whole world) was at that time period. By Ray's time the seeds of equality had been set but they roots of racism were still very deep. Ray speaks openly about the time he was reminded of this or people tried to "put him back in his place".
Like I said earlier Ray's honesty is what makes this book special. He talks openly about his flaws, the temptations, and abuse he endured and or succumbs to. he say he knew what he was doing but at the time coming from nothing to becoming one of the most famous and biggest box office draw of his era. Again it is the mental side of dealing with things that where more a problem then the physical side. Not to say he had it easy physically either; damaged nerves in his hands among other injuries and the wear and tear of training and fighting at that level. I can't say it any better the Leonard; "people see our bulging muscles, and think we are superman, not feeling the fatigue and insectaries everyone else does".
Leonard does not blame anyone for his mistakes he take full responsibility for them. He gives all the credit due to his trainers and everyone who helped him. He does take this opportunity to set the record straight about things people have said about him in their own books and the media, but he does take the high road and does not name and shame other people he could have got into trouble especially when he is talking about his drug problems. Yes he made mistakes but he owns up to them and he give the facts like he is asking me (or any other reader) if suddenly you are in a situation you have everything you have worked you whole life for and more, do you think you are entitled to the excess and temptations the life of a superstar celebrity offers? The more mature Sugar Ray Leonard looks back and say nobody held a gun to his head but saying do this but in that situation what would anyone do? Say no to the women, the power player, yes man feeding his ego, and even the "friends" looking for hand outs. Many of who would encourage him to stay past his time.
One thing that comes through in this book is how grateful Leonard is about the life and opportunities he was given/earned. Also how thankful he is to have left boxing better then he went into it. His money well managed, still possessing his mental facilities, when so many of the boxers of her era suffering from everything including brain damage to bankruptcy.
This is a great book for everyone. Tremendous story. Brutally honest about the pit falls and rewards or success. Coming from some who has lived through more than most people have it mean so much more. You can even learn about the finer points of boxing and showman ship which people can use to further themselves in any walk of life or career. Great book, about a great career, and a man finding what he wants and what he needs including redemption.
The first chapter starts out with Leonard looking in the mirror figuring out who Marvin haggler will be fighting. The superstar boxing champion Sugar Ray or Ray the fighter and man along for the ride. Then a summary of the fight from Leonards first hand perspective. This alone is worth the price of the book. The book then goes back in chronological order. Starting with Ray's father. This part of the book reminded me of how racist America (actually the whole world) was at that time period. By Ray's time the seeds of equality had been set but they roots of racism were still very deep. Ray speaks openly about the time he was reminded of this or people tried to "put him back in his place".
Like I said earlier Ray's honesty is what makes this book special. He talks openly about his flaws, the temptations, and abuse he endured and or succumbs to. he say he knew what he was doing but at the time coming from nothing to becoming one of the most famous and biggest box office draw of his era. Again it is the mental side of dealing with things that where more a problem then the physical side. Not to say he had it easy physically either; damaged nerves in his hands among other injuries and the wear and tear of training and fighting at that level. I can't say it any better the Leonard; "people see our bulging muscles, and think we are superman, not feeling the fatigue and insectaries everyone else does".
Leonard does not blame anyone for his mistakes he take full responsibility for them. He gives all the credit due to his trainers and everyone who helped him. He does take this opportunity to set the record straight about things people have said about him in their own books and the media, but he does take the high road and does not name and shame other people he could have got into trouble especially when he is talking about his drug problems. Yes he made mistakes but he owns up to them and he give the facts like he is asking me (or any other reader) if suddenly you are in a situation you have everything you have worked you whole life for and more, do you think you are entitled to the excess and temptations the life of a superstar celebrity offers? The more mature Sugar Ray Leonard looks back and say nobody held a gun to his head but saying do this but in that situation what would anyone do? Say no to the women, the power player, yes man feeding his ego, and even the "friends" looking for hand outs. Many of who would encourage him to stay past his time.
One thing that comes through in this book is how grateful Leonard is about the life and opportunities he was given/earned. Also how thankful he is to have left boxing better then he went into it. His money well managed, still possessing his mental facilities, when so many of the boxers of her era suffering from everything including brain damage to bankruptcy.
This is a great book for everyone. Tremendous story. Brutally honest about the pit falls and rewards or success. Coming from some who has lived through more than most people have it mean so much more. You can even learn about the finer points of boxing and showman ship which people can use to further themselves in any walk of life or career. Great book, about a great career, and a man finding what he wants and what he needs including redemption.
September 19, 2022
Very Honest
I got this book because it was interesting to me to see what happened behind the scenes at boxing matches. I’m not really a boxing fan and I thought I could learn something from this story.
In many ways it’s like a typical sports or rockstar story with ups downs while dealing with success.
It was a quick and easy reading, and someone enjoyable.
I got this book because it was interesting to me to see what happened behind the scenes at boxing matches. I’m not really a boxing fan and I thought I could learn something from this story.
In many ways it’s like a typical sports or rockstar story with ups downs while dealing with success.
It was a quick and easy reading, and someone enjoyable.
August 10, 2017
A great read. I'm a boxing fan who was never a fan of his. Over time I appreciated him more through his foes. After reading this i like him, foibles and all. I enjoyed the book and the writing flow. On to the next boxing read
June 25, 2019
I have a special fan bond with Sugar Ray Leonard. In 1976, I hitchhiked from Boston to Montreal for the Summer Olympics, where I had tickets for Sugar Ray's quarterfinal boxing match. (An unforgettable trip in other ways: I was hitchhiking at night in southern Vermont and a black Porsche picked me up and took me right to where I was staying in Montreal.)
Then decades later, I went to Madison Square Garden and watched SRL's loss to a much younger Terry Norris, evidently indicating that the otherwise self-aware Sugar Ray had become yet another boxer to fight too many fights into an older age.
He admits so in his excellent memoir, a great read for boxing and Sugar Ray fans.
In between the fights that I saw, SRL went on to defeat Wilfredo Benitez, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler (who hadn't at the time lost in 11 years), and a young Tommy Hearns, which SRL describes as perhaps his greatest victory because "the Cobra" was underrated at the time. He also during this time span battled mightily with internal demons (including alcohol, cocaine, and womanizing)–his fight, as the title puts it, "out of the ring."
This frank memoir includes quite a few references to these struggles, which he attributes to a kind of personal duality: the charismatic, larger-than-life Sugar Ray who fueled his meteoric career, yet gave free reign to his worst impulses, and the poor young boxer Ray Leonard (merely "Ray," without the Sugar) who grew up in a dysfunctional home in Baltimore.
As if we needed anymore reminding, among celebrity athletes, human frailty often lives side by side with the heart of a lion.
Although the personal revelations are honest and ring true, I enjoyed the many details and glimpses SRL provides about what it's like in the days and hours leading up to a championship fight; entering the arena to the roar of a boisterous Las Vegas venue and knowing that people like Muhammed Ali and Frank Sinatra are sitting in the front row, as well as that the likes of Hagler and Duran, lurking in the opposite corner, could permanently damage or even kill you in the next hour.
Sugar Ray never wanted to go pro after the Olympics, an aspect of his life I found fascinating and revealing. He wanted to go to college. But the lucrative endorsements post-Olympics that fell to the decathlete Bruce Jenner never made their way to Gold-medalistic Leonard, forcing him, he says, to change plans and decide to make money fighting perilous and exhausting battles with usually other black men from poor neighborhoods.
Sugar Ray doesn't whine about this turn of events, simply presenting them as the limiting reality of being a young black athlete in the mid-1970s.
As a conditioning geek, I was interested in his routines for putting on quality weight between the Olympics and the pros (about 141 to 146 pounds, which took him months), but wanted more detail on how he was able to leap from 146 to 158 to fight the middleweight Hagler, while still maintaining the stamina and quickness of a lighter fighter. One knee-jerk theory could be PEDs or steroids, but I would quickly put that one to rest. Welterweight boxers, or any boxer for that matter, are not aiming for muscle bulk (commonly the result of taking steroids), but for martial-arts level quickness and power.
If anything, boxing is as much the art of graceful footwork and slipping punches as connecting with punches, and no one was better at the former sweet science than Sugar Ray.
Then decades later, I went to Madison Square Garden and watched SRL's loss to a much younger Terry Norris, evidently indicating that the otherwise self-aware Sugar Ray had become yet another boxer to fight too many fights into an older age.
He admits so in his excellent memoir, a great read for boxing and Sugar Ray fans.
In between the fights that I saw, SRL went on to defeat Wilfredo Benitez, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler (who hadn't at the time lost in 11 years), and a young Tommy Hearns, which SRL describes as perhaps his greatest victory because "the Cobra" was underrated at the time. He also during this time span battled mightily with internal demons (including alcohol, cocaine, and womanizing)–his fight, as the title puts it, "out of the ring."
This frank memoir includes quite a few references to these struggles, which he attributes to a kind of personal duality: the charismatic, larger-than-life Sugar Ray who fueled his meteoric career, yet gave free reign to his worst impulses, and the poor young boxer Ray Leonard (merely "Ray," without the Sugar) who grew up in a dysfunctional home in Baltimore.
As if we needed anymore reminding, among celebrity athletes, human frailty often lives side by side with the heart of a lion.
Although the personal revelations are honest and ring true, I enjoyed the many details and glimpses SRL provides about what it's like in the days and hours leading up to a championship fight; entering the arena to the roar of a boisterous Las Vegas venue and knowing that people like Muhammed Ali and Frank Sinatra are sitting in the front row, as well as that the likes of Hagler and Duran, lurking in the opposite corner, could permanently damage or even kill you in the next hour.
Sugar Ray never wanted to go pro after the Olympics, an aspect of his life I found fascinating and revealing. He wanted to go to college. But the lucrative endorsements post-Olympics that fell to the decathlete Bruce Jenner never made their way to Gold-medalistic Leonard, forcing him, he says, to change plans and decide to make money fighting perilous and exhausting battles with usually other black men from poor neighborhoods.
Sugar Ray doesn't whine about this turn of events, simply presenting them as the limiting reality of being a young black athlete in the mid-1970s.
As a conditioning geek, I was interested in his routines for putting on quality weight between the Olympics and the pros (about 141 to 146 pounds, which took him months), but wanted more detail on how he was able to leap from 146 to 158 to fight the middleweight Hagler, while still maintaining the stamina and quickness of a lighter fighter. One knee-jerk theory could be PEDs or steroids, but I would quickly put that one to rest. Welterweight boxers, or any boxer for that matter, are not aiming for muscle bulk (commonly the result of taking steroids), but for martial-arts level quickness and power.
If anything, boxing is as much the art of graceful footwork and slipping punches as connecting with punches, and no one was better at the former sweet science than Sugar Ray.
July 11, 2020
There's a couple different reasons you read boxing biographies.
Some guys like the stories of the big fights. Some guys like to hear the psychological process of the fighters. Some guys want to know the man behind the athleticism.
This book is only for people who want to hear about the big fights. There's not a ton here about Sugar Ray and his process.
This is a great audiobook if you can get it, but the print version has to be pretty tepid.
Sugar Ray Leonard reads the actual audiobook, and he does an excellent job. He delivers the content in a witty and passionate manner. The job suits him well.
The problem with the book is it doesn't go deep enough. If you're a fan of Sugar Ray, you'll enjoy The Big Fight. If you're not on the bandwagon, there's little here that will make you a fan.
You can say a lot about Mike Tyson, but that guy didn't hold anything back in his autobiography. In his effort, you got to intimately understand mental illness, poverty, CTE, and the neurological programming his trainer used to convince him he was unstoppable.
In Sugar Ray's book, he'll let insane admissions out about mental illness, addiction, dysfunctional relationships, and childhood abuse...then he'll quickly move on from it.
The most frustrating thing is there are occasions he will go deeper into psychological territory, and it's fascinating with Sugar Ray Leonard's narration. Then, the book will pull back again.
If you're one of those people who would love to meet the old fighters at an Italian restaurant and hear them tell war stories, this audiobook will get you going. If you're looking for more substance, you'll need to look elsewhere.
Some guys like the stories of the big fights. Some guys like to hear the psychological process of the fighters. Some guys want to know the man behind the athleticism.
This book is only for people who want to hear about the big fights. There's not a ton here about Sugar Ray and his process.
This is a great audiobook if you can get it, but the print version has to be pretty tepid.
Sugar Ray Leonard reads the actual audiobook, and he does an excellent job. He delivers the content in a witty and passionate manner. The job suits him well.
The problem with the book is it doesn't go deep enough. If you're a fan of Sugar Ray, you'll enjoy The Big Fight. If you're not on the bandwagon, there's little here that will make you a fan.
You can say a lot about Mike Tyson, but that guy didn't hold anything back in his autobiography. In his effort, you got to intimately understand mental illness, poverty, CTE, and the neurological programming his trainer used to convince him he was unstoppable.
In Sugar Ray's book, he'll let insane admissions out about mental illness, addiction, dysfunctional relationships, and childhood abuse...then he'll quickly move on from it.
The most frustrating thing is there are occasions he will go deeper into psychological territory, and it's fascinating with Sugar Ray Leonard's narration. Then, the book will pull back again.
If you're one of those people who would love to meet the old fighters at an Italian restaurant and hear them tell war stories, this audiobook will get you going. If you're looking for more substance, you'll need to look elsewhere.
December 14, 2023
Honest, poignant, and often inspiring.
August 1, 2019
Moral of the story don't do drugs. Do follow your dreams. Life's not easy or fair this is Sugar Ray's account of the biggest fight of his life; against himself.
Things my ear picked up on:
It's not the sins we commit that will define us it's how we respond to them
There's not a trace of B.S. in anything he said
We will attempt to hide what's most vulnerable to us
Things my ear picked up on:
It's not the sins we commit that will define us it's how we respond to them
There's not a trace of B.S. in anything he said
We will attempt to hide what's most vulnerable to us
August 29, 2013
Sugar Ray Leonard, by far, outside of Ali, is one of the all-time greatest fighters to ever grace the boxing ring. And what I loved most about Ray's book is his complete honesty in telling his life story, which I could tell was very, very difficult for him to do. What's funny to me is that I just finished reading Todd Bridges' life story, and it was because of his interview with Oprah, that Ray decided to come clean with his past about drugs and alcohol.
It was so great to relive the moments of his greatest fights ever-- Duran, Hearns and Hagler. I watched all three of them and it was wonderful to relive those moments. Sugar Ray was so light on his feet and quick, a real smooth go-getter and didn't take any sh*t in the ring. When that bell rang, all that was on his mind was pulverizing his opponent, which he did so eloquently.
I was shocked to learn how long he boxed because I must have stopped watching his fights after Hagler, and although he realized that his body had seen better days, he still holds the heart of a true fighter. He is and always will be "The Champ" in my book, and kudos to him for telling his story and freeing himself of the demons he had to live with.
This is an outstanding read and will keep you engaged from the beginning to the end! I have even more respect for Sugar Ray, the fighter, and Ray Leonard, the man!
SIDENOTE: My only problem with this Kindle version is that Sugar didn't put any pictures in the book. Perhaps in paper he did, but none appeared here. But that will not stop you from enjoying the book!
It was so great to relive the moments of his greatest fights ever-- Duran, Hearns and Hagler. I watched all three of them and it was wonderful to relive those moments. Sugar Ray was so light on his feet and quick, a real smooth go-getter and didn't take any sh*t in the ring. When that bell rang, all that was on his mind was pulverizing his opponent, which he did so eloquently.
I was shocked to learn how long he boxed because I must have stopped watching his fights after Hagler, and although he realized that his body had seen better days, he still holds the heart of a true fighter. He is and always will be "The Champ" in my book, and kudos to him for telling his story and freeing himself of the demons he had to live with.
This is an outstanding read and will keep you engaged from the beginning to the end! I have even more respect for Sugar Ray, the fighter, and Ray Leonard, the man!
SIDENOTE: My only problem with this Kindle version is that Sugar didn't put any pictures in the book. Perhaps in paper he did, but none appeared here. But that will not stop you from enjoying the book!
September 26, 2011
Yet another legend commits character self-assassination by autobiography. This is the story behind the most exciting boxer since Mohammed Ali. Why Sugar Ray decided to tell it is outside my understanding. Does he need the money? The spotlight? What?
Cocaine, alcoholism, sexual addiction, outrageous vanity, the abuse of his long-suffering wife and the perpetual ignoring of his children until any hope of a father-child relationship was squandered, all play into this sordid tale. Ray also flosses over his homosexual encounters as if he were a witness rather than a particpant and his explanations seem rather hollow making me think he was either into it at the time or selling his body for influence or cash.
No question he was the real thing when it came to his ring skills, that is until like many of his fellows, he stayed in the game long enough to leave a bad taste for many of his true fans.
The image I had of Sugar Ray Leonard fell hard when I read this book.
Cocaine, alcoholism, sexual addiction, outrageous vanity, the abuse of his long-suffering wife and the perpetual ignoring of his children until any hope of a father-child relationship was squandered, all play into this sordid tale. Ray also flosses over his homosexual encounters as if he were a witness rather than a particpant and his explanations seem rather hollow making me think he was either into it at the time or selling his body for influence or cash.
No question he was the real thing when it came to his ring skills, that is until like many of his fellows, he stayed in the game long enough to leave a bad taste for many of his true fans.
The image I had of Sugar Ray Leonard fell hard when I read this book.
June 30, 2011
I've never considered myself a boxing fan, and have often thought it to be a poor excuse for a sport, but occasionally I am reminded that the boxers have to be in superb physical condition to participate in the grueling punishment they give to and get from each other in the rink. Leonard's memoir is articulate, frank, and in many ways fascinating. It is also a darned good story. In honesty, I listened to the audiobook version (read by Leonard himself), so it came across for much of its length as self-congratulatory admission. But the final chapter produces an entirely different impression, converting the entire story to something truly worthwhile. Along the way, I learned a lot about the boxer's preparation for a fight, the psychological warfare that constitutes such a large part of boxing, and the realities that boxers must live with throughout their careers and often sordid lives.
January 14, 2012
I read this to prep for an interview with Sugar Ray Leonard and it's a pretty good story, though you don't get a strong sense of his voice in it. That's the problem with co-writers, I suppose. What you do get is an interesting memoir about a poor kid who could box like few others, but also wasn't really well equipped to deal with life and so ended up a bad husband and a drug addict. That he survived, and with his reputation mostly intact, is a tribute to his personal charisma. Here's the interview I did: http://pedrowatcher.ocregister.com/20...
2011/23
2011/23
September 4, 2014
I enjoyed the audio version of this book. It was exciting to hear it in Sugar Ray's own voice. It is a rare treat to have the author read his own book, even more exciting to have the author read his own autobiography. The honesty in this book was refreshing. It was good to hear so many aspects of his life. It was not just about boxing, though there were plenty of details about fights, sparring, and the business of boxing. He tells of his life as a child, why he got into boxing, and shares both his strengths and his weaknesses as a boxer and as a human being. The book ends with the man at peace. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
September 13, 2013
brilliant autobiography, an incredibly talented and hard working athlete no doubt and one of the greatest of all time in terms of speed and levels of skills but his drug taking, alcohol drinking womanizing i wasn't impressed with at all. the way he treated his wife was disgusting. but as a boxer, no doubt this books talks about his psychology and how he was abused as a child sexually. the book is very very open and honest which must have been hard for him top it into words. really enjoyed this. great tips on boxing and training also.
February 13, 2014
Interesting enough but he clearly holds loads back (despite his claims to the contrary at the end of the book), hence why he only gets 2 stars.
You don't spend years on end mashed out of your face on coke and alcohol and have only 1 or 2 tame stories to tell.
Check out Confessions of a Highland Hero for honestly.
That said the description and mindset of the build up to and fights themselves were interesting.
You don't spend years on end mashed out of your face on coke and alcohol and have only 1 or 2 tame stories to tell.
Check out Confessions of a Highland Hero for honestly.
That said the description and mindset of the build up to and fights themselves were interesting.
February 13, 2020
An honest book about Sugar Ray Leonard who goes into details of child abuse and his drug, alcohol and womanising problems. He was a great in the ring and a charismatic character out of it. Unfortunately, his charisma didn’t come out on the page. Still highly recommended.
May 11, 2020
I cannot comment on the accuracy of everything Sugar Ray has said, especially not about the people I didn't know and the fights I did not witness. But he is harsh enough about himself to give me the impression that this book is basically honest.
He talks about his parents and their background, how they moved from rural life to life in a dangerous slum area, where father and mother had to work just to get by without hope of a big reward at the end. He and his siblings had to fight to survive, but there were bullies who were simply too powerful to deal with. He talks about how he got into the Olympics and even won a medal-but even that didn't solve all his problems. He made a woman pregnant and married her, and having become a professional boxer just to make money in the first place, he intended to drop that and go on to college-but financial problems ended up forcing him to continue boxing for the rest of his life instead.
Leonard would go on to fame and fortune, but would have problems all his life, such as older men trying to molest him as a boy, injuries from boxing requiring serious surgery, conflicts with various people in the boxing industry, drug and alcohol use, womanizing, his poor treatment of his first wife and children, money-grubbing relatives, people trying to cheat him, how he really wanted to stop boxing at certain points in his life but had to continue. He also gives assessments of fellow boxers and other people in the boxing industry.
Sugar Ray Leonard, by his own admission, was no saint-but he is not a big phony like O. J. Simpson (who tried to blame Nicole for his bad behavior). A Horatio Alger story of a strong but imperfect man.
He talks about his parents and their background, how they moved from rural life to life in a dangerous slum area, where father and mother had to work just to get by without hope of a big reward at the end. He and his siblings had to fight to survive, but there were bullies who were simply too powerful to deal with. He talks about how he got into the Olympics and even won a medal-but even that didn't solve all his problems. He made a woman pregnant and married her, and having become a professional boxer just to make money in the first place, he intended to drop that and go on to college-but financial problems ended up forcing him to continue boxing for the rest of his life instead.
Leonard would go on to fame and fortune, but would have problems all his life, such as older men trying to molest him as a boy, injuries from boxing requiring serious surgery, conflicts with various people in the boxing industry, drug and alcohol use, womanizing, his poor treatment of his first wife and children, money-grubbing relatives, people trying to cheat him, how he really wanted to stop boxing at certain points in his life but had to continue. He also gives assessments of fellow boxers and other people in the boxing industry.
Sugar Ray Leonard, by his own admission, was no saint-but he is not a big phony like O. J. Simpson (who tried to blame Nicole for his bad behavior). A Horatio Alger story of a strong but imperfect man.
September 8, 2020
Sugar ray leonard is in the halls of sport legend. The pretty boy. The undisputed. His dominance and charisma was like the second coming of Ali. Leonard's tell all autobiography reveals the many secrets and struggles that he had to go through to become Sugar Ray Leonard. It's a compelling story when told over a beer debating the greatest boxers of all time, but unfortunately the writing chops are simply not up to the level which his story deserves to be told as.
Although there is a partner writer on the book, it's not hard to tell that a non-writer wrote the book. And typically this is not something I have a problem with, but the hard times were breezed through and the glory times were only too short. The tension and build for the payoff was just not there.
Aside from the writing, this is an excellent look into who the man in the ring really was. Unfortunately the honest truth is that he was a deeply troubled man. It was hard to read at times as Leonard just seemed so oblivious to how narcissistic he sounds throughout the book.
I'm still a fan of the man but I can only call the book okay.
Although there is a partner writer on the book, it's not hard to tell that a non-writer wrote the book. And typically this is not something I have a problem with, but the hard times were breezed through and the glory times were only too short. The tension and build for the payoff was just not there.
Aside from the writing, this is an excellent look into who the man in the ring really was. Unfortunately the honest truth is that he was a deeply troubled man. It was hard to read at times as Leonard just seemed so oblivious to how narcissistic he sounds throughout the book.
I'm still a fan of the man but I can only call the book okay.
February 8, 2021
I am not a Boxing fan I do not follow it much,I enjoyed reading Sugar Ray's Book however.I do not like some of it,his Mental,Physical and Verbal abuse and His Alcoholism.He grew up in a rough environment Yet I would not say the Man can not be held responsible for his own actions as many have lived through the same or worst and have yet to turn to the bottle or The console of Too many Women,Yet There is something I like about Sugar Ray(Setting Aside his meeting Mandela.),Sugar Ray has and does like Nancy And Ronald Reagan,and he seems likable in a way that Ali can never be Sadly, not as loud yet in some ways more reserved and more classy.I like His style and sadly he could have been a Better Family Man,but overall I read it from his perspective and his life in and out of the ring,Overall a unique read.
May 22, 2019
This book was amazing and I enjoyed reading every second of it. This book was about his journey through the career of boxing. It was a great read and I got to see how fame can make you change. This book answers the question we ask ourselves: how do individuals develop values and beliefs? In the book, He is young and loves to drink, have sex, and do drugs but as he grows and gets later to his career, he realizes that if he really wants to live a peaceful life, he must let go of the things he thinks he needs. He is addicted to drugs and alcohol and he never wants to leave boxing. "An alcoholic never admits he's an alcoholic" (156). I would recommend this book to people who box or anyone who is interested in sports or learning something new about a top-level athlete.
June 1, 2020
Wow! who would have figured sugar ray was a narcissist? Well perhaps it’s my fault for expecting anything more out of this, but at times this reads like a parody of a boxing autobiography filled with all the requisite cliches. The hard scrabble background, the hangers on and groupies ;the big fight’ with alcohol and cocaine, the fights, those he won because of his dedicated training regime and superior skills those he lost because of something or somebody else, but always always about sugar ray. Written in language suitable for a ninth grader with nothing meAningful to anyone but himself apart from his recounting of several of his fights.
June 16, 2019
I grew up liking Sugar Ray Leonard so, when I saw this audiobook, I decided to check it out. He is, and always has been, a talented, charismatic boxer. He, like everyone, has flaws that he’s had to overcome. This audiobook was narrated by him which I like. The one thing that I did not like as much was that he went into great detail about the boxing matches he fought in and glanced over a lot of his personal life. I still like this audiobook, however, and I’m glad I got to learn a little more about him.
March 5, 2024
This was terrific, but maybe I should stop trying to learn as much as I can about boxing. It’s really ruining the magic of the sport for me. Most of these guys were all kinda awful out of the ring or they would throw every fucking match in the ring.
There is a part in this where he is fighting with his wife, pours kerosene on the floor and kinda chuckles saying how dramatic he was. Like…that’s not funny. You’re a serial abuser.
There is a part in this where he is fighting with his wife, pours kerosene on the floor and kinda chuckles saying how dramatic he was. Like…that’s not funny. You’re a serial abuser.
November 1, 2016
Loved the journey of Sugar Ray's life. He learned from each experience, positive and negative. He allowed those experiences to make him a better person. It was interesting to hear about how the money and the fame affected him as well as his need to fight. This book brought some things to light that I can take with me. Definitely worth checking out for a good read.
December 31, 2019
Banged this out in three days via audio book to run up my Reading Challenge number. Nothing more, nothing less. Entertaining. Not well written and when listened to at 1.5 speed Sugar Ray Leonard sounds like a creepo! A big time creepo. I still think Hagler won that fight. The Big Fight...three stars.
January 6, 2021
Sugar Ray Leonard's book is a great account of his time in the ring. You always hear stories of Don King and before he went pro, you read Ray's interaction with him. He raised his own money to take a title fight. You read about the many fights he had. The one's he won. The one's he lost. As well as, going up in weight to take the crown. A good read from a legend.
February 24, 2020
Books brutally honest and entertaining. His ego is often radiating throughout the book though. But it was very entertaining and gives you a glimpse into the mind of a great athlete performing at the high level
December 17, 2016
I greatly enjoyed learning more about Sugar Ray and I recommend this book to all boxing history buffs! Thanks, Mr. Leonard, for being "my favorite boxer!"
January 28, 2018
Surprisingly open and genuine tell all, Ray Leonard provides a very personal account of his life.
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