SUGAR RAY LENNARD'S BIG 5: THE FIRST TITLE

SUGAR RAY LENNARD'S BIG 5: THE FIRST TITLE

Every athlete remembers well their first big success. Any true connoisseur of sports never forgets the triumph that marked the beginning of an era, and according to many, Sugar Ray Leonard is exactly that for boxing.

The year is 1979. Las Vegas hosts a titanic clash between record-holder Wilfred Benitez with 38 wins and just 1 loss and future professional boxing star Sugar Ray Leonard. The statistics suggest that Benitez has the qualities and experience to come through the 'sweet' challenge. However, the facts are different, namely they shape the data.

The gong strikes. WBC champion Benitez was rocked in the first round. Leonard's dominance is obvious. The youngster's dominance is overwhelming for an experienced boxer like Wilfred Benitez, who cannot find the right answer to the barrage of punches he receives.

In the sixth round, the two boxers butted heads. Under the influence of adrenaline, Leonard didn't even register the contact. This is not the case with Benitez, on whom even a wound opens and blood flows. The champion is in danger. There is only one way out - to give in with dignity. Benitez rallied and lasted until the 15th round, taking a mind-boggling amount of punches from Leonard, who was aiming for his first real success in the pros. The gong strikes, and the world has its new champion.

That same year, the Boxing Press Association of the United States nominated Sugar Ray Leonard as Fighter of the Year. The Ring joins in on this. 1979 a star is born, which decades later the world continues to remember.

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