Jump to content

Roger Leonard

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Roger Leonard (born July 21, 1953) is a retired professional boxer from Palmer Park, Maryland. He is the older brother of boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard, who he introduced to boxing.[1]

Career

[edit]

Amateur career

[edit]

Nicknamed "The Dodger," Leonard had over 100 amateur bouts.[2] He won four United States Air Force Championships and the 1978 National AAU Welterweight Championship, beating rival Clint Jackson.[3] While in the Air Force, he was teammates with another Palmer Park native, Henry Bunch.[4]

Professional career

[edit]

Leonard turned professional in 1978. He regularly fought on the undercards of his famous younger brother, including when Sugar Ray fought Wilfred Benítez and Roberto Durán.

Leonard was 15-0 and ranked second in the world as a junior middleweight when he was stopped in ten rounds by Mario Maldonado in February 1981.[5] He retired after winning an eight-round decision against Herbie Wilens in March 1982. His professional record was 16-1 with 7 knockouts.[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Sugar Ray was ring artist"
  2. ^ The Milwaukee Sentinel 7 May 1977
  3. ^ "Roger Leonard Bio at BoxRec"
  4. ^ "Henry Bunch Bey - BoxRec". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  5. ^ The Day New London, Connecticut 9 February 1981
  6. ^ "Roger Leonard's professional record at BoxRec"