It goes without saying that champions are not made in a day. It takes time. Countless hours in the gym, preparing the mind and body to execute and accept punishing blows, is a time-tested methodology. But what it lacks is constant feedback. In the absence of sparring and testing oneself against competent fighters in big-small tournaments, sessions in the gym alone may not bear desirable fruit. No wonder most of the champions of the past and present-day vouch for the amateur route before embarking on the professional journey. Some exceptional few, like ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard, leave a lasting impression of their performance on the fans and future generations.

Born Ray Charles Leonard on May 17, 1955, ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard took up boxing at the age of thirteen. Within three years, he was already participating in national-level tournaments. Then he won the National Gloden Gloves in 1974 and 1975. By the following year, he got the opportunity to represent his country during the 1976 Montreal Olympics. And he ended up winning the gold medal by defeating a formidable boxer from Cuba.

Though initially wanting to give up, Leonard took to professional boxing a year later. Through the years, he fought giants like Roberto Duran, ‘Marvellous’ Marvin Hagler, and Thomas Hearn, among others. The quartet created what came to be known as “The Four Kings,” which revived the interest in boxing during the post-Muhammad Ali era. Notably, Leonard’s rivalry with Duran will forever be remembered as one of the all-time greatest bouts in boxing history. He retired twenty years later with an impressive thirty-six wins against only three losses.

Why Sugar Ray Leonard considers Olympic gold medal way too superior to world titles

But even now, the former undisputed Welterweight champion rates the pinnacle achievement as an amateur way above the glory professional boxing gave. IFL TV, through its Twitter handle @IFLTV, shared a clip of its interview with ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard today. Nearly thirty seconds long, it’s taken from a twenty-five-minute discussion the channel had with the boxing legend and is now available on YouTube.

So with some five minutes left, the reporter asked Leonard, “In terms of, you know you’ve you won Olympic gold, and you won World titles which sits higher for you?

And Leonard explained, “…is crazy it may sound but the Olympic gold because people can win the title or a title, but very few people can win the Olympic gold medal it is I mean it’s it’s hot that’s how I felt um, and that’s what and that’s it was the gold medal that allowed me to be in the position to accomplish what I have…“

A launching pad for future champions and title holders

After all, it goes without a doubt that many world-class champions proved their mettle in the Olympics before turning to big purses and belts in the professional arena. Way back, Floyd Patterson won the Olympic gold medal in 1952. Then Cassius Clay Jr. (before he became Muhammad Ali), Joe Frazier, and George Foreman followed suit in 1960, 1964, and 1968 respectively.

Among the new generation of boxers, Vasyl Lomachenko is a two-time Olympic gold medalist ( 2008 & 2012). Anthony Joshua, Lennox Lewis, and Wladimir Klitschko, among many others, did their country proud at the Olympic podium.

Read More: VIDEO: Boxing Legend Sugar Ray Leonard Displays Insane Speed at 64

Leonard probably points this out correctly. The Olympics gives the aptest platform for a boxer wishing to take his skills to the next level. More so, the higher participation in each division makes it a formidable wall to scale through. As a result, only the best among the lot could clinch the gold.

Do you agree with Sugar Ray Leonard’s views? Then, do let us know in the comments below.

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