by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
‘I love boxing, so I’m in her corner’
Legendary boxer Sugar Ray Leonard has given the cosign to boxing champion Claressa Shields in a recent interview, saying he is “in her corner,” as women’s boxing has risen in recent years.
In a recent interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, the former fighter, who fought in various divisions throughout his career, spoke about women’s boxing and its direction.
“You know what, there is so much talent out there right now, period. Naturally, I’m a major boxing fan, but you have to look at it for what it is. Can the business be helped? Yes. Everything needs support at some point, whether it’s a business or a passion. I love boxing, so I’m in her corner—how about that?”
The boxer did admit that, although he had heard about Shields’ boxing skills, he had yet to see her fight live, but he plans to do so.
“I haven’t seen her live yet, but I certainly will now. It’s been brought to my attention again, and I really like what I see.”
Leonard, who boxed from 1977 to 1997, won championship belts in five different weight classes in his career. He began his professional career after winning a gold medal for the United States in the lightweight division at the 1976 Olympics. The talented athlete kept gaining weight, competing in the welterweight division before moving up to light middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight, and finally light heavyweight. His record was 25-3, with one draw.
The four boxers were dubbed the “Four Kings” and had the boxing world excited as they fought each other. Leonard was the only one to defeat the others after beating Hagler in a controversial bout that ended in a split decision, which effectively ended Hagler’s career in 1987.
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Source: Black Enterprise
