This great and successful boxer had to begin somewhere. Even though Ray Charles Leonard was named after the great jazz musician, Ray Charles, he did not follow his parent's dream for him to be a singer. Ray Charles Leonard was born on May 17, 1956, in Wilmington, North Carolina ("Leonard"). Leonard grew up in Wilmington and in Palmer Maryland, a racially-mixed lower-middle class suburb of Baltimore. He was the fifth child of Goethe and Cicero Leonard's seven children. He graduated from high school and had no further education. His mother's original dream for him was early exhibited. He sang in the church choir with two of his sisters. Leonard was a good sing

er and the local church parishioners commented that he sounded similar to Sam Cooke (Schwartz). His brother Roger turned him to the boxing world early in his teens. Ray told his mother about his boxing "I put the singing in the swinging" (Schwartz). His statement was a good demonstration of the artistry in his boxing. Having avoided a life as a singer Leonard was ready to jump into the world of boxing. His first trainers were Dave Jacobs and Janks Morton, who took care of Leonard and taught him how to box. Leonard was considered a natural by his early trainers ("Schwartz"). Leonard was able to do almost anything in the ring ("Sugar Ray"). Leonard found a way to defeat all types of boxers. He beat style type boxers, sluggers, and brawlers. Leonard shared the same trainer as his admired predecessor Muhammad Ali, Angelo Dundee. Dundee compared Leonard and Ali by saying "Ray's got the same charm, same excitement about him" ("Schwartz"). Leonard was not a slugger but and artist. Leonard was not a slugger but an artist. He brought back ideas of the "sweet science" (Schwartz). Leonard studied other boxers learning from them form and style. He watched Muhammad Ali and "Sugar" Ray Robinson, from whom he borrowed his nickname, "Sugar" (Schwartz). Leonard began his young amateur career at the age of fourteen (O'Dell 94). He won 145 out of his first 150 amateur bouts. He also won two National Golden Glove Championships, which he won back to back in 1973 and 1974. Leonard's great amateur career continued that year and into the next year as he won the Amateur Athletic Championships in 1974 and 1975. Charles Ray Leonard capped off his strong amateur career with a gold medal in the Pan American Games and a Gold medal in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada ("Sugar Ray"). After defeating Andres Aldama of Cuba for the light-welterweight gold Leonard began to "surface in the public's imagination" ("Sugar Ray"). After the Montreal Games Leonard actually intended to end his boxing career and decided to retire. Sugar Ray Leonard though would go onto lead one of the greatest careers seen in any sport.

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Approximate Word count = 2347
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)