Black History Month: Sugar Ray Leonard became a boxing legend

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Boxing champion Ray Charles Leonard, also known as Sugar Ray Leonard, was born in Wilmington in 1956.

He was named after the legendary Ray Charles.

Leonard started boxing in his early teens. He adopted the nickname, “Sugar Ray,” after boxing champion Sugar Ray Robinson.

Leonard held world titles in welterweight, middleweight, super middleweight, and light heavyweight classes.

He also earned a gold medal in boxing in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.