Sugar Ray, the man and the brand
At what point does a personal brand become indistinguishable from the person? For boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, it was in September of 1981 after defeating Thomas “Hitman” Hearns in a fight billed as “The Showdown.” “I was Sugar Ray Leonard 24/7, and loved every minute of it. Ray was never around. I didn’t need him. He would have just gotten in the way,” he explains in his memoir, The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of the Ring. Ray, for the record, is Mr. Leonard without the cameras.
Sugar Ray Leonard is a millionaire Olympic champion. Ray is a survivor of sexual abuse, a drug addict and a cheater. Is it any wonder he preferred to be one over the other? While he takes plenty of blame for himself, he heaps it on those who betrayed him, including coaches, women and his entourage. What lifts Fight above the din of celebrity confessionals is Leonard’s writing about a sport he clearly loves and respects. There’s obvious delight in his voice when he recounts the highlights of some of his most famous fights, describing them in short, stark bursts before returning to the difficulties of his private life. Like the result of The Showdown, The Big Fight is a split decision, but ultimately, both Ray and Sugar Ray Leonard emerge victorious.