Sugar Ray Leonard is widely considered to be one of the finest boxers of all time.
Renowned for his agility and superb skill, Leonard won world titles in five different weight divisions and was the first boxer to earn over $100 million in purses.
He exploded onto the world stage at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal as a member of the legendary US boxing team - that included Leon and Michael Spinks.
Born in North Carolina in 1956 Leonard dominated the amateur circuit, winning 145 of his 150 bouts before becoming part of what is regarded as the greatest Olympic boxing team in history.
The 20-year-old won gold in the light-welterweight division at Montreal and promptly announced his retirement from boxing in order to go to university.
But within a year he returned, turning professional to help support his family after his father fell ill and his mother suffered a heart attack.
Over the next 20 years Leonard went on to defeat some of the greatest names ever to grace the ring, including Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler and Wilfred Benitez.
He fought his last fight in 1997 at the age of 40 when he was defeated by Puerto Rican Hector Camacho, finishing with a career record of 87 fights, 79 wins, 38 knockouts, five losses and three draws.
Now 55, Leonard released his autobiography in June 2011, in which he alleged the had suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a prominent former Olympic coach.
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