Boxing: Legend brings a hard-hitting message

Sugar Ray Leonard recalls the old days during a visit to the City Boxing Gym in Auckland yesterday. Photo / Brett Phibbs

His fists used to do the talking, but these days Sugar Ray Leonard is more adept at traditional verbal means of communication.

A triple world champion and Olympic gold medallist, Leonard entered boxing legend with his 1980s battles against the likes of Roberto "Hands of Stone" Duran, "Marvellous" Marvin Hagler and Thomas "Hit Man" Hearns.

The 53-year-old, christened Ray Charles Leonard, now works in television and as a motivational speaker.

He was the main speaker at a charity dinner in Auckland last night, raising money for the Phobic Trust.

The dinner was also a promotional event for the $1 million bout between David Tua and Shane Cameron in Hamilton on October 3, and both fighters were on the undercard of speakers.

Leonard, who is travelling with his three children, was only too happy to promote the clash between New Zealand's top heavyweights, saying it had all the ingredients for a classic contest and was "bigger than a championship fight".

"You've got two rivals and they are trying to prove who is the toughest on the block. It is like a schoolyard fight ... It is going to be exciting."

A world champion in three different weight classes, Leonard came out of retirement at least eight times. So he is well placed to judge whether the 36-year-old Tua can succeed after a two-year absence from the ring.

"It depends what the stimulus is. Is he coming back for money, for pride or for the championship? Who knows? Only David knows that.

"For Shane, it's a chance to upset a guy who has been on top of the world. That makes it a good fight, an intriguing fight, compelling."