The Big Fight

My Life In and Out of the Ring

By: Sugar Ray Leonard, Michael Arkush

Narrated by: Sugar Ray Leonard

In this unflinching and inspiring autobiography, the boxing legend faces his single greatest competitor: himself.Sugar Ray Leonard's brutally honest and uplifting memoir reveals in intimate detail for the first time the complex man behind the boxer. The Olympic hero, multichampionship winner, and beloved athlete waged his own personal battle with depression, rage, addiction, and greed.Coming from a tumultuous, impoverished household and a dangerous neighborhood on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., in the 1970s, Sugar Ray Leonard rose swiftly and skillfully through the ranks of amateur boxing-and eventually went on to win a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics. With an extremely ill father and no endorsement deals, Leonard decided to go pro.The Big Fight takes readers behind the scenes of a notoriously corrupt sport and chronicles the evolution of a champion, as Leonard prepares for the greatest fights of his life-against Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns, and Wilfred Benitez. At the same time Leonard fearlessly reveals his own contradictions and compulsions, his infidelity, and alcohol and cocaine abuse.With honesty, humor, and hard-won perspective, Leonard comes to terms with both triumph and struggle-and presents a gripping portrait of remarkable strength, courage, and resilience, both in and out of the ring.

Critic reviews

“The intelligence and self-reflection that helped Sugar Ray become one of the greatest fighters of his generation, have also stood him in good stead outside the arena."—The Boston Globe

“Champions come and go, but to be legendary you got to have heart, more heart than the next man, more than anyone in the world. Ray's heart was bigger than all the rest. He would never stop fighting.”—Muhammad Ali

Awesome and Inspiring

Love this book and I highly recommend this book to any and everyone. Thank you Sugar Ray!!!

I have a greater respect for SRL than ever before!

He told his life story in such an inspiration so way that it makes me desire to worker even harder at becoming a better person.

The best!

This is easily the best boxing book and audiobook I've read or listened to. It is great to hear from Sugar Ray himself. I would highly recommend this book for anyone with aspirations, especially anyone who has an appreciation for the fighting arts. Sugar Ray offers the red meat, taking the reader through the mindset of a true fighter and champion.

Inspirational

With great passion, courage and transparency, Ray gives us a lesson of life that we can apply and compare with our own struggles. He is a remarkable man.

The Real Deal

A good listen, I used to work with his brother Roger. Also met him in 85 at Salem College with Archie Talley.✌🏾 from the DMV Largo MD