27 years ago

Date: 1st March 1997

Venue: Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey

Title: IBC Middleweight Title

Promoter: Vince McMahon Jr

Tv: USA Network

Hector Camacho
( 62 - 3 - 1 )
Weight: 158¾ lbs

Ray Leonard
( 36 - 2 - 1 )
Weight: 159 lbs

Sugar Ray Leonard came out of a six-year retirement to challenge Hector Camacho for his lightly regarded IBC world middleweight title at the Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The 40-year-old Leonard had not fought in six years. He paid the price; losing by 5th round stoppage. This was the last fight of Sugar Ray's fabled career.

The middleweight title fight took place on February 15, 1988. Camacho weighed in at 159lbs while Leonard was slightly heavier at 159¾bs. Camacho's purse was $2 million while Leonard made $4 million. Tickets cost between $25 and $350 each while the estimated gate was between $10 and $12 million dollars.

Adrian Davis trained Sugar Ray Leonard for the Hector Camacho fight. In his last fight, Sugar lost to WBC Super Welterweight Champion Terry Norris by a lopsided decision. Even so, most boxing experts and oddsmakers had Leonard as a 7 to 5 favorite.

The fight took place at the Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on March 1, 1997. The crowd at the arena numbered 10,324 and cheered for Sugar Ray Leonard as he landed some nice punches in the first round. However, it quickly became apparent that Sugar Ray was not the fighter he used to be.

Camacho bloodied Leonard's nose in the second round, and in the fourth, he cut Leonard's left eye. The turning point of the championship fight came in the fifth when Camacho landed a solid left to Leonard's head, followed by a right, and three left uppercuts that dropped Leonard to the canvas.

Leonard managed to get up at the count of three but fell back down. He got up and beat the 10-count, but Camacho leapt to the attack and landed a barrage of 10 punches to the head that made Joe Cortez step in to save Sugar Ray from further punishment.

At the time of the stoppage, Camacho was ahead on two scorecards and even on the third. The scores were 39-37, 39-37, and 38-38. Camacho had successfully defended his title and claimed a convincing victory over a faded legend.

The fight was shown live on pay-per-view and rebroadcast on the USA Network a month later.