Sugar Ray Leonard scores KO with Valley boxing fans

Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard grew up near Washington, D.C., idolizing prizefighters Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson. But he was also a fan of martial artist Bruce Lee and the king of rock ’n’ roll, Elvis Presley.

“All of them were entertainers,” Leonard said with a smile.

Leonard, now 58, was one of the most entertaining boxers to climb between the ropes, and his penchant for showmanship was on full display Saturday afternoon at the third annual Gloves Not Drugs Boxing Show in the Livingston High School gymnasium.

“I wasn’t so much a fan before today, but I am now,” said retired Merced County sheriff’s deputy Jim Wilde, who was assigned to escort Leonard, who looked relaxed in a striped polo shirt, jeans and sneakers. “I was kind of dreading this, actually, but he’s very personable and just a very kind gentleman. He’s a super good guy.”

Most of the several hundred fans in attendance likely would say the same thing.

Despite the fact that Leonard flew into Los Angeles on Saturday morning from an appearance in the United Kingdom and then drove 300 miles to Livingston, he showed up for the event 70 minutes before the agreed-upon time. He took photos and signed autographs for just about everybody who wanted one, but his main focus was encouraging athletes.

“Stay focused, train hard and enjoy yourself … but be respectful,” said Leonard, who still has the trim physique of a pugilist. “I’m a father, a husband and a resident of this state. It’s all about giving back to the kids and making an impact.”

The champ made an impact on 11-year-old Jacob Chavez.

“It inspires me talking to a world champion and having a world champion tell me what to do,” said Jacob, who fights out of 51Fifty Boxing Club in Livingston and won his bout. “He told me to keep up the good work and that I’ll be a champion someday.”

The fact that Jacob was born nearly 10 years after Leonard’s career ended seemed to matter little, to him or the other youngsters in attendance.

Jacob’s older brother, 13-year-old Angel, admitted to being nervous about fighting with the Hall of Famer in the audience.

“Yeah, I was because I wanted to impress him,” said Angel, who also won his bout. “In the third round, everybody in the gym was cheering for me, and Sugar Ray Leonard was cheering for me.”

The Chavez brothers were just two of the 40 fighters on hand for the 20-bout card. Leonard sat at a table situated near the ring. The champ mingled with fans between rounds, but as soon as the bell sounded and the fighters stepped toward the center of the ring, Leonard was intent on observing the action.

“He really wanted to see every bout,” said Kelly Kappmeier, public relations director for the Carlos Vierra Foundation. “Yes, he wanted to be available for the VIPs that paid extra money, but this function was for the kids and he wanted to show his support for them.”

The Carlos Vierra Foundation, along with the Merced County Sheriff’s Activities League and Livingston-based 51Fifty Energy Drink, subsidize the Gloves Not Drugs boxing programs, which oversees the 51Fifty Boxing Clubs in Livingston, Atwater, Delhi and Planada. Plans are in the works to open clubs in Modesto, Stockton, Sacramento and Fresno.

51Fifty sponsored Saturday’s event, picking up the tab for the fighters’ costs and for Leonard’s $15,000 appearance fee, down from the normal $40,000. (Leonard cut the fee by about 65 percent, Kappmeier said).

Because he agreed to take photos with fans near the back of the gym, Leonard was unable to watch the final bout, won by Merced’s Casimiro Valencia, who also took the belt for best bout of the night. But Leonard made it a point to meet with Valencia outside the gym before leaving for the airport.

“It was very nice to meet him, and it gives me even more vigor to keep going forward,” said Valencia, 25, who fights out of the Central Merced club. “It opens my eyes to working harder.”

Leonard was a six-time world champion during a 20-year career that included historic bouts against Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler and Wilfredo Benitez, and winning a gold medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.

He said Hearns was the toughest and most feared of all those foes.

“All of them were tough,” said Leonard. “But Hearns led the pack.”

This story was originally published March 28, 2015 at 10:49 PM with the headline "Sugar Ray Leonard scores KO with Valley boxing fans."