Discuss a boxer who might blow cold and hot in a significant means. Puerto Rican cutie Carlos De Leon might field fairly masterfully on one night time, with him additionally displaying good punching energy and venom. On one other night time, De Leon might look disinterested and lazy. At his finest, although, the person often known as “Sugar” was certainly fairly candy. De Leon, who made historical past – twice – this by changing into the primary man to regain the cruiserweight title, after which, later, by changing into the primary fighter to win a cruiserweight title 4 instances, had an extended profession, and he confronted quite a few large names.
Going professional in August of 1974, aged simply 15, De Leon romped to eight straight wins earlier than he dropped a four-round resolution to Roberto Colon in 1975. Preventing at residence in Puerto Rico in addition to in The Virgin Islands, De Leon was 29-2 by the point he received his first crack at a world title; De Leon having misplaced one other combat on factors, this one to Ray Hammond in 1977. Going through Marvin Camel in New Orleans on November twenty fifth, the combat happening on the Sugar Ray Leonard-Roberto Duran “No Mas” card, De Leon edged Camel by way of majority resolution. The combat was no basic, however De Leon, on the younger age of 21, was WBC champion.
In a return with Camel, De Leon confirmed his energy by halting Camel within the eighth spherical. Then, in a shocker, De Leon was taken down in two rounds by S.T Gordon. De Leon bounced again with wins over Ivy Brown and Leon Spinks earlier than he made historical past by avenging the loss to Gordon, this on factors over 12, with him changing into the first-ever two-time cruiserweight champ. Good retentions over Yaqui Lopez and Bash Ali adopted earlier than De Leon was outworked and outpointed by Alonzo Ratliff in the summertime of 1985.
De Leon, fairly extremely, had one other ten years of combat left in him.
De Leon beat Bernard Benton to turn out to be a three-time champ, this a yr after the loss to Ratliff, after which, three title retentions later, “Sugar” received the largest combat of his profession. Going through Evander Holyfield in Vegas in April of 1988, De Leon and his bag of methods annoyed Holyfield some, with Evander having to determine De Leon out. This Holyfield ultimately did, with him stopping De Leon within the eighth spherical of their WBC/IBF/WBA unification conflict.
Now aged 28 and sporting a 44-5 document, De Leon moved on, and he traveled to the UK for the primary of two bouts, one among which nonetheless ranks as some of the unimaginably uninteresting “fights” ever seen. First, in Might of 1989, De Leon stopped Sammy Reeson in London, the win seeing him turn out to be a four-time ruler, the WBC belt vacated by Holyfield. Then, in January of the next yr, De Leon boxed a draw with a completely ineffective Johnny Nelson. Really, Nelson scarcely threw a punch of any that means all night time lengthy whereas the challenger was solely sometimes in punching distance. It was shockingly unhealthy, an actual treatment for insomnia. De Leon wasn’t significantly better than Nelson, however he was completely happy sufficient to have saved maintain of his belt, and in De Leon’s subsequent combat, controversy adopted, as he was thrown out for hitting Massimiliano Duran after the bell in spherical 11 of the combat held in Italy. This could be De Leon’s last world title combat.
Carrying on and attempting his hand in opposition to some heavyweights, De Leon went 8-2 in his last ten fights, with him being stopped by Corrie Sanders (in a flash, the combat over inside a minute) and Brian Nielson. Exiting with a 53-8-1(33) document, De Leon would go on to coach his son, Carlos Jr. Sadly, De Leon died aged simply 60, this from a coronary heart assault in January of 2020.
So, how nice was De Leon? Was he even nice in any respect? Carlos might field; he knew a ton of methods and strikes, and naturally, he’s within the historical past books. De Leon was an actual handful for anybody when he was sufficiently motivated. At different instances, De Leon seemed to be nothing particular. Nonetheless, for some, for fairly a couple of specialists and followers, De Leon ranks as one of many ten biggest cruiserweights ever.
