On Friday morning I was in Eason's book-store in Dublin and I saw a sign saying that Sugar Ray Leonard would be signing his book that afternoon.
I was back at 5 PM and joined a long queue to meet the man who I believe was the best fighter I ever saw.
He was a fast, intelligent, skilful boxer and not afraid to play to the crowd (or play mind-games with his opponent). He had courage and determination. He had what fighters refer to as "heart".
After queueing for an hour I got him to sign my book and I got to shake his hand. He got on very well with everyone and seems to be real gentleman.
I've never been to a book signing before, and I never met a personal hero before. It was a great experience.
He appeared on the Late Late Show that evening. This was a surprise as he told one of the other guys who was getting the book signed that he wasn't and that he was heading home. Not sure if (a) it was a last minute thing or (b) Sugar Ray didn't know or (c) he thought he was supposed to keep the appearance secret. In any event, you can see the interview here.
Note: I looked though the official RTE recording of the programme (on "Player") and they have cut out the part with Sugar Ray. I'm sure there's an interesting story there!
The following evening he appeared on the Jonathan Ross show. Jonathan is a self-confessed boxing fan and described him as "the best boxer, pound for pound, of any boxer in the history of the sport". Obviously I would concur with that analysis. You can see it here.
Interestingly, although Tubridy knows a lot less than Ross about boxing, his interview provides much more insight into the man.
Sugar Ray's book is called "The Big Fight: My Autobiography"
