NNPA NEWSWIRE — “(Boxing) gave me an opportunity to provide for my parents, help my siblings, help my friends, and help my community,” said Leonard. “I’m a blessed man. I won the Olympics in 1976 and had every intention of going to the University of Maryland to further my education and get a good job. “I had no intention of turning pro because I heard about fighters getting taken advantage of financially. My father was in the hospital, my mother was crying, my family was crying, and my mentor, Janks Morton, said I should turn pro. “I made the right decision to take care of my family.”
