Sugar Ray Leonard, a member of the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame’s (NVBHOF) inaugural class in 2013, will return to the Hall’s 2016 induction ceremony to pay tribute to the late Muhammad Ali. Leonard, who won a 1976 Olympic gold medal and world titles in five weight classes as a pro, will give a speech, “What Muhammad Ali Meant to Me,” as part of the annual induction dinner on Saturday, July 30 at Caesars Palace.
Ali was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015. His health prevented him from attending, but his daughter, Rasheda, accepted the honor in his place.
As a special treat on July 30, Ali’s widow, Lonnie Ali, will attend the ceremony as a guest of the World Boxing Council and its president, Mauricio Sulaiman.
Inductees for the NVBHOF’s fourth class are boxers Ray “Boom Boom”Mancini, Pernell Whitaker, Christy Martin, Ricardo Lopez and Freddie Little; trainers Kenny Adams, Thell Torrance and Johnny Tocco and journalists Tim Dahlberg and James “Smitty” Smith.
Remaining tickets are available at the NVBHOF’s website at nvbhof.com for $300 or $175 (ceremony and dinner) or $75 (ceremony only). The Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame is a 501 c-3 organization and all proceeds benefit boxing-related charities.
