Richie Woodhall meets 'Sugar' Ray Leonard
Telford's Richie Woodhall marked 16 years to the day he became a world champion with arguably his greatest predecessor to the title.
The former WBC super middleweight king rubbed shoulders with the legendary 'Sugar' Ray Leonard at Bar Sport in Cannock last night.
Woodhall, now a popular Sky Sports pundit, put his public speaking skills to the test by interviewing the five-weight world champion.
The 45-year-old remembers like it was yesterday how he beat Thulani Malinga over-the-distance to claim the belt Leonard made famous in the 1980s.
'Sugar' Ray stopped Donny Lalonde to seize the inaugural WBC super middle strap, drew with Thomas Hearns and outpointed Roberto Duran in defences.
Woodhall said: "It's unbelievable how the promoter, Scott Murray, asked me if I knew it was 16 years to the day I won a world title and I just didn't realise.
"I still remember every second of it, I always knew from a kid that if I trained hard and listened to my trainers, I would be a world champion.
"The WBC belt was the only one for me, you savour the moment but you also think about who has held the belt before, perhaps more so now.
"They give you the belt as your own when you win it and a new one is produced for every champion, but my Dad has made off with mine!
"It's the belt Muhammad Ali had, Marvin Hagler won it and also Sugar Ray, the three fighters that motivated me more than anything to box.
"And then last night I am interviewing Sugar Ray, how uncanny is that?"
Gold medallist Leonard and Woodhall also share an Olympic heritage, the latter claiming bronze at the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea.
Only another pound-for-pound contender, Roy Jones Jnr, could derail the Shropshire man's challenge that year as he went on to take silver.
Woodhall said: "I lost to the best fighter in the tournament at those Olympic games, in my opinion, and it took that to beat me. I was proud of what I did.
"I was successful. My trainer Harry Grice and my Dad, Len, were a bit part of my development and the style of boxing that I had and I carried that on.
"I always had grit, that was genetics, but I was taught how to control aggression and, when you have that, you can't be bullied in the ring.
"I fought back very hard, got behind my jab and stuck to my tactics, that's what I was about."
