Donny Lalonde
Encyclopedia
Donny Lalonde is a retired professional
boxer
. His nickname is "Golden Boy," after the Golden Boy
statue atop the Manitoba Legislative Building
in his boxing home town of Winnipeg. Lalonde held the WBC
Light Heavyweight
Championship from 1987 to 1988.
When Lalonde was fifteen, he ran away from home. He was tired of school and tired of the beatings. He worked odd jobs around Kitchener and Winnipeg. He first walked into a boxing gym when he was seventeen. He got into boxing "to try to reestablish self-esteem, respect, pride," he said. "Boxing is a way of doing that." Lalonde had an amateur record of 11-4 and turned professional in 1980.
In 1983, Lalonde won the Canadian Light Heavyweight Championship, knocking out Roddie McDonald in ten rounds. He defeated McDonald even though he had a smashed middle knuckle on his right hand and was recovering from surgery on his left shoulder, which he first separated when he crashed into the boards while playing hockey
in 1977.
Over the years, the shoulder had separated some thirty times and had become so loose that he was able to pop it back into socket himself. To prepare for his fight with McDonald, he underwent an operation in which doctors inserted a pin to bind the joint, which severely restricted his ability to raise his left arm. It affected Lalonde's style: He would paw with his left, looking to set up his powerful right.
In 1985, with a record of 19-1, Lalonde fought Willie Edwards for the NABF
Light Heavyweight Championship. Edwards stopped Lalonde in nine rounds.
as his trainer. Lalonde went 8-0 with Atlas as his trainer, but they clashed in temperament and style. "He ran things like an army camp," Lalonde said. "I'm more of a free spirit." He and Atlas parted ways, and Lalonde hired Tommy Gallagher and Bobby Cassidy as his new trainers.
In his first fight with Gallagher and Cassidy, he outpointed Mustafa Hamsho
on May 7, 1987. His next fight was for a world title. On November 27, 1987, Lalonde knocked out Eddie Davis
in two rounds to win the vacant WBC Light Heavyweight Championship in Port of Spain
, Trinidad and Tobago
. His first title defense was also in Port of Spain. On May 29, 1988, he knocked out former WBA
Light Heavyweight Champion Leslie Stewart
in five rounds.
On November 7, 1988, Lalonde fought Sugar Ray Leonard
at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada
. It was by far the biggest fight of his career. Lalonde's purse was six million dollars. They fought for Lalonde's WBC Light Heavyweight Championship and the newly created WBC Super Middleweight
Championship, which meant that Lalonde had to make 168 lbs. Some were concerned that moving down from the light heavyweight limit of 175 lbs would weaken Lalonde, but he told HBO's Larry Merchant
after the fight that he had no trouble making weight, and he felt great on the night of the fight.
Lalonde's size and awkwardness troubled Leonard. In the fourth round, a right hand to the top of Leonard's head dropped him for just the second time in his career. Early in the ninth, Lalonde hurt Leonard with a right to the chin. Leonard fired back and hurt Lalonde with a right. He drove him to the ropes and unleashed a furious assault. Lalonde tried to tie up Leonard, but got dropped with a powerful left hook. He rose but was soon down again, and the fight was stopped. Leonard won his fourth and fifth world titles.
for the vacant title on June 24, 1989 in Atlantic City, New Jersey
. Shortly before the fight, Lalonde shocked many by retiring. "I just don't have the desire to hit people anymore," Lalonde said.
Lalonde returned to boxing in 1991. After four straight wins, he fought Bobby Czyz
for the WBA Cruiserweight Championship on May 9, 1992 in Las Vegas. Czyz dropped Lalonde in the first round with a left hook. Lalonde got up and survived the round, but for the rest of the fight, Czyz continued to come forward and land effectively with left jabs and hooks. Czyz retained his title with a twelve-round unanimous decision.
After losing to Czyz, Lalonde was inactive for four years. He returned to the ring and won three straight fights, then fought a six-round draw with Kevin Pompey in 1998. Lalonde stayed out of the ring again until 2002. After three consecutive wins, Lalonde fought former two-division champion Virgil Hill in Winnipeg on July 7, 2003.
In the first round, Lalonde fell into the ropes after getting hit by a left hook. The referee ruled it a knockdown, but Lalonde said the fall was due more to bad footwork. Lalonde spent most of the fight backpedaling and looking to land his right hand. Hill controlled the fight, landing frequently with jabs and hooks while avoiding Lalonde's powerful right. Hill won by a ten-round unanimous decision. It was Lalonde's last fight. He finished with a record of 44-5-1 with 36 knockouts.
Atlas described getting a gun and going to Lalonde's apartment building in New York
. After getting buzzed into the building by another tenant, Atlas went to Lalonde's apartment and knocked on the door. "If he had opened the door, he was dead," Atlas wrote. "I would have pulled the trigger, turned around, and walked away." However, there was no answer.
Atlas waited through the night for Lalonde to return, periodically phoning the apartment. When he finally got through, Lalonde's girlfriend answered. When asked if Lalonde was home, she said yes. Atlas hung up and started making his way over to the apartment. Somewhere along the way, for whatever reason, Atlas changed his mind.
Lalonde knew nothing about it until the book came out, and a friend told him about it. "It actually didn't surprise me when I heard it," he said. "Teddy got into fights with trainers and fighters quite a bit when I was with him. he may not be the most stable person walking around."
boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. His nickname is "Golden Boy," after the Golden Boy
Golden Boy (Manitoba)
The Golden Boy statue is 5.25 metres tall from the toe to the top of the torch and 4.27 metres from head to toe. It weighs 1650 kg , and the top of his torch is 77 metres above ground...
statue atop the Manitoba Legislative Building
Manitoba Legislative Building
The Manitoba Legislative Building is the meeting place of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, in central Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It was originally named the Manitoba Parliament Building, not Legislative. The neoclassical building was completed in 1920 and stands seventy-seven meters tall...
in his boxing home town of Winnipeg. Lalonde held the WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
Light Heavyweight
Light heavyweight
In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight...
Championship from 1987 to 1988.
Early life
Lalonde was one of four children. His father, a salesman, left the family when he was three. When his mother remarried, Lalonde accepted his stepfather immediately. However, when he was eleven, his stepfather started to become abusive. It began when Lalonde saw him beating up his mother. "I jumped on his back to stop him, and he hit me," Lalonde said. "After that, it just seemed easier and easier for him to do that."When Lalonde was fifteen, he ran away from home. He was tired of school and tired of the beatings. He worked odd jobs around Kitchener and Winnipeg. He first walked into a boxing gym when he was seventeen. He got into boxing "to try to reestablish self-esteem, respect, pride," he said. "Boxing is a way of doing that." Lalonde had an amateur record of 11-4 and turned professional in 1980.
Early professional career
Lalonde won his first four fights and then lost a six-round decision to Wilbert "Vampire" Johnson in March 1981. They had a remacth seven months later, which Lalonde won by a second-round knockout.In 1983, Lalonde won the Canadian Light Heavyweight Championship, knocking out Roddie McDonald in ten rounds. He defeated McDonald even though he had a smashed middle knuckle on his right hand and was recovering from surgery on his left shoulder, which he first separated when he crashed into the boards while playing hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
in 1977.
Over the years, the shoulder had separated some thirty times and had become so loose that he was able to pop it back into socket himself. To prepare for his fight with McDonald, he underwent an operation in which doctors inserted a pin to bind the joint, which severely restricted his ability to raise his left arm. It affected Lalonde's style: He would paw with his left, looking to set up his powerful right.
In 1985, with a record of 19-1, Lalonde fought Willie Edwards for the NABF
North American Boxing Federation
The North American Boxing Federation is a not-for-profit regional sanctioning body that awards regional boxing titles. It is a boxing federation within the World Boxing Council .-History:...
Light Heavyweight Championship. Edwards stopped Lalonde in nine rounds.
Rise to the top
At the end of 1985, Lalonde hired Dave Wolf as his manager and Teddy AtlasTeddy Atlas
Theodore A. "Teddy" Atlas, Jr. is a well-known boxing trainer and fight commentator.-Personal life:...
as his trainer. Lalonde went 8-0 with Atlas as his trainer, but they clashed in temperament and style. "He ran things like an army camp," Lalonde said. "I'm more of a free spirit." He and Atlas parted ways, and Lalonde hired Tommy Gallagher and Bobby Cassidy as his new trainers.
In his first fight with Gallagher and Cassidy, he outpointed Mustafa Hamsho
Mustafa Hamsho
Mustafa Hamsho , born in 10 October 1953 in Latakia, Syria, was a Assyrian/Syriac boxer who never won a world title, but fought some big names in his career. Though he was not a winner in all of those fights, he did some things to make every one of his fights interesting and controversial in some...
on May 7, 1987. His next fight was for a world title. On November 27, 1987, Lalonde knocked out Eddie Davis
Eddie Davis (boxer)
Eddie Davis was a professional light heavyweight boxer. Overall, he compiled a record of 34 wins , 6 losses, and 1 draw....
in two rounds to win the vacant WBC Light Heavyweight Championship in Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
, Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. His first title defense was also in Port of Spain. On May 29, 1988, he knocked out former WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
Light Heavyweight Champion Leslie Stewart
Leslie Stewart
Leslie Matthew Stewart was an Trinidadian boxer.-Professional career:Known as "Laventille Tiger", Stewart turned professional in 1982 and challenged for the Vacant WBA Light Heavyweight Title in 1986, but was TKO'd by Marvin Johnson when the bout was stopped on cuts...
in five rounds.
On November 7, 1988, Lalonde fought Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother's favorite singer, Ray Charles...
at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. It was by far the biggest fight of his career. Lalonde's purse was six million dollars. They fought for Lalonde's WBC Light Heavyweight Championship and the newly created WBC Super Middleweight
Super middleweight
Super Middleweight is a boxing and Muay Thai weight division that has a weight limit of 168 pounds .- 1960s–1983 :There was interest in a division between Middleweight and Light Heavyweight in the late 1960s, the mid-1970s, and the early 1980s...
Championship, which meant that Lalonde had to make 168 lbs. Some were concerned that moving down from the light heavyweight limit of 175 lbs would weaken Lalonde, but he told HBO's Larry Merchant
Larry Merchant
Larry Merchant is an American former sportswriter, a longtime commentator for HBO Sports presentations of HBO World Championship Boxing, Boxing After Dark and HBO pay-per-view telecasts, and is considered "the greatest television boxing analyst of all time" by ESPN Boxing analyst Dan Rafael.-Life...
after the fight that he had no trouble making weight, and he felt great on the night of the fight.
Lalonde's size and awkwardness troubled Leonard. In the fourth round, a right hand to the top of Leonard's head dropped him for just the second time in his career. Early in the ninth, Lalonde hurt Leonard with a right to the chin. Leonard fired back and hurt Lalonde with a right. He drove him to the ropes and unleashed a furious assault. Lalonde tried to tie up Leonard, but got dropped with a powerful left hook. He rose but was soon down again, and the fight was stopped. Leonard won his fourth and fifth world titles.
Retirement and return
After Leonard vacated the WBC Light Heavyweight Championship, Lalonde was scheduled to fight Dennis AndriesDennis Andries
Dennis Andries was a British professional boxer in the light heavyweight division.Andries turned pro in 1978 and won the WBC Light Heavyweight Title in 1986 in a decision over American JB Williamson. He defended the title once against fellow Briton Tony Sibson before losing the belt in 1987 to...
for the vacant title on June 24, 1989 in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
. Shortly before the fight, Lalonde shocked many by retiring. "I just don't have the desire to hit people anymore," Lalonde said.
Lalonde returned to boxing in 1991. After four straight wins, he fought Bobby Czyz
Bobby Czyz
Robert Edward "Bobby" Czyz is a retired American boxer. A New Jersey native of mostly Polish and Italian descent, he is both a former world light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion.Czyz was born in Orange, New Jersey...
for the WBA Cruiserweight Championship on May 9, 1992 in Las Vegas. Czyz dropped Lalonde in the first round with a left hook. Lalonde got up and survived the round, but for the rest of the fight, Czyz continued to come forward and land effectively with left jabs and hooks. Czyz retained his title with a twelve-round unanimous decision.
After losing to Czyz, Lalonde was inactive for four years. He returned to the ring and won three straight fights, then fought a six-round draw with Kevin Pompey in 1998. Lalonde stayed out of the ring again until 2002. After three consecutive wins, Lalonde fought former two-division champion Virgil Hill in Winnipeg on July 7, 2003.
In the first round, Lalonde fell into the ropes after getting hit by a left hook. The referee ruled it a knockdown, but Lalonde said the fall was due more to bad footwork. Lalonde spent most of the fight backpedaling and looking to land his right hand. Hill controlled the fight, landing frequently with jabs and hooks while avoiding Lalonde's powerful right. Hill won by a ten-round unanimous decision. It was Lalonde's last fight. He finished with a record of 44-5-1 with 36 knockouts.
Teddy Atlas' book revelation
In 2006, Atlas published his autobiography, Atlas: From the Streets to the Ring: A Son's Struggle to Become a Man. In the book, he revealed that he came close to murdering Lalonde. "When he made six million for Leonard, it tore me up," Atlas wrote. "It made me murderous." If Lalonde had not fired Atlas and he had been with Lalonde for the Leonard fight, Atlas would've gotten 10% of Lalonde's purse, $600,000.Atlas described getting a gun and going to Lalonde's apartment building in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. After getting buzzed into the building by another tenant, Atlas went to Lalonde's apartment and knocked on the door. "If he had opened the door, he was dead," Atlas wrote. "I would have pulled the trigger, turned around, and walked away." However, there was no answer.
Atlas waited through the night for Lalonde to return, periodically phoning the apartment. When he finally got through, Lalonde's girlfriend answered. When asked if Lalonde was home, she said yes. Atlas hung up and started making his way over to the apartment. Somewhere along the way, for whatever reason, Atlas changed his mind.
Lalonde knew nothing about it until the book came out, and a friend told him about it. "It actually didn't surprise me when I heard it," he said. "Teddy got into fights with trainers and fighters quite a bit when I was with him. he may not be the most stable person walking around."