Editing Sugar Ray Leonard (section)

===Second world title===

==== Leonard vs. Bonds ====
{{main|Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Larry Bonds}}
On March 28, 1981, Leonard defended his title against Larry Bonds, the WBC sixth-ranked contender, at the [[Carrier Dome]] in [[Syracuse, New York]]. Bonds was a [[Southpaw stance|southpaw]], which made him a good opponent for Leonard, given that his next opponent was scheduled to be the WBA [[Light Middleweight]] Champion [[Ayub Kalule]], a southpaw.

Leonard was the aggressor throughout, with Bonds circling the ring. He staggered Bonds with a right in the fourth round and dropped him with a follow-up combination. Bonds got up and continued to move, with Leonard in pursuit. Leonard dropped him again in the tenth. Bonds rose but Leonard didn't let him off the hook. The referee stopped the fight with Bonds taking punishment in a corner.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Pat |last=Putnam |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1981/04/06/in-sum-it-was-sweet-for-sugar-though-ray-leonard-took-some-lumps-from-a-challenging-garbage-man-he-retained-his-title-and-strengthened-his-future-bargaining-position |title=In Sum, It Was Sweet For Sugar |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=April 6, 1981 |access-date=December 7, 2021}}</ref>

==== Leonard vs. Kalule ====
{{main|Ayub Kalule vs. Sugar Ray Leonard}}
Leonard moved up to the junior middleweight division and faced Kalule on June 25, 1981, at the [[Astrodome]] in [[Houston]], Texas. Kalule, who was 36–0, had been the WBA Light Middleweight Champion for two years.

Kalule and his handlers had expected Leonard to use lateral movement against him, but Leonard chose to fight inside instead.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}} After eight tough rounds, Leonard was ahead although Kalule appeared to be coming on strong in the eighth and ninth. Leonard finally hurt him with a right to the head. Shortly afterward, Leonard dropped him with a flurry of punches. Kalule got up but the referee waved it off. Leonard celebrated his victory with a full 360-degree, no-hands flip.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Pat |last=Putnam |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1981/07/06/clearing-the-way-for-the-big-payday-against-a-background-of-lurid-dealing-sugar-ray-leonard-and-thomas-hearns-won-their-houston-semis-and-advanced-to-the-welter-finals |title=Clearing The Way For The Big Payday |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=July 6, 1981 |access-date=December 7, 2021}}</ref> Despite an official stoppage time of 2.59, the fight was actually stopped at 3.06 into the round, meaning Kalule should have been saved by the bell.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Ayub_Kalule_vs._Sugar_Ray_Leonard |title=Ayub Kalule vs. Sugar Ray Leonard |work=Boxrec.com |access-date=June 21, 2012}}</ref>