Editing Sugar Ray Leonard (section)

===Retirement and return===
{{main|Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Bruce Finch|Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Kevin Howard}}
On February 15, 1982, Leonard defended the unified title against Bruce Finch, the WBC fourth-ranked contender, in a bout at Reno, NV. Leonard knocked him out in the third round.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Pat |last=Putnam |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1982/03/01/564785/finch-was-a-pigeon-for-sugar-ray |title=Finch Was A Pigeon For Sugar Ray |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=March 1, 1982 |access-date=November 4, 2011}}</ref> Leonard's next fight was scheduled to be against Roger Stafford on May 14, 1982, in [[Buffalo, New York]]. While training, Leonard started to see [[floaters]]. He went to a doctor and discovered that he had a [[Retinal Detachment|detached retina]]. The fight was canceled, and Leonard had surgery to repair the retina on May 9, 1982.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Pat |last=Putnam |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1982/05/24/627985/the-blister-that-can-blind |title=The Blister That Can Blind |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=May 24, 1982 |access-date=April 2, 2018}}</ref>

On November 9, 1982, Leonard invited [[Marvin Hagler]] and other [[boxing]] dignitaries to a charity event in [[Baltimore]], Maryland to hear him announce whether he would continue his career. Standing in a boxing ring with [[Howard Cosell]], the master of ceremonies, Leonard announced his retirement, saying a bout with Hagler would unfortunately never happen. Leonard maintained his eye was fully healed, but that he just didn't want to box anymore.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uNYfAAAAIBAJ&pg=4277,5056212|title=Leonard announces retirement |work=The Fort Scott Tribune |via=news.google.com |date=November 10, 1982 |access-date=April 2, 2018}}</ref>

Missing the limelight and the competition, Leonard announced in December 1983 that he was returning to the ring. Leonard boasted that he would have a couple of ten-round bouts and then take on [[Milton McCrory]], [[Donald Curry]], Durán, Hearns and finally Hagler. This decision was met with a torrent of criticism from fans and the media, who felt Leonard was taking unnecessary risks with his surgically repaired eye.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MnobAAAAIBAJ&pg=6743,7041153|title=Leonard announces comeback; Holmes gives up title |work=The Times-News |via=news.google.com |date=December 12, 1983 |access-date=April 2, 2018}}</ref>

A bout with Philadelphia's Kevin Howard, who was 20–4–1, was scheduled for February 25, 1984. The fight was postponed when Leonard had minor surgery on his right eye to fix a loose retina. This latest eye problem further fueled the flames of those who opposed Leonard's comeback.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZroeAAAAIBAJ&pg=2022,4806303|title=Doctor Advises Sugar Ray Not To Fight |work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |date=February 15, 1984 |via=news.google.com |agency=Associated Press |location=Boston |access-date=April 2, 2018}}</ref>

Before the fight with Howard, Dave Jacobs rejoined Leonard's team in a limited role. Jacobs had quit in 1980, disagreeing with Leonard's decision to have an immediate rematch with Durán.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QLslAAAAIBAJ&pg=1152,2512945 |title=[Unknown] |work=The Miami News |via=news.google.com |date=May 10, 1984 |access-date=November 4, 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Leonard and Howard fought on May 11, 1984, in [[Worcester, Massachusetts]]. Howard knocked Leonard flat on his back in the fourth round. It was the first knockdown of Leonard's professional career. Leonard came back to stop Howard in the ninth round, but the stoppage was disputed, with some feeling that the referee stopped the fight prematurely. Leonard was ahead on all three scorecards at the time of the stoppage. At the post-fight press conference, Leonard surprised everyone by announcing his retirement again, saying he just didn't have it anymore.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=O_8KAAAAIBAJ&pg=7143,2519858 |title=Leonard knocked down, victories, then retires |work=The Courier |agency=UPI |via=news.google.com |date=May 13, 1984 |access-date=April 2, 2018 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>