Donny Lalonde facts for kids

Donny Lalonde (born March 12, 1960) is a retired professional boxer from Canada. People called him "Golden Boy." This nickname came from the Golden Boy statue. This statue sits on top of the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg, which was Donny's boxing hometown. Donny Lalonde was the WBC Light Heavyweight Champion from 1987 to 1988.

Donny's Early Boxing Days

Donny Lalonde was born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. He started boxing to feel better about himself. He said boxing was a way to gain self-respect and pride. As an amateur boxer, he won 11 fights and lost 4. He became a professional boxer in 1980.

Becoming a Professional Boxer

Donny won his first four professional fights. Then, in March 1981, he lost a fight to Wilbert "Vampire" Johnson. They fought again seven months later. This time, Donny won by knocking out Johnson in the second round.

In 1983, Donny Lalonde won the Canadian Light Heavyweight Championship. He knocked out Roddie McDonald in the tenth round. Donny won this fight even though he had a broken knuckle on his right hand. He was also recovering from surgery on his left shoulder. He had first injured his shoulder in 1977 while playing hockey.

Over the years, his shoulder had come out of its socket many times. It was so loose that he could put it back himself. Before fighting McDonald, he had surgery. Doctors put a pin in his shoulder. This made it hard for him to lift his left arm. Because of this, Donny changed his boxing style. He would use his left hand to poke and set up his powerful right hand.

In 1985, Donny had won 19 fights and lost only 1. He then fought Willie Edwards for the NABF Light Heavyweight Championship. Edwards won the fight by stopping Donny in the ninth round.

Reaching the Top in Boxing

At the end of 1985, Donny Lalonde hired a new manager, Dave Wolf. He also hired a new trainer, Teddy Atlas. Donny won 8 fights with Atlas as his trainer. But they had different personalities and ideas. So, Donny and Atlas stopped working together. Donny then hired Tommy Gallagher and Bobby Cassidy as his new trainers.

His first fight with Gallagher and Cassidy was on May 7, 1987. He beat Mustafa Hamsho by decision. His next fight was for a world title. On November 27, 1987, Donny Lalonde knocked out Eddie Davis in the second round. This win made him the new WBC Light Heavyweight Champion. The fight happened in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Donny's first time defending his title was also in Port of Spain. On May 29, 1988, he knocked out former WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Leslie Stewart in the fifth round.

On November 7, 1988, Donny Lalonde fought Sugar Ray Leonard. This big fight took place at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was the biggest fight of Donny's career. He earned six million dollars for this fight. They fought for Donny's WBC Light Heavyweight Championship. They also fought for a new title, the WBC Super Middleweight Championship. This meant Donny had to weigh 168 pounds. Some people worried that losing weight from 175 pounds (light heavyweight limit) would make Donny weaker. But Donny said he had no trouble making weight and felt great.

Donny's size and unusual style caused problems for Leonard. In the fourth round, Donny hit Leonard with a right hand. Leonard fell down for only the second time in his career. In the ninth round, Donny hurt Leonard with a right punch to the chin. Leonard fought back and hurt Donny with a right hand. He pushed Donny to the ropes and threw many punches. Donny tried to hold Leonard, but he was knocked down by a strong left hook. He got up, but he was soon knocked down again. The fight was stopped. Sugar Ray Leonard won his fourth and fifth world titles.

Retirement and Coming Back

After Leonard gave up the WBC Light Heavyweight Championship, Donny Lalonde was set to fight Dennis Andries for the title. This fight was planned for June 24, 1989, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. But shortly before the fight, Donny surprised many people by retiring. He said, "I just don't have the desire to hit people anymore."

Donny returned to boxing in 1991. After winning four fights in a row, he fought Bobby Czyz. This was for the WBA Cruiserweight Championship. The fight happened on May 9, 1992, in Las Vegas. Czyz knocked Donny down in the first round with a left hook. Donny got up and finished the round. But for the rest of the fight, Czyz kept moving forward and landing good punches. Czyz won the fight by a decision after twelve rounds.

After losing to Czyz, Donny did not fight for four years. He came back to the ring and won three fights. Then, in 1998, he had a draw (a tie) with Kevin Pompey. Donny stayed out of the ring again until 2002. After three more wins, Donny fought former two-division champion Virgil Hill. This fight was in Winnipeg on July 7, 2003.

In the first round, Donny fell into the ropes after a left hook. The referee said it was a knockdown. But Donny said he fell because of bad footwork. Donny spent most of the fight moving backward. He was trying to land his right hand. Hill controlled the fight, landing many jabs and hooks. He also avoided Donny's powerful right hand. Hill won the fight by a decision after ten rounds. This was Donny Lalonde's last fight. He finished his career with 41 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw. He had 33 knockouts.

Awards and Recognition

Donny Lalonde was added to the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 1990. This is a special honor for athletes.

Helping Other Boxers: T.K.O.O.O

Donny Lalonde now wants to help boxers live healthier lives. He created an organization called "TKOOO." This stands for "Taking 'K'are Of Our Own." Its goal is to teach fighters about healthy living and avoiding injuries from boxing. It helps them understand how to take care of their bodies.

Donny's Personal Life

Donny Lalonde meditates every day. Before his fights, he would pray that no one would get hurt. In 1988, a writer named William Nack wrote about Donny's lifestyle. He said Donny mostly ate vegetables and avoided processed foods. Donny drank fresh juices and ate with chopsticks. He trained while listening to music by Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens. He also had deep-tissue massages often.

Professional Boxing Record

41 Wins (33 knockouts, 8 decisions), 5 Losses (2 knockouts, 3 decisions), 1 Draw [1]
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	41-5-1	Virgil Hill	UD	10	2003-07-05	CanWest Global Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win	41-4-1	Willard Lewis	UD	10	2003-03-14	Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win	40-4-1	Stacy Goodson	KO	1 (10)	2002-12-06	Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win	39-4-1	Tony Menefee	UD	8	2002-10-02	Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Draw	38-4-1	Kevin Pompey	SD	8	1998-05-28	Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York
Win	38-4	Joe Stevenson	TKO	7 (10)	1997-04-09	The Aladdin, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	37-4	George Sponagle	KO	3 (8)	1996-12-12	Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Win	36-4	Ed Dalton	UD	8	1996-11-02	Memorial Arena, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Loss	35-4	Bobby Czyz	UD	12	1992-05-08	Riviera Hotel & Casino, Winchester, Nevada	For WBA Cruiserweight title.
Win	35-3	Dave Fiddler	TKO	3 (10)	1991-12-17	Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win	34-3	David Bates	KO	4 (10)	1991-12-03	Memphis, Tennessee
Win	33-3	Bert Gravley	TKO	7 (10)	1991-09-20	Sun Dome, Tampa, Florida
Win	32-3	Darryl Fromm	TKO	3 (10)	1991-09-05	LuLu's Road House, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Loss	31-3	Sugar Ray Leonard	TKO	9 (12)	1988-11-07	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada	Lost WBC Light Heavyweight title. For WBC Super Middleweight title.
Win	31-2	Leslie Stewart	TKO	5 (12)	1988-05-29	National Stadium, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago	Retained WBC Light Heavyweight title.
Win	30-2	Eddie Davis	TKO	2 (12)	1987-11-27	National Stadium, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago	Won vacant WBC Light Heavyweight title.
Win	29-2	Mustafa Hamsho	UD	12	1987-05-07	Felt Forum, New York City, New York	Won WBC Americas Light Heavyweight title.
Win	28-2	Benito Fernandez	TKO	9 (10)	1986-11-06	Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win	27-2	Charles Henderson	TKO	8 (10)	1986-09-30	Premier Center, Sterling Heights, Michigan
Win	26-2	Terrence Walker	TKO	6 (10)	1986-08-28	Felt Forum, New York City, New York
Win	25-2	Frank Walters	KO	1 (10)	1986-08-12	Ashland Armory, Ashland, Kentucky
Win	24-2	Lenny Edwards	TKO	3 (10)	1986-04-30	Lakeland Community College, Mentor, Ohio
Win	23-2	Joe Brewer	TKO	3 (10)	1986-04-06	Essex Racquet Club, West Orange, New Jersey
Win	22-2	Roberto Rodriguez	TKO	2 (8)	1986-02-08	Enid, Oklahoma
Win	21-2	Ronnie Crawford	TKO	2 (10)	1986-01-21	Trade Winds Central Inn, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Win	20-2	Jamie Howe	UD	10	1985-08-28	Wheeling, West Virginia
Loss	19-2	Willie Edwards	TKO	9 (12)	1985-05-16	Winnipeg Arena, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada	For NABF Light Heavyweight title.
Win	19-1	John Jones	TKO	3 (10)	1985-04-26	Hammond, Indiana
Win	18-1	Don Hurtle	TKO	6 (12)	1984-09-08	Winnipeg Arena, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada	Retained Canada Light Heavyweight title.
Win	17-1	Carlos Tite	TKO	2 (10)	1984-06-28	Holiday Star Theatre, Merrillville, Indiana
Win	16-1	Jimmy Gradson	KO	1 (12)	1984-02-11	Community Arena, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada	Retained Canada Light Heavyweight title.
Win	15-1	Nathaniel Akbar	KO	3 (10)	1983-11-25	Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Win	14-1	Roddy MacDonald	TKO	10 (10)	1983-07-04	Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada	Won Canada Light Heavyweight title.
Win	13-1	Don Hurtle	UD	8	1982-11-15	Royal York Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Win	12-1	Frank Lux	KO	2 (8)	International Inn, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win	11-1	Jimmy Baker	TKO	8 (8)	1982-09-30	Marshall Hall, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Win	10-1	Akbar Abdullah	TKO	2 (8)	1982-08-23	Ramsey, Minnesota
Win	9-1	Ken Johnson	KO	2 (6)	1982-06-29	Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win	8-1	Randy Jackson	KO	2 (6)	1982-02-12	International Inn, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win	7-1	Akbar Abdullah	UD	6	1981-12-10	Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win	6-1	Jean-Claude LeClair	TKO	2 (8)	1981-11-03	Paul Sauvé Arena, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win	5-1	Wilbert Johnson	TKO	2 (6)	1981-10-10	Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Loss	4-1	Wilbert Johnson	UD	6	1981-03-06	Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win	4-0	Jimmy Green	TKO	3 (6)	1981-01-20	Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win	3-0	Muhammed Smith	KO	1 (4)	1980-11-12	Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win	2-0	Edmond Esquirol	UD	4	1980-09-16	Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Win	1-0	Ken Nichols	TKO	2 (4)	1980-04-24	Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada	Professional debut.

See also

In Spanish: Donny Lalonde para niños