Donny Lalonde facts for kids

Donny Lalonde was born on March 12, 1960. He is a retired professional boxer from Canada. People called him "Golden Boy." This nickname came from the famous Golden Boy statue in Winnipeg, which was his boxing hometown. Donny Lalonde was the WBC Light Heavyweight Champion from 1987 to 1988.

Donny Lalonde's Early Boxing Days

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

First Professional Fights

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

In 1983, Lalonde became the Canadian Light Heavyweight Champion. He won by knocking out Roddie McDonald in the tenth round. He won this fight even though he had a broken knuckle and was recovering from shoulder surgery. He had hurt his shoulder playing hockey in 1977. His shoulder had come out of its socket many times. Doctors put a pin in his shoulder, which made it hard for him to lift his left arm. This changed his boxing style. He would use his left hand to set up powerful punches with his right hand.

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

Becoming a World Champion

In late 1985, Lalonde started working with a new manager, Dave Wolf, and a new trainer, Teddy Atlas. Lalonde won 8 fights in a row with Atlas as his trainer. However, they had different personalities and styles, so they stopped working together. Lalonde then hired Tommy Gallagher and Bobby Cassidy as his new trainers.

His first fight with his new trainers was on May 7, 1987. He won against Mustafa Hamsho. His next fight was for a world title. On November 27, 1987, Lalonde knocked out Eddie Davis in the second round. This made him the new WBC Light Heavyweight Champion. The fight took place in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. He defended his title there too. On May 29, 1988, he knocked out former champion Leslie Stewart in five rounds.

The Big Fight Against Sugar Ray Leonard

On November 7, 1988, Donny Lalonde had the biggest fight of his career. He fought Sugar Ray Leonard in Las Vegas, Nevada. Lalonde earned six million dollars for this fight. They fought for Lalonde's WBC Light Heavyweight Championship. They also fought for a new title, the WBC Super Middleweight Championship. This meant Lalonde had to weigh 168 pounds, which was less than his usual weight. Some people worried this would make him weaker. But Lalonde said he felt great and had no problem making the weight.

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

Retirement and Comeback

After Sugar Ray Leonard gave up the WBC Light Heavyweight Championship, Lalonde was supposed to fight Dennis Andries for the title in June 1989. But shortly before the fight, Lalonde surprised everyone by retiring. He said, "I just don't have the desire to hit people anymore."

Donny Lalonde returned to boxing in 1991. After winning four fights in a row, he fought Bobby Czyz for the WBA Cruiserweight Championship on May 9, 1992, in Las Vegas. Czyz knocked Lalonde down in the first round. Lalonde got up and finished the round. But Czyz kept attacking and landed many punches. Czyz won the fight after twelve rounds.

After losing to Czyz, Lalonde did not fight for four years. He came back to the ring and won three more fights. Then, in 1998, he had a draw (a tie) with Kevin Pompey. Lalonde took another break until 2002. After three more wins, he fought former champion Virgil Hill in Winnipeg on July 7, 2003.

In the first round, Lalonde fell into the ropes after being hit. The referee said it was a knockdown, but Lalonde felt it was due to his footwork. Lalonde spent most of the fight moving backward and trying to land his right hand. Hill controlled the fight, landing many jabs and hooks while avoiding Lalonde's powerful punches. Hill won the fight 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.

Teddy Atlas's Book

In 2006, Teddy Atlas, one of Lalonde's former trainers, wrote a book about his life. In the book, he talked about a very difficult time he had after he stopped working with Lalonde. He mentioned that he was very upset about not being Lalonde's trainer for the big fight against Sugar Ray Leonard. Lalonde later said he wasn't surprised by what Atlas wrote, as Atlas had often had arguments with other boxers and trainers.

Awards and Recognition

Donny Lalonde was honored by being added to the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 1990.

Helping Other Boxers: TKOOO

Donny Lalonde now works to help boxers live healthier lives after their careers. He started an effort called "TKOOO," which stands for "Taking 'K'are Of Our Own." This program teaches fighters about natural ways to stay healthy and how to prevent problems from their boxing careers.

Donny Lalonde'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 Lalonde's lifestyle. He said that Lalonde mostly ate vegetables and avoided processed foods. He would make his own juices and eat with chopsticks. He trained while listening to music by Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens. He also had special deep-tissue massages called rolfing.

Professional Boxing Record Summary

Donny Lalonde's professional boxing record was:

• 41 Wins (33 by knockout, 8 by decision)
• 5 Losses (2 by knockout, 3 by decision)
• 1 Draw (a tie)

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)	1982-10-07	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