Sugar Ray Seales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ray Seales
Seales in 1973
Statistics
Nickname(s)	Sugar
Rated at	Middleweight
Height	6 ft 1 in
Nationality	American
Born	(1952-09-04) 4 September 1952 (age 72) Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Boxing record
Total fights	68
Wins	57
Wins by KO	34
Losses	8
Draws	3
Medal record Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 1972 Munich Light welterweight North American Championships Gold 1971 Latham Light welterweight

"Sugar" Ray Seales, born on September 4, 1952, is a famous American former boxer. He made history by being the only American boxer to win a gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Later, as a professional boxer, he fought the well-known middleweight champion Marvin Hagler three times. Ray Seales also held the titles of NABF and USBA middleweight champion.

Ray Seales' Early Life

Ray Seales was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands. His father was in the U.S. Army and was stationed there. In 1965, Ray's family moved to Tacoma, Washington. He has two brothers who also boxed: Dale Grant (his half-brother) and Wilbur Seales.

Boxing Career Highlights

Ray Seales learned to box through the Tacoma Boys Club's amateur boxing program. His coach was Joe Clough.

Amateur Boxing Achievements

Ray Seales had an amazing amateur record, winning 338 fights and losing only 12.

• He won a gold medal at the 1972 Olympics in the 139-pound weight class.
• In 1971, he became the National AAU light welterweight champion.
• He also won the 1972 National Golden Gloves 139-pound championship. He beat Donnie Nelson in the final match.

1972 Olympic Journey

Sugar Ray Seales

Ray Seales showed great skill at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Here's how he won his gold medal:

• Round of 32: He defeated Ulrich Beyer from East Germany on points.
• Round of 16: He won against Jim Montague from Ireland on points.
• Quarterfinal: He beat Andres Molina from Cuba with a close 3–2 score.
• Semifinal: He won against Zvonimir Vujin from Yugoslavia with a clear 5–0 score.
• Final: In the championship match, he defeated Angel Angelov from Bulgaria with a 3–2 score, earning the gold medal.

Professional Boxing Journey

As a professional, Ray Seales was a top contender for the middleweight title in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He won important regional titles like the USBA and NABF championships.

His most famous fights were against future middleweight champion Marvin Hagler.

• In July 1974, Ray lost a very close fight to Hagler.
• Three months later, they had a rematch, and it ended in a draw.
• After losing to European champion Alan Minter in 1976, Ray continued to fight.
• His hopes for a world title ended when he lost to Marvin Hagler again in 1979.

Life After Boxing

In 1980, Ray Seales had a serious eye injury during a fight. He had to retire from boxing because of a retinal tear in his left eye. This injury caused him to become legally blind. His situation, along with that of another boxer, Sugar Ray Leonard, was used by people who wanted to stop boxing for safety reasons.

Years later, doctors performed surgery and were able to restore his vision in his right eye. Ray now wears glasses. After boxing, he worked as a schoolteacher for students with autism at Lincoln High School in Tacoma for 17 years. He retired from teaching in 2004. In 2006, he moved to Indianapolis with his wife. Today, he teaches at Indy Boxing and Grappling, sharing his knowledge and passion for boxing.

Awards and Recognition

Ray Seales has received several honors for his contributions to boxing:

• In 2005, he was inducted into the Tacoma-Pierce County Sports Hall of Fame.
• On May 5, 2018, Ray Seales was part of the first group of people inducted into the Indiana Boxing Hall of Fame.

Professional Boxing Record Summary

Ray Seales had a long and successful professional boxing career.