Sugar Ray Seales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ray Seales |
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Seales in 1973
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| Nickname(s) | Sugar | ||||||||||||||||
| Rated at | Middleweight | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in | ||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||||
| Born | 4 September 1952 Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands |
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| Boxing record | |||||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 68 | ||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 57 | ||||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 34 | ||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| Draws | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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"Sugar" Ray Seales was born on September 4, 1952. He is a former American 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 competed against the famous middleweight champion Marvin Hagler three times. Ray Seales also held the titles of NABF and USBA middleweight champion.
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Family and 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. Ray has two brothers who also boxed: Dale Grant (his half-brother) and Wilbur Seales.
Career Highlights
Olympic Journey
Ray Seales learned to box through the Tacoma Boys Club. His coach, Joe Clough, helped him become a skilled amateur boxer. Ray had an impressive amateur record of 338 wins and only 12 losses.
- In 1971, he became the National AAU light welterweight champion.
- In 1972, he won the National Golden Gloves 139 pounds championship. He defeated Donnie Nelson in the final match.
- Also in 1972, he achieved his biggest dream: winning an Olympic gold medal.
1972 Olympic Results
Ray Seales competed in the light welterweight category (139 pounds) at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Here's how he won his gold medal:
- Round of 32: He won against Ulrich Beyer from East Germany.
- Round of 16: He defeated Jim Montague from Ireland.
- Quarterfinal: He narrowly beat Andres Molina from Cuba with a 3-2 score.
- Semifinal: He had a clear victory over Zvonimir Vujin from Yugoslavia, winning 5-0.
- Final: In the gold medal match, he defeated Angel Angelov from Bulgaria with a close 3-2 score.
Professional Boxing
After his Olympic success, Ray Seales became a professional boxer. He was a strong competitor in the middleweight division during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He won important regional titles like the USBA and NABF championships.
Some of his most memorable fights were against future middleweight champion Marvin Hagler. In July 1974, Ray lost a very close fight to Hagler. Just three months later, they had a rematch, and this time it was a draw. Ray Seales continued to fight, but after a tough loss to Hagler in 1979, his chances for a world title became much harder.
Retirement
In 1980, Ray Seales had a serious eye injury during a fight with Jaime Thomas. He had a severe tear in his retina, which made him decide to retire from boxing. After this injury, he was declared legally blind.
Life After Boxing
Years after his retirement, doctors performed surgery and were able to restore vision in Ray's right eye. He now wears glasses. Ray Seales then became a schoolteacher. He taught students with autism at Lincoln High School in Tacoma for 17 years, retiring in 2004. In 2006, he moved to Indianapolis with his wife. Today, he teaches boxing at Indy Boxing and Grappling.
Honors
Ray Seales has received several honors for his achievements:
- In 2005, he was welcomed 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.
