Sugar Ray Leonard: My biggest battles were outside ring

Yet the man regarded by many as the world's greatest pound for pound fighter said overcoming his personal demons was a far greater battle.

The stylish American took on some of the sport's hardest men en route to winning seven world titles at five different weight divisions.

But speaking to the Express & Star before he addressed a sell-out crowd at The Premier Suite at Bar Sport in Cannock, the American said some of the greatest battles in his life have come outside the ring.

"Drugs and alcohol were demons of mine," he said.

"When I finished my career I had earned my money but that release I got from boxing was no longer there.

"I looked for something to fill the gap and it took me years to face up to it and really start to talk about it.

"It was about getting an appreciation of where I am in my life and how fortunate I am to still be involved in the fight scene."

But substance abuse is not the only dark place Sugar Ray has visited during his life.

He talked about the sexual abuse he suffered as a teenager, the details of which he revealed for the first time three years ago in his book The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of the Ring.

"That was something I needed to do," he said.

"I am a survivor of sexual abuse.

"For years I couldn't talk about it because of the stigma involved.

"But it dawned on me, you know, I had been involved in fights with the very best, yet there I was fighting fear.

"It was something I kept locked away for so many years but when I spoke up and talked about it there was this great release.

"People would come up to me and tell me that the same thing had happened to them.

"That really makes me realise being open about what I have been through was worthwhile." Having retired 17 years ago, Sugar Ray is still involved in the sport as an occasional TV pundit, and he recently started hosting a new US show called Champs Corner in which he analyses top fighters through the years.

He also travels the world as a motivational speaker, something which he said he hopes 'gives people the focus to overcome their personal battles'.

Taking the Premier Suite stage for an interview with Richie Woodhall, the 57-year-old told the audience that despite winning a gold medal at the 1976 Olympic Games, professional boxing was never on his radar until family circumstances forced his hand.

"I never intended to become a professional boxer and I had a scholarship to go to college after the Olympics," he said.

"But circumstances change you.

"My father was sick. He went into a coma and was rushed into hospital.

"We had no money so I turned professional to pay the bills.

"Within a year I thought 'this is not a bad career', then I decided I wanted to be a champion. I started to think I was pre-destined to get to the top.

"Of course, looking back on it now I don't regret a minute of it."

Sugar Ray, who won 36 of his 40 career fights as a professional, talked about some of his greatest fights, including his split-decision victory against 'Marvelous' Marvin Hagler for the WBC middleweight title in 1987.

"That fight was all about the sweet science of boxing," he beamed.

"I love Marvin. I was lucky enough to fight the very best in a golden era for the sport and he fits into that category."