SUGAR Ray Leonard – one of the biggest names in the sporting world – will arrive in St Helens next month for an afternoon hosted by the Steve Prescott Foundation (SPF) and sponsored Maxilead Metals.

The legendary boxer, world champion in five different weight categories, will be at Sutton Leisure Centre, St Helens on Sunday, March 22, for a grand event that is supported by media partners the St Helens Star.

Throughout Sugar Ray’s glittering career he beat legendary opponents such as Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran and now works as an analyst for major television companies in the United States and for his own personal foundation.

He was the first boxer to earn more than $100 million in purses. He won an Olympic Gold Medal in 1976, was named Boxer of the Decade for the 1980s by Ring Magazine and was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996.

The 58-year-old said: “I am delighted and very much looking forward to coming to St Helens and supporting The Steve Prescott Foundation. I have heard Steve was a remarkable man. I also look forward to meeting many of my North West fans in the UK. I am also honoured to share the stage with World Middleweight Boxing Contender Martin Murray. It would be great to see the World Middleweight Championship Belt again”

Mike Denning, chairman of the SPF believes the event has the potential to raise significant funds for the charity, which raises funds for The Christie, the Rugby Football League Benevolent Fund and the Oxford Transplant Unit.

“It is part of the SPF remit to bring world-class people and events to St Helens. Steve would be really excited at the thought of hosting Sugar Ray Leonard. I don’t know how much money we’ll make, but any money raised for the charities we support will be amazing.

“Sugar Ray Leonard is a huge name, an iconic name in the sporting world, and for him to come and support Steve’s name and legacy will be phenomenal. An opportunity like this comes along very very rarely – and we are expecting high demand for places when tickets go on sale. It’s going to be a remarkable and unforgettable occasion.”

Tickets are on sale in four separate ticket categories from £55 upwards.

For further enquiries e-mail info@steveprescottfoundation.co.uk