As seen in this video herewith….our treasure chest of vintage memories here at ImaSportsphile may have the “Very Best GOAT” rendition of this awesome truly American tune….”America The Beautiful“….which we feel describes the incredible blessing that we have to be American better than any other song written….and it is being sung by the genius of Ray Charles….while just before fight time at the 1980 World Welterweight Boxing Championship Title Fight between two boxing legends Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard….after Duran had taken Sugar Ray’s title from him some 5 months before…..and all of this goes on in the ring at the fight as boxing sportscasting legend Howard Cosell calls the action….cuz all we can say is does it get any better than this.
If you watch Sugar Ray in the background throughout Brother Ray‘ rendition of “America The Beautiful” ….for you can distinctly see a change in the demeanor and attitude of Sugar Ray Leonard….like from uptight to loose….and the Howard Cosell sums it up just perfect when he said…“prior to the song, Leonard seem uptight and tense but now oddly poised and confident”….cuz it is our opinion that Ray Charles put Sugar Ray Leonard into a frame of mind that allowed him to go out and be the boxer that he was naturally….and kick Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran into what became….NO MAS….NO MAS.
Anyway you cut the pie….this video is a “rare diamond” in our treasure chest of vintage memories in our library here at ImaSportsphile.
