PALA INDIAN RESERVATION -- Sugar Ray Leonard insists he's too old to fight professionally and too young to attempt another comeback.
"That's George Foreman's thing," he says, "He's what, 56?"
With his fighting career behind him, Leonard, 47, will step inside the ring again tonight at Pala Casino -- as a promoter for the nationally televised Pala Punch-Out.
Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing has been providing monthly cards for ESPN's "Friday Night Fights" since 2001.
Tonight's bouts, which begin at 5 in Pala's Events Center, will feature an IBF elimination bout between former junior middleweight champion Verno Phillips and IBF Americas champion Julio Garcia.
The junior middleweight division is seen as one of the most exciting in boxing -- Oscar De La Hoya, "Sugar" Shane Mosley and Fernando Vargas all fight at that weight -- because of the strength and relatively smaller size needed to compete.
Leonard said Garcia and Phillips are no different.
"They're both great fighters, and the winner has a chance to fight for the world title," Leonard said.
But the fights will take off themselves. Leonard's job as promoter is to ensure that boxing fans see a great show, regardless of how the bouts pan out. The former five-time world champion will spend much of tonight's card meeting fans, signing autographs, and schmoozing with Pala officials.
"There are very few household names out there anymore," Leonard said. "Everyone won't be a Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya or Mike Tyson, so the show you put on makes a huge difference."
Leonard is no stranger to the business of boxing. He served as a his own promoter after winning Olympic gold in 1976, became one of the country's top endorsers in the 1980s and used his business skills to found Sugar Ray Leonard Boxing in 2001.
"It was a relatively easy transition," he said, "but its a different animal. When I was fighting, I was in control of my own destiny. Now, it's a little different. With this, you can control your show -- how it looks, how it goes, and how the public and fans like it."
If tonight's show is a success, Leonard could become a regular at Pala. The casino is an easy drive from his Los Angeles-area home and would be a natural fit for someone who prefers to stay close to his family.
Leonard played golf at Redhawk Golf Course on Wednesday and spent Thursday receiving the star treatment at Pala's spa. He wouldn't mind doing it all again soon.
"We're building a relationship with Pala to bring three or four of these fights here," Leonard said. "The venue's perfect; the spot here is perfect. It's all perfect."
Contact staff writer Ryan Finley at (909) 676-4315, ext. 2630, or rfinley@californian.com.
