Sugar Ray Leonard's Villa In Pacific Palisades Can Be Yours For $52 Million

Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard is looking for a buyer for the sprawling Pacific Palisades estate he has called home for more than 25 years. The retired champion and his wife, Bernadette, have listed the nearly two-acre property for:

$51.995 million

Leonard acquired the property in 1993 for approximately $7 million, the equivalent of around $14 million in 2019 dollars. Rather than simply moving into an existing mansion, Leonard and Bernadette purchased adjoining parcels and commissioned architect Richard Landry to create a custom Italian-style villa inspired by the grand residences of Florence.

The resulting compound sits behind gates, mature hedges, and towering trees on one of the most desirable streets in Pacific Palisades. The main residence spans approximately 16,700 square feet, making it considerably larger than the typical celebrity home in the neighborhood. For comparison, Matt Damon's Pacific Palisades mansion, which he purchased for $15 million, measures around 13,500 square feet.

Leonard's villa has seven bedrooms and 15 bathrooms, along with a two-story family room, a formal living room, a large dining room, a solarium, a gourmet kitchen, a wine cellar, a private gym, and a screening room. Architectural details include fireplaces imported from Europe, intricately carved woodwork, vaulted ceilings, and stone floors brought in from Jerusalem.

The primary suite occupies its own private wing and includes dual bathrooms, a fireplace, Juliet balconies, and sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, nearby canyons, and the Santa Monica Mountains.

Mark Davis / Getty Images

The main house is only one part of the property. The grounds also contain a separate two-story guesthouse, an oval swimming pool and spa, a lighted tennis court with a viewing area, a putting green, expansive lawns, outdoor entertaining terraces, and gardens filled with hundreds of rose bushes.

Despite its size, the estate has remained a deeply personal family home. Leonard and Bernadette were married on the property, raised their children there, and used it for everything from private family celebrations to large charitable fundraisers.

Bernadette reflected on the family's time at the estate in a statement released with the listing:

"This home has been a peaceful oasis. We've been blessed to have a space allowing us to host both intimate family gatherings and sizable fundraisers. My hope is that the future owner will cherish this home as much as our family has."

If the property sells near its $51.995 million asking price, it will rank among the largest residential transactions in Los Angeles County in 2019. The region's ultra-luxury market has already produced several enormous sales, including a Holmby Hills mansion that changed hands for nearly $120 million.

Leonard certainly earned the right to build himself an extraordinary home. Over a professional career that stretched from 1977 to 1997, he won world championships in five weight divisions and became one of boxing's first true pay-per-view superstars. He defeated fighters including Wilfred Benítez, Roberto Durán, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler, finishing his career with 36 victories in 40 professional bouts. Before turning professional, he also won a gold medal at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.

Leonard's fights generated enormous audiences and purses, helping him become the first boxer to earn more than $100 million during his career. Now, more than two decades after his final fight, he is preparing to hand his longtime family estate to its next owner.

You can tour the property in the video below from the Tomer Fridman YouTube channel: