Sugar Ray Leonard: Former pro boxing champ wants to show off his dance moves

Sugar Ray Leonard has been named to the list of celebrities that will compete on ABC's 'Dancing With The Stars.' Will Sugar Ray Leonard's quick feet inside a boxing ring give him an edge on the dance floor?

For some men, ballroom dancing is akin to hand-to-hand combat or boxing.

For a championship-caliber boxer like Sugar Ray Leonard, dancing should be a breeze.

It was announced this week that Leonard has been cast on ABC-TV's 'Dancing With The Stars.'

Leonard's former trainer, Angelo Dundee, praised Leonard's footwork and overall boxing skill in a recent interview with The Ring. Dundee, who trained Muhammad Ali, and many other other talented fighters during six decades, put Leonard in a three-way tie as the Best Boxer he's ever coached (including Willie Pastrano and Luis Rodriguez).

And relevant to Leonard's coming days on the dance floor, Dundee said Leonard was tied for Quickest Feet:

Ray’s feet were quick in a way that he could shift position or change angles when on the inside in the blink of an eye. Most of his opponents couldn’t handle the way he moved those feet of his.

The former 1976 Olympic gold medalist captured six different championship belts as a professional boxer.

Since his retirement from the ring in 1997, Leonard has worked as a television boxing commentator and producer, in addition to motivational speaking engagements.

Other athletes to appear in the next version of 'DWTS' include Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward and pro wrestler Chris Jericho.