Donny Lalonde is an accomplished boxer known for his intense punching power, charisma, and fearless climb into the ring against some of the biggest names in boxing.
Though born in Winnipeg, he sharpened his craft in Detroit, which forever linked his iconic career with the Metro’s storied boxing culture.

It was unusual for Lalonde, a simple Winnipeg kid, to pick up boxing.

Coming from a poor upbringing, he developed his discipline and identity through sport, rising from Canadian rings to the international spotlight with a natural knockout punch…all while fighting with one right hand.

By the mid-1980s, Lalonde was training in one of Detroit’s best fight gyms, the Kronk, a place that gave his fighting style some toughness and polish.

At Kronk, Lalonde and the best of his era fought and sparred, and it was only thanks to Detroit’s cutthroat environment that he refined his mechanics, discipline, and strategy – the same city that would serve as the birthplace to his world title run.

On November 27th, 1987, Lalonde lost the title to Eddie Davis, yet he would still go on to be considered one of Canada’s best boxing stars and a model of persistence.

He was an aggressive, power-first type, often called “The Golden Boy.”

Then came Las Vegas and the infamous November 7, 1988, showdown.

There, Lalonde fought Sugar Ray Leonard in a match that would go on to be considered among boxing history’s most unusual and historic fights…one where Lalonde knocked Leonard out in round four with a sharp right hook only to have Leonard eventually end the entire thing in a ninth-round TKO.

That fight, one of the biggest of the 1980s, established Lalonde as a hard-hitting, fearless puncher even if he didn’t walk away the champion.

Lalonde fought until the 1990s without a world championship, securing 33 knockouts, 5 losses, and 1 draw. After that, he retired but continued to have involvement in boxing in the form of motivational speeches and charitable work.

Although he was never a native Detroiter, he became known as a Kronk Gym legend – an international fighter who came to Kronk seeking greatness and refused to aim low in life.

To this day, his name is synonymous with resilience, risk, and reinvention.

For that, Detroit’s boxing fans will always have a special place in their hearts for him.

Victoria Jackson (Editor In Chief)

Victoria Jackson is a lifelong student and sharp-eyed documentarian of all things Detroit, from its rich musical roots and cultural icons to its shifting neighborhoods, storied architecture, and underground legends. With her finger firmly on the pulse of both the city’s vibrant past and its rapidly unfolding future, she brings a deeply personal, historically grounded lens to every piece she writes.

Published on: August 22, 2025