Monday night in Las Vegas, Ray (That's Right, Just One Fight, Just Marvin Hagler And That's It) Leonard will do what he does best - come out of retirement.

Having already said so long more times than Frank Sinatra, Guy Lafleur and Earl Weaver put together, Leonard goes into the ring to fight Donny Lalonde, the Canadian light-heavyweight who became a boxer after realizing there wasn't much money in the Vitas Gerulaitis look-alike business.Before we go any further with this fight, let me ask you a question: Why do you think Sugar Ray, who had the whole boxing world to choose from, is fighting Lalonde?

Is it a) Because the public demanded it?

Is it b) Because the name Don Lalonde had become synonymous with strength, savagery and skill throughout the world?

Is it c) Because Ray wanted to make a pile of cash without risking his good looks, and he figured he could fight in a tuxedo and still beat this guy?

How many of you picked c?

Good.

Normally I'd buy the argument that a light-heavyweight only needs one punch to level a welterweight, which is what Ray was for most of his career - including three of his retirements. But Ray's a legitimate middleweight now, fully defined and comfortable at 160 pounds, and owing to a precondition to the bout, Lalonde can't top 168 at the weigh-in. Does an eight-pound differential qualify as a light-heavy against a welter? What's that, the new math?

Meaning no disrespect to Lalonde, but it's not exactly like he's bringing a resume into the ring that should scare the horses. A year and a half ago he was ready to retire himself. His left shoulder was dead, his right fist was broken and he'd scheduled his "retirement fight," against Jean-Marie somebody or other in the Ivory Coast, admittedly to collect $150,000 and try for a "lucky shot."

Since then Lalonde's had his right fist restructured, and two operations on his shoulder, one to insert a pin, the other to insert a staple. Is he a boxer or a set of instructions for putting up curtains? Even after all this bionic surgery Lalonde reportedly can't throw hard with his left arm, which is fine, if you're Tommy John.