SUGAR RAY LEONARD - HOW GREAT??
Gonna get some flack for this, but I aint a believer that Leonard was a top 10 all time great!!
Yeh the guy was a great and fought in the best era in history for his weight, but on watching his fights I don't think he was quite as good as a lot of people believe
Duran I
He was getting busted up by Duran during that fight and was really bullied (can't believe Duran started career at 119 pounds) love that fight
Hearns I
Was dominated throughout the fight was totally busted up and would've lost a 12 round fight. Great credit for getting Hearns out of there in the 14th though
Hearns II
I thought he was well beaten
I aint slating the guy, I just would put Hagler and Duran ahead of him p4p all time - and if Hearns had a better chin and didn't have legs like Jelly, he would've been better than all of them
At the end of the day he did beat Duran (No Mass) Hagler (Questionable) and Hearns ( A bit fortunate) but I don't think that
Re: SUGAR RAY LEONARD - HOW GREAT??
Personally i don't think you can take any credit away from him when it comes to Hearns vs Leonard 1 , it was a 15 round fight, they both knew that , and Hearns got stopped.
Re: SUGAR RAY LEONARD - HOW GREAT??
I do not like him, but he was a great welterweight. His greatness was illustrated by his come from behind victory over Hearns, shows true heart. His peak was not long, and he is rightly penalised for selecting his opponents after, but he was a great fighter. I was glad when Norris battered him and even the macho man.
Re: SUGAR RAY LEONARD - HOW GREAT??
The guy was a 4 weight World Champion. He beat Hagler, Hearns and Hagler in the best era of Boxing ever!!
He fought in 3 different decades and had a career that lasted 20 years. Oh and not to mention that in 1979 he fought 9 times and won...........9 times.
What more do you have to do to be GREAT ???
The guy is a legend!
Re: SUGAR RAY LEONARD - HOW GREAT??
I HATE HIM for knocking out Tommy.....
I HATE him for being given a gift against Hagler....
But I have to give him his due he fought in a golden age of MW, WW the mid 80's.....
He ain't top 10 P4P but top 25 for sure
Re: SUGAR RAY LEONARD - HOW GREAT??
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poom
Personally i don't think you can take any credit away from him when it comes to Hearns vs Leonard 1 , it was a 15 round fight, they both knew that , and Hearns got stopped.
Exactly!
Re: SUGAR RAY LEONARD - HOW GREAT??
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlackRazor
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poom
Personally i don't think you can take any credit away from him when it comes to Hearns vs Leonard 1 , it was a 15 round fight, they both knew that , and Hearns got stopped.
Exactly!
Yeah I agree with that too.
Re: SUGAR RAY LEONARD - HOW GREAT??
Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG H
Gonna get some flack for this, but I aint a believer that Leonard was a top 10 all time great!!
Yeh the guy was a great and fought in the best era in history for his weight, but on watching his fights I don't think he was quite as good as a lot of people believe
Duran I
He was getting busted up by Duran during that fight and was really bullied (can't believe Duran started career at 119 pounds) love that fight
Hearns I
Was dominated throughout the fight was totally busted up and would've lost a 12 round fight. Great credit for getting Hearns out of there in the 14th though
Hearns II
I thought he was well beaten
I aint slating the guy, I just would put Hagler and Duran ahead of him p4p all time - and if Hearns had a better chin and didn't have legs like Jelly, he would've been better than all of them
At the end of the day he did beat Duran (No Mass) Hagler (Questionable) and Hearns ( A bit fortunate) but I don't think that
Only reason he lost the Duran fight is because Duran was talking trash that Leonard never fights or brawls ect so Leonard wanted to prove he could stand his ground if Leonard would of fought his normal way the trilogy would be 3-0 to Leonard.
Hearns was a beast at Welterweight 6 foot 1 tell me one person at Welterweight who wouldn't be outboxed by Hearns at some point ??
I think Leonard is great he had 3 year lay off and comeback to beat number 1 man in Middleweight division Hagler.
Beating
Hearns
Hagler
Duran
Benitez makes you a great.
Re: SUGAR RAY LEONARD - HOW GREAT??
Not to mention Kalule,and a Gold Medal in 76
Re: SUGAR RAY LEONARD - HOW GREAT??
The night of Leonard v Hearns Id been in Boxing 15 years. What I saw that night were the best 2 welters Ive ever seen who on that night would have beaten any other, living or dead.
Re: SUGAR RAY LEONARD - HOW GREAT??
Ice Cold, Trainer & Scrap - great points by all 3 of you!
Re: SUGAR RAY LEONARD - HOW GREAT??
Quote:
Originally Posted by ICE COLD BOXING
Quote:
Originally Posted by BIG H
Gonna get some flack for this, but I aint a believer that Leonard was a top 10 all time great!!
Yeh the guy was a great and fought in the best era in history for his weight, but on watching his fights I don't think he was quite as good as a lot of people believe
Duran I
He was getting busted up by Duran during that fight and was really bullied (can't believe Duran started career at 119 pounds) love that fight
Hearns I
Was dominated throughout the fight was totally busted up and would've lost a 12 round fight. Great credit for getting Hearns out of there in the 14th though
Hearns II
I thought he was well beaten
I aint slating the guy, I just would put Hagler and Duran ahead of him p4p all time - and if Hearns had a better chin and didn't have legs like Jelly, he would've been better than all of them
At the end of the day he did beat Duran (No Mass) Hagler (Questionable) and Hearns ( A bit fortunate) but I don't think that
Only reason he lost the Duran fight is because Duran was talking trash that Leonard never fights or brawls ect so Leonard wanted to prove he could stand his ground if Leonard would of fought his normal way the trilogy would be 3-0 to Leonard.
Hearns was a beast at Welterweight 6 foot 1 tell me one person at Welterweight who wouldn't be outboxed by Hearns at some point ??
I think Leonard is great he had 3 year lay off and comeback to beat number 1 man in Middleweight division Hagler.
Beating
Hearns
Hagler
Duran
Benitez makes you a great.
Surely that proves that shows his frail mentality, not exactly something you expect from a great.
The loss to Duran takes him down a lot in my opinion, Duran was great but he was 12 lbs over his best weight. But he redeemed himself making Duran quit. The third fight came so late it has no historical relevance to me. Beating Hearns (Knocking him out aswell) is a great acheivement, specially showing the character forcing teh kayo while down on the cards. The second fight IMO Hearns won but it goes down as a draw in the record books so after two fight with Hearns being able to say you never lost to 'The Hitman' that is a fantastic thing to be able to boast about. To out fox Hagler the way he did but The biggest jewel in his crown. To beat one of the greatest middleweight's of all-time at 160 lbs is SRL's greatest achievement IMO. a win over a much bigger Don Lalonde is another vital part of the great moments in his career. The losses to Norris and Camacho don't mean anything to me. Ali lost to Berbick but everyone forgets that fight and remebers his prime so thats what I am doing with Leonard.
I have him just outside the top te of all-time.
Re: SUGAR RAY LEONARD - HOW GREAT??
Shaw I dont think that shows a fraility of character
A level of arrogance he couldnt back up,ok Id grant that
He really thought he could slug with the guy,and up to then,who had proven him wrong?
Re: SUGAR RAY LEONARD - HOW GREAT??
He was good. But he wasn't great.
Re: SUGAR RAY LEONARD - HOW GREAT??
if you are calling suger ray good and not great i don't think you know boxing.