ESPN 1st Take- Sugar Ray Leonard says he would beat Money Mayweather in their primes.

[IamInuit]

It would look very similar to the Benitez fight.

[bigstinkybug]

*It's not enough to say "May is the best in the last 15 years"..he wants it all... truth is, he hasn't fought Paq, can he beat Paq? Let's forget SRL, how about prime Oscar de La Hoya? Prime Sweet Pea? Prime Hearns?... let's just say,he's the best today, that's enough.

[jehoshaphat]

These threads can only create arguments. There is no way to resolve the top greats from different eras. Name one all timer who will admit they would lose to another fighter. Everybody has an opinion and so did Ray Leonard's brother...who told Ray himself that Floyd is the guy he can't see him beating. So should pro-Floyd guys take that as fact? Its just an opinion. And my opinion, just one man's opinion, is that in a heads up fight Ray Leonard would win most times, something like 3 of 5, but not necessarily the first fight. Floyd adapts quickly and better. Also, the anti-Floyd guys are actually complimenting Floyd because a lot of people say Duran was too small to truly compare head to head against Ray and the bunch but Floyd became champ at 130 and basically maxes out at WW and we compare him to the all timers who basically started at WW and maxed out much higher. Fair play and compliments would compare Ray Leonard in a head to head fight with Bob Foster, Roy Jones Jr, Bernard Hopkins, Archie Moore, Ezzard Charles, Michael Spinks, etc. The all time scale is way too difficult to be giving up significant size and us pretending like its each guy's best weight.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

I really don't know who would win but I suspect the bookies would have Leonard as the favourite.

[imp]

Ray is a legend.
Floyd is future legend.

Both dominated eras.

[outspoken]

Seeing as how Mayweather almost got knocked out by the other Sugar, I can see it. Mosley in his prime would of probably handled mayweather too. Whitaker would be a great chess fight. No knock on Mayweather I think he is without a doubt the P4P 1 of this generation. I just fancy another great P4P fighter in Leonard. I felt he could match Floyd and still have power to trouble him. Mosley at lightweight was p4p as well. IMO Floyd will retire undefeated so all I have to go on him losing is past legends. A lot of people say Hearns but IDK about that one.

[Ron Swanson]

I watched Sr vs Leonard coincidentally like 2 days ago. What I took away from that.

1)Srs right arms really was hurt as he claims. There were portions of the fight he left it dangling straight down, useless. Not playing possum or trying to get out of the fight but clearly injured. There were times he had Leonard tied up with his left with his right arm free to punch or defend but still it dangled straight down. You don't do that unless there is a genuine injury.

2)Sr took a couple rounds off Leonard

3)Leonard was a bit confounded by the style causing Cosell to ask repeatedly what was wrong with Leonard

4)Sr was a very clever fighter but didn't have 1/3 Jrs ability

5)all Leonard could get through was his left hook

You'd have to favor Leonard but anyone saying they are sure either way is talking out their ass.

[brocktonblockbust]

Sugar would unravel him over about 10 or 11 rounds.

[IamInuit]

You need a jab to have any chance and beating Floyd and not just a flea flicker but a world class jab and Ray had one.
You need to be able to keep up with Floyd at the very least in the speed department and Ray was probably faster then he is.
Combination punching. Floyd has barely had a punch landed flush on him even in the fights he struggled in like Castillo 1 or Oscar. Ray would land on him and often. I dont think anyone has ever come close to landing a 2 or 3 punch combination on Floyd. Leonard would and what would the effects of that one certainty be?
Activity levels. Its one thing to keep some of the guys he's fought at bay he has fought by being tricky and working behind that shoulder, turning them with your feet and countering from some check angles and throwing a punch here and a punch there.
Quite another to be able to pull that off with a guy like Ray with his matching speed, punch output and selection along with crisp 3 and 4 punch combinations.

In most cases its Floyds opponents the end up looking like a deer in the headlights but I think the roles would be reversed in this hypothetical.

And just for ones viewing pleasure

[Ron Swanson]

ImInuit, I like your perception of what it takes against Floyd. I just can't help but look at Sr vs Ray. One of the immediate necessities is a good jab. Sr took Rays jab away to the point he stopped throwing it. If Sr could do that he could tell Floyd how to.

I bet this fight would defy the odds and shock us all turning into a cracker. Remember SRL whether Floyd will admit it or not IS Floyds idol. He knows SRL inside and out and he would definitely be out to prove to his idol he's worthy.

Too many variables for certainty

[IamInuit]

ImInuit, I like your perception of what it takes against Floyd. I just can't help but look at Sr vs Ray. One of the immediate necessities is a good jab. Sr took Rays jab away to the point he stopped throwing it. If Sr could do that he could tell Floyd how to.

I bet this fight would defy the odds and shock us all turning into a cracker. Remember SRL whether Floyd will admit it or not IS Floyds idol. He knows SRL inside and out and he would definitely be out to prove to his idol he's worthy.

Too many variables for certainty

That is a fair point but I never said that it would be easy or that he would not have any trouble. He admitted after the Benitez fight that he had never missed so many punches so I would think the comments would be fairly similar following a Floyd fight.

Sure he had some issues with Senior but what people seem to have forgotten is that he also beat the snot out of him. The toughest fight Ray ever had was against my boy Tommy Hearns. Not only did he completely out box Ray for 14 rounds but he landed cleaner, more effective and at a much higher percentage. Tommy took advantage of the freak reach unlike Paul Williams who fought like he had Hattons wingspan.

But Floyd is not Tommy Hearns, nor does he fight anything like him. He may be the best fighter I have ever seen off the back foot but he would be doing it for the entire fight with Rays offensive minded style, speed, combo's etc. The countering foundation that Floyd has built his style around simply wont be enough against Ray Leonard.

[roberto duran legend]

Comparing opponents is ridiculous,its like comparing Ali v Wlad, as i said ridiculous.
Mayweather best opponent was Cotto. Come on,Sugar would destroy the guy.