Leonard vs Whitaker at welterweight?

[cockey cockney]

If "sugar" ray and "sweet pea" were to fight in there respective primes at welter who would win.....I say Leonard by decision or late TKO.
Opinions?

[LBSCFC]

definitely leonard for me. it was his best division. pernells was lightweight. leonard would find a way to win against all welters in history (bar robinson)

[SimonH]

Whitaker at welterweight was a shadow of the fighter that he was at his 135lbs best. Leonard would pick him apart.

[BIG H]

Yeh, but picture a different scenario where Whitaker was in his prime at Welter - the what?

[SimonH]

Yeh, but picture a different scenario where Whitaker was in his prime at Welter - the what?

Pound for Pound I still cannot see Whitaker winning, Leonard was more than a one trick pony...

[mokele]

During Leonard's prime he was 1 of the fastest fighters of all time for a welterweight, had great technique and balance and was a true warrior as well. His stature as a fighter is comparable to what Roy Jones Jr.'s was before he lost to Tarver and Glen Johnson.

On the other hand, Whitaker was a clever cutie of a boxer with a style based on frustrating clean, classical fighters with a bit of shoving, use of his right shoulder, pushing and timely clinching to go along with excellent speed and accuracy. He had little power as a welterweight and only average power as a lightweight. He had a very long reach for a short fighter and so was able to successfully box taller guys from the outside.

Leonard-Whitaker would have been close, with Leonard's power being the deciding factor. It's hard to see Whitaker winning such a fight. He lost to De La Hoya, and a few years later to Trinidad, so there's no way he could beat a fighter such as Leonard.

[BIG H]

Tells you how good Hearns was, coz he was schooling Leonard for 13 rounds before his lanky legs turned to rubber

[BrooklyniteQueen]

Are we talking about a Prime Pernell Whitaker?

And a Prime Sugar Ray Leonard.

Leonard was devastating when he could get inside on you aside from a fighter like Whitaker who would keep Leonard on the outside. Leonard's greatest asset which is being able to be inside to slug it out with you and explode combinations would be his downfall against Whitaker who would keep him on the outside. Whitaker at 135 even would beat Leonard the extra weight wouldn't be a factor because it would be a long time before Leonard landed anything. Like Leonard at Welterweight but if this is a prime form Whitaker I can't see him losing to anyone.

[Scrap]

Leonard never reached when punching even against hearns at his peak,He had perfect posture.Probably from gymnastics and a great eye,plus a very good Latterel movement.When punching very rare he missed Got to go with sugar 7 to 9rds KO