I know he didn't quite have a great quantity of fights next to a lot of other ATG's but I'd have to say the quality of his fights more than make up for it. If you think about it hard you got his wins over Hearns, Duran, Hagler, Benitez, etc. He just had a downright amazing career!! He definitely deserves top-ten for his accomplishments in my book. Maybe even the whole fab-four do?!
bert sugars book has him at 25th just behind ezzard charles. Where do you forum members have him?
Try as I might, I find it hard to quarrel with the 24 Sugar places ahead of SRL. I will give Leonard this though - he ranks 2nd. only to Duran among the so-called "Fab Four" (incl. Hearns, Hagler).
Its easy to forget how many truely exceptional pound for pound fighters the world has seen since the late 1800s. Giving Leonard a place in the all time top 25 might seem like an obvious no brainer, but when you start compiling an ATG list.............places disappear very quickly.
Its hard trying to place Leonard accurately amongst names like Robinson, Greb, Pep, Moore, Charles, Louis, Langford, Ali, Gans, Fitzimmons, Monzon, Wilde, Tunney, Benny Leonard, Ross, Armstrong.
Its easy to forget how many truely exceptional pound for pound fighters the world has seen since the late 1800s. Giving Leonard a place in the all time top 25 might seem like an obvious no brainer, but when you start compiling an ATG list.............places disappear very quickly.
Its hard trying to place Leonard accurately amongst names like Robinson, Greb, Pep, Moore, Charles, Louis, Langford, Ali, Gans, Fitzimmons, Monzon, Wilde, Tunney, Benny Leonard, Ross, Armstrong.
This is my thoughts on it too. So many guys and Leonard although he was great, wasn't seemingly as great as these other guys. Unfortunately we only have word and records of Greb, but if we had it he damn well could change how everyone looks/ranks fighter P4P.
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