Is Sugar Ray Leonard overrated?

[jvsnypes]

Would you say skills have decreased in the modern era?

Yes, without a doubt. With the exception of Ward, Hopkins, Mayweather,L. Peterson, and Rigo, I honestly don't see fighters with a high boxing IQ and skill set. Cotto is highly skilled and I see that Canelo is really improving, but I don't see any Whitakers, McCallums, or Toneys in this era. Even an aggressive fighter like Chavez Sr was highly skilled. You don't see that style anymore. What heavyweights of today are skilled like Lewis, Bowe, Holmes, or Holyfield? You just don't see it. I don't blame the fighters of this era, I blame the trainers for not being teachers of the sweet science.

[Pain~Lucy]

Leonard bodies Mayweather

*grabs popcorn*

[Sugar Adam Ali]

Leonard bodies Mayweather

*grabs popcorn*

But your right,,, he does body floyd....
Floyd is a great fighter, but he would never be welter champ with guys like leonard, benetiz, duran, hearns, curry in the division

[REMOVE SHARK 55]

But your right,,, he does body floyd....
Floyd is a great fighter, but he would never be welter champ with guys like leonard, benetiz, duran, hearns, curry in the division

I disagree buddy. Some of the above posters talking about he walked through Hearns punches those triangle theories don't work. What's that got to do with Floyds chin?. Floyd has never been knocked out for some of you to say he'll be ko'd shows how hatred can cloud your judgement.

For me it boils down to who has the smarter boxing IQ and there's only one winner everytime, in ANY hypothetical match up.

[Mr. Philadel]

becauses wins over Benitez, Duran, Hagler and Hearns make your overrated... Okay.

Exactly

[The plunger man]

Lets put the love for our favorite fighters aside and go off of straight logic. Floyd vs Ray is just like comparing Ray vs Roy, its just not realistic. As much as I love Ray as a fighter and with all of his abilities and resume, he simply would be too small for the naturally bigger and gifted Roy Jones. Now that holds for Floyd as well. Yes, he is one of the best skilled technicians to ever do it, but he is naturally the smaller fighter and was actually not as good at 147. The version of Floyd that would have given Ray problems was at 130 and 135. That was when he put it all together defensively as well as offensively. That's when he threw way more punches and many in combinations. At 147, he was defensive minded and a pot shotter. That honestly can't be disputed by the most die hard Mayweather fan.

Now you are talking about a natural lightweight with brittle hands all his career fighting a big welterweight who walked down a brutal knockout artist in Hearns. So...if Hearns and a i54lber like Kalule couldn't keep that pitbull off of them, you mean to tell me a defense first, brittle handed, blown up welterweight could??? Its just not logical. What punch would be effective for Floyd? The check hook??? The jab to the stomach??? The straight right??? Ray walked through monster punchers like Duran, Hagler, and Hearns but would get slowed down by Floyd??? It just doesn't make sense. And...I think we get caught up in the hype. Defense wins championships in team sports, not boxing. What you witnessed with Floyd is a great throwback technical fighter competing in an era where the fundamental skills were absent. That is why Floyd, Hopkins, Toney, and Roy are still fighting. This generation is full of talent and ability,but lack the skill set to retire these older fighters in the ring. Ray was battered by Norris because Terry was an old school fighter. Ali was battered by Holmes because Larry came from the old school of boxing and mastered the basic fundamentals of the sweet science. That threat was never there for Floyd and he made that clear every time he made the statement that he was ROBBING THE BANK. He meant that he was making record setting amounts of money by beating marketable names with less skill set. Floyd is a throwback and that is why he is so great in this era. Put him in Leonard's era and he would need more than just skills to beat the greats of that generation. "Skills pay the bills" in this current era. In those days, that just was not the case. If Ray couldn't outbox you, then he would man up and out fight you. That just was a different era of boxing compared to today. So yes, in a 15 round fight at 147, I truly do think Ray stops Floyd, especially if it was on the big stage where both were elite fighters fighting to prove who was the best. Now...if they both were just up and coming and not yet elite a 12 round fight, and the stakes weren't as high, I see it going the distance, but still Ray winning. At 147, Floyd would have absolutely no advantages over Ray. And personality wise, Floyd has the mentality to hit and not get hit, while Ray would take the necessary risks to get to him. Floyd Mayweather is a future hall of famer and an all time great fighter. But its still not realistic to put him in the ring with Sugar Ray Leonard and think he would be successful. There is absolutely no one on his resume to prove otherwise. Put Floyd in the ring with Hearns, Duran, Hagler, Benetiz, Kalule, and even Bonds and there are many question marks. I don't see him winning the majority of those fights. Put Ray in the ring with every fighter that Floyd has fought, and in all honesty, what do you think the results would be??? I can't think of even one of his opponents that would hear the final bell.

..that's a very good breakdown fella......were talking about Floyd losing every physical advantage if he set foot in the ring with Leonard.....they go on about floyds may weathers IQ but that only works if your pretty matched in most departments ......and Leonard's IQ was just as equal...Jesus he broke Durans Heart in the 2nd fight, he became the puncher against hearns, he out boxed el radar Benitez and he made hagler try to box with him hagler went orthodox even though southpaw was his best chance.....Leonard was a beast compared with mayweather ...respect

[bojangles1987]

He is overrated but that doesn't mean he isn't great. He's just such a great public figure people forget he lost to a lightweight moving up two divisions.

That lightweight was one of the 10 best fighters in boxing history and won a title at middleweight. I think it's an acceptable loss.

I ****ing hate Leonard, but his career is the best example of how a modern fighter can make up the difference that old school greats have in number of fights as far as having a case for GOAT. Leonard might have had a legit case if not for the eye injury that cost him a few years. He is absolutely not overrated.

[MurkaMan]

Yes, without a doubt. With the exception of Ward, Hopkins, Mayweather,L. Peterson, and Rigo, I honestly don't see fighters with a high boxing IQ and skill set. Cotto is highly skilled and I see that Canelo is really improving, but I don't see any Whitakers, McCallums, or Toneys in this era. Even an aggressive fighter like Chavez Sr was highly skilled. You don't see that style anymore. What heavyweights of today are skilled like Lewis, Bowe, Holmes, or Holyfield? You just don't see it. I don't blame the fighters of this era, I blame the trainers for not being teachers of the sweet science.

Ward and Rigo are TEN TIMES the fighter than Pernell is dude Lol! Pernell is a flashy, bob n weave, showboat for the audience, defensive wizard!

Defensive wizards are so overrated, and always gets their azzes whipped trying to look cute. Floyd aint no defensive wizard imo! He is a fullblown tactician that stands in front of you without getting grazed! Changes his entire fighting style for 49 different opponents, and dominates them all easily, even when they were half his age and 15lbs heavier!

We have to remember Pernell is so overrated, he has about 5 fights in his entire career where he looked ALMOST as sharp as Floyd!

Pernell is FAR from a Ward, Rigo, Crawford! Ward is a slower, less athletic version of Mayweather imo!

This era is so much better than the 80s! Its just that the fab four were all in weight classes where they could go up and down and fight eachother!

NONE of the fab four are as good as Ward, Floyd, Rigo, Crawford, or even Loma, its just that the fighters in THIS weight class are in WAAAY different weight classes! So you wont see Crawford fighting Ward and Rigo!

I think this era is the first era in boxing where you got SEVERAL perfect tacticians! Intelligent fighters who cant be touched! I think Floyd was the introduction to this new breed of perfect fighters like Ward, Rigo, Crawford!

They are his bastard children! In fact, imagine Rigo fighting in the 80s, they would be SHOCKED that he even exists! They arent used to tactical fighters who are almost ghostly when you try to touch them! Rigo aint no damnn Benitez, that would be insulting!

But we werent shocked when we saw Rigo, because Floyd has been around showing our era what boxing could be! Even a guy like Lara, who is trash in our era, would be very effective in the 80s! I could imagine All of the fab four complaining about him running and mad because they have problems trying to touch him!

And to me, Lara is just a very effective bum imo!

[b00g13man]

Ward and Rigo are TEN TIMES the fighter than Pernell is dude Lol! Pernell is a flashy, bob n weave, showboat for the audience, defensive wizard!

Defensive wizards are so overrated, and always gets their azzes whipped trying to look cute. Floyd aint no defensive wizard imo! He is a fullblown tactician that stands in front of you without getting grazed! Changes his entire fighting style for 49 different opponents, and dominates them all easily, even when they were half his age and 15lbs heavier!

We have to remember Pernell is so overrated, he has about 5 fights in his entire career where he looked ALMOST as sharp as Floyd!

Pernell is FAR from a Ward, Rigo, Crawford! Ward is a slower, less athletic version of Mayweather imo!

This era is so much better than the 80s! Its just that the fab four were all in weight classes where they could go up and down and fight eachother!

NONE of the fab four are as good as Ward, Floyd, Rigo, Crawford, or even Loma, its just that the fighters in THIS weight class are in WAAAY different weight classes! So you wont see Crawford fighting Ward and Rigo!

I think this era is the first era in boxing where you got SEVERAL perfect tacticians! Intelligent fighters who cant be touched! I think Floyd was the introduction to this new breed of perfect fighters like Ward, Rigo, Crawford!

They are his bastard children! In fact, imagine Rigo fighting in the 80s, they would be SHOCKED that he even exists! They arent used to tactical fighters who are almost ghostly when you try to touch them! Rigo aint no damnn Benitez, that would be insulting!

But we werent shocked when we saw Rigo, because Floyd has been around showing our era what boxing could be! Even a guy like Lara, who is trash in our era, would be very effective in the 80s! I could imagine All of the fab four complaining about him running and mad because they have problems trying to touch him!

And to me, Lara is just a very effective bum imo!

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pain~Lucy]

But your right,,, he does body floyd....
Floyd is a great fighter, but he would never be welter champ with guys like leonard, benetiz, duran, hearns, curry in the division

Of course I know i'm right, I just want to see their reaction or reply but it seems Larry agree with me