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If we were to include Ali's 1960s run then yeah, probably. My list is based on post-1970 and he basically had two careers. He beat bigger names in the 70s, but one could make a rather strong argument he was No. 1 HW of the previous decade as well.
Ray Leonard, in my experience, is terribly underrated and reviled on many boxing forums. The reason for this is that he made Duran quit and decisioned Marvin Hagler, two truly hardass fighters with passionate, rabid fanbases. I know this, because Duran is probably my favorite fighter of all-time. However, I can't knock SRL's accomplishments.
You know, for all of the pitter patter featherfisted insults, there was not one fighter Ray Leonard met in the ring from June '79 to November '88 that he didn't stop, with the exception of Marvin Hagler who had arguably the greatest chin ever, or at worst near the top of the list.
Who did Ray Leonard meet? Within 22 months from 1979-81, he fought and beat 3 Hall of Famers and a fourth lineal champion in a higher weight class. Their combined record at the time he beat them: 178-1-1. That's Wilfred Benitez (38-0-1), TKO15. Roberto Duran (72-1), TKO8. Ayub Kalule (36-0), TKO9. Thomas Hearns (32-0), TKO14. He was an underdog to Hearns and it took one of the greatest comebacks basically ever to pull off that win. In between all this he wiped out contenders Dave Green and Bruce Finch, both by KO/TKO and in mighty impressive fashion.
Then he beats MARVIN HAGLER who hadn't tasted defeat in 11 years. Slowed or not, Leonard had fought once in the previous five years and never at 160. Marvin was a cherry on top. Donny Lalonde was the spinkles. If you watch that fight, you see Leonard get off the canvas and nose bloodied, put a savage beating on him. That isn't a featherfist. It's a stone cold killer.
Ray Leonard, in my experience, is terribly underrated and reviled on many boxing forums. The reason for this is that he made Duran quit and decisioned Marvin Hagler, two truly hardass fighters with passionate, rabid fanbases. I know this, because Duran is probably my favorite fighter of all-time. However, I can't knock SRL's accomplishments.
You know, for all of the pitter patter featherfisted insults, there was not one fighter Ray Leonard met in the ring from June '79 to November '88 that he didn't stop, with the exception of Marvin Hagler who had arguably the greatest chin ever, or at worst near the top of the list.
Who did Ray Leonard meet? Within 22 months from 1979-81, he fought and beat 3 Hall of Famers and a fourth lineal champion in a higher weight class. Their combined record at the time he beat them: 178-1-1. That's Wilfred Benitez (38-0-1), TKO15. Roberto Duran (72-1), TKO8. Ayub Kalule (36-0), TKO9. Thomas Hearns (32-0), TKO14. He was an underdog to Hearns and it took one of the greatest comebacks basically ever to pull off that win. In between all this he wiped out contenders Dave Green and Bruce Finch, both by KO/TKO and in mighty impressive fashion.
Then he beats MARVIN HAGLER who hadn't tasted defeat in 11 years. Slowed or not, Leonard had fought once in the previous five years and never at 160. Marvin was a cherry on top. Donny Lalonde was the spinkles. If you watch that fight, you see Leonard get off the canvas and nose bloodied, put a savage beating on him. That isn't a featherfist. It's a stone cold killer.
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