Did Ray Leonard Get Fighters At The Right Time?

[Thread Stealer]

why is it much more belivable than a hbo doc with experts talking? deep down i think ray didnt want to know with pryor.

That HBO series has a number of myths for dramatic effect. It's a well-made series, but also causes viewers to say a lot of bull****.

A "calling out" of someone in the long run means ****. For some reason, boxing fans get their ****s hard because someone "calls out" someone, like a 5th grade lunchroom fight, but the real "calling out" is in negotiations. Pryor never moved to 147 where the big names were residing, turned down a fight with Duran @ 150 due to managerial problems, and wasn't happy with the Leonard offer.

And then there's the fact that it makes no sense for a guy who fought Benitez, Hearns, Duran, and Hagler to fear the jr. welterweight Pryor.

[Gettin Jiggy]

That HBO series has a number of myths for dramatic effect. It's a well-made series, but also causes viewers to say a lot of bull****.

A "calling out" of someone in the long run means ****. For some reason, boxing fans get their ****s hard because someone "calls out" someone, like a 5th grade lunchroom fight, but the real "calling out" is in negotiations. Pryor never moved to 147 where the big names were residing, turned down a fight with Duran @ 150 due to managerial problems, and wasn't happy with the Leonard offer.

And then there's the fact that it makes no sense for a guy who fought Benitez, Hearns, Duran, and Hagler to fear the jr. welterweight Pryor.

It's called styles. and that article probaly wanted a dramatic effect so people would read it.

am not saying its fact that leonard avoided him, but i do think there was something there.

[Thread Stealer]

It's called styles. and that article probaly wanted a dramatic effect so people would read it.

am not saying its fact that leonard avoided him, but i do think there was something there.

Leonard faced all sorts of styles. A welterweight has no obligation to face a junior welterweight champion. If Pryor wanted it so bad, he should've made some noise at 147, or accepted the offer.

The "something" that was there was both guys being greedy and wanting more money.

[Gettin Jiggy]

Leonard faced all sorts of styles. A welterweight has no obligation to face a junior welterweight champion. If Pryor wanted it so bad, he should've made some noise at 147, or accepted the offer.

The "something" that was there was both guys being greedy and wanting more money.

to be honest i dont really belive this so called offered due to article saying it! like you dont belive hbo LN's.

[Thread Stealer]

Pryor discusses not being happy with a half-million.

[Obama]

The topic at hand is not "who's fault is it that Ray's best wins were against fighters not at their best". The topic is simply whether or not they were at their best. And they clearly weren't. This includes a drained Hearns in the first fight, as Leonard forced him to come in underweight just to get a decent paycheck.

Leonard ducked rematches (after winning) with both Hearns and Duran until he figured they had less in the tank than him. He guessed right on Duran, guessed wrong on Hearns.

[Miburo]

To a degree - Duran has no one to blame but himself for whatever negative contribution his lack of preparation had on his effectiveness.

Hagler more so, as I think most would agree SRL would have lost conclusively to Hagler even a few years prior, but stylistic differences (as well as Hagler's ill-advised move to fight the first three rounds orthodox) enabled a past-prime Leonard to be competitive with a past-prime Hagler.

[sonnyboyx2]

Just been thinking. Did ray get 2 of his biggest wins due to picking the right moment to fight them?

Hagler was in decline and was 33 years of age. and Ray had invited him to a meal, and noticed hagler was realy enjoying his drink and knew it was the right time. Hagler also was belived to be having drug problems.

The second time he fought duran, he wanted the fight 5 months after the first. because he knew duran really gained weight, and when bob arum when to see duran in traing for the fight, arum said he would be lucky to make LHW. why didnt he just wait a few more months to fight the best duran, and in the 3rd duran was past his best.

Thoughts?

Rubbish`... Ray Leonard never hand-picked opponents because they was on the slide.. he fought Thomas Hearns when they was both in their ultimate prime, he fought Benitez when he was at his best, he fought Duran in Montreal when both at their best and he fought Hagler when he returned from 3yrs out and Hagler was "fighting-fit"... Leonard was Class!

[Stoppage]

It's hard to say for Hagler. But he got Hearns, Benitez and Duran at the right time.

[Bright-Eyes]

I think he ducked pryor...

I really don't blame him either. Arguello truly had an iron set of balls fighting that guy again.......after the gimme the bottle, no no the one I mix problem....

Pryor was a badass...if there's one man I can think of when I think of 'monstrous stamina' he's the first guy that comes to mind...like the energizer bunny or something...just insane...

I'm glad that you brought this up because I recently made a thread concerning Leonard supposedly "ducking" Aaron Pryor.


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