Sugar Ray Leonard Is NOT at Top 15 ATG!!!!!!

[Othello]

He wouldn't be in my personal top 15 but I can understand that people put him in theirs.

[bklynboy]

I've never done a definitive list, but it's not unreasonable for him to be outside the top 15.

I second that.

[krispy kreme]

A lot of people, who know their ****, put Leonard up there.

[bklynboy]

A lot of people, who know their ****, put Leonard up there.

There are so many great fighters, and with many it so hard to compare. How do you compare Jack Johnson with Sugar Ray Leonard.

How about Sam Langford who fought from lightweight to heavyweight or Stanley Ketchel?

SRL was an excellent fighter, but was he even in the TOP 10 of the past 40years?

Duran, Monzon, Hagler, Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr., Sweet Pea Whitaker, Alexis Arguello, JCC, Aaron Pryor, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Michael Spinks, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson.

I'm not saying I wouldn't put SRL above Tyson (I would) but I can see how a lot of people would disagree with me.

The point is even getting into the TOP 10 of the last 40 years is difficult. How about if we go back 60 years and include Ali, Frazier, Liston, SRR, Carmen Basilio, Emile Griffith.

Not taking anything away from SRL but I don't think he's TOP 15 of all-time. I think he is border-line TOP 25 and that isn't bad at all.

[Snopkins]

SRL was an excellent fighter, but was he even in the TOP 10 of the past 40years?

Duran, Monzon, Hagler, Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr., Sweet Pea Whitaker, Alexis Arguello, JCC, Aaron Pryor, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Michael Spinks, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson.

Only an idiot would ask such a question and only an idiot would suggest that these fighters have any claim to being greater than Leonard.



Aaron Pryor? Are you serious? What argument is there for Pryor being greater than Leonard? He has three notable wins on his entire resume and it should be questioned whether he is an ATG to begin with.

[krispy kreme]

There are so many great fighters, and with many it so hard to compare. How do you compare Jack Johnson with Sugar Ray Leonard.

How about Sam Langford who fought from lightweight to heavyweight or Stanley Ketchel?

SRL was an excellent fighter, but was he even in the TOP 10 of the past 40years?

Duran, Monzon, Hagler, Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr., Sweet Pea Whitaker, Alexis Arguello, JCC, Aaron Pryor, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Michael Spinks, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson.

I'm not saying I wouldn't put SRL above Tyson (I would) but I can see how a lot of people would disagree with me.

The point is even getting into the TOP 10 of the last 40 years is difficult. How about if we go back 60 years and include Ali, Frazier, Liston, SRR, Carmen Basilio, Emile Griffith.

Not taking anything away from SRL but I don't think he's TOP 15 of all-time. I think he is border-line TOP 25 and that isn't bad at all.

I think Leonard is above many of those guys, but I understand what you are saying.

[Sugarj]

That post of yours was excellent bklynboy!

Completely agree...........

[Tiozzo]

i don't think he's top 15. possibly top 25 or so.

Beating Benitez, Duran, Hearns, Hagler, in other words beating all the best fighters of his era who also happen to be all-time greats, being champion in 5 weight classes (let's say 4), only losing once while he was in his prime, I believe those are strong arguments to make him top 15, but I would not enter him in a top 10.

Should be noted that Leonard is in the top 10 of many respected historians/writers.

[#1Assassin]

ray was a great, great fighter. but he was also a media creation. he got bailed out due to his marketability on a number of occassions aswell as overrated in general.

i think hes a top 30 fighter, 25 at best. which is still amazing. but 15 is pushing it, 10 is silly.

[bklynboy]

SRL was an excellent fighter, but was he even in the TOP 10 of the past 40years?

Duran, Monzon, Hagler, Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr., Sweet Pea Whitaker, Alexis Arguello, JCC, Aaron Pryor, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Michael Spinks, George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson.

Only an idiot would ask such a question and only an idiot would suggest that these fighters have any claim to being greater than Leonard.


Aaron Pryor? Are you serious? What argument is there for Pryor being greater than Leonard? He has three notable wins on his entire resume and it should be questioned whether he is an ATG to begin with.

Assuming you took exception to the ones you underlined and thought the others were reasonable you can still make a case that SRL barely makes the TOP 10 in the last 40 years.

I have a hard time making lists, I kind of lump fighters into "groups," saying "He's a TOP 5" or "He's a TOP 20" and I don't try too hard at separating #17 from #18.

I think that it wouldn't be difficult to come up with 15 names that would be above SRL over the last 100 years.

That being said, it doesn't take anything away from SRL if someone place Jack Johnson or Sam Langford above him. And furthermore how do we compare a Marciano with SRL? *I* would place SRL above Marciano but a case can certainly be made for Marciano.