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

[gibo]

Didn't he get a gift against Tommy Hearns in the rematch? Didn't he get knocked down in the 3rd and the 11th round by Hearns and recieved a draw? And how about Ray getting mopped by Terry Norris in the 2nd and 7th round of their fight. Then claiming a leg injury as an excuse.. The dude was a good fighter, but not a Great one. Also ducking Aaron Pryor didn't help!!!

[The Beatles]

Didn't he get KO'D by Hector "Macho" Camacho?

didn't pacquiao get knocked out by.......who???? damn i forgot his name...must've been a bum

[HaglerSteelChin]

Didn't he get KO'D by Hector "Macho" Camacho?

That was when he made an ill advised return of the sport after another retirement after the Terry Norris fight.

Comparing to SRL to fighters who fought over 100 times is not always the most rational thing. Since few fighters of recent times have over 50 fights let alone 100 fights. For example, DLH retired 39-6 and won titles in 6 different weight classes and he is not even close to what SRL accomplished.

The more you study his big 6 wins the more impressive they are. Benitez was an undefeated prodigy and SRL didn't just win he knocked him out with a few seconds left to make sure he took the title from the champ; didn't want to be like Curry and lose a disputed decision. Benitez is the youngest champion in boxing history and i personally think he is a top 60 ATG.

Roberto Duran was like 72-1 when SRL beat him and he made him quit which is something he never did before or after that fight. Duran is rated anywhere from top 10 to 20 by many critics.

He beat Kalule an undefeated JMW champion that was a southpaw. Many thought a southpaw would give SRL problems but he was able to win and by stoppage.

If you look at the early Thomas Hearns fights he was seen almost as invincible. Bob Arum in those days bragged "nobody will be able to beat this kid." SRL showed that a boxer can become a puncher and was able to beat the undefeated Hearns. Which is still bigger than what Hagler and Barkley did as being the first to beat the goliath is the greater accomplishment. Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon and some will know that Buzz was the 2nd- how how many know the 3rd man on the moon?

After the eye problem he had that one fight with Howard and did the improbable by beating Hagler and ending his 12 defense streak.

He knocked out Lalonde to win titles #4 and #5. Its important to know that SRL has won all titles from the major bodies WBC, WBA, and IBF. He was considered by many to be the best fighter of his era.

SRL also beat good contenders as Floyd mayweather Sr., Viruet, and Geraldo. Also winning a Gold Medal is not too shabby when many didn't think you would win.

Unfortunately, the eye injury kept him out of the sport and took a few quality years away. I don't think he is a top 10 fighter but i do think you can make a case for top 15 and he is definitely top 20.

If you want to say not enough fights exclude him from top 20 than why would Beethoven or Wagner be considered among the top 4 composers of all time? Haydn, Handel, and Vivaldi wrote alot more music than both of them. Because quality and impact sometimes is marked higher than quantity.

[Lacrimosa]

Maybe... but than he should tie that place with Duran, Hagler and Hearns, as he is not better than them,as he is not worse...

[The_Demon]

look at the wins on is resume

enough said

[mickey malone]

Didn't he get a gift against Tommy Hearns in the rematch? Didn't he get knocked down in the 3rd and the 11th round by Hearns and recieved a draw? And how about Ray getting mopped by Terry Norris in the 2nd and 7th round of their fight. Then claiming a leg injury as an excuse.. The dude was a good fighter, but not a Great one. Also ducking Aaron Pryor didn't help!!!

He'd have beaten Pryor, and I agree Hearns beat him in their rematch.. Norris was poetical justice for the way he had Donny Lalonde starved inorder to mug him of his light-heavyweight belt.. Leonard then boiled himself all the way back down to 154 for a big money fight with Norris who at the time was right up there in the P4P ratings.

[carlos slim]

Even Jimmy Bivins has a better resume of ATG's than that.. Not to mention Charles, Moore, Burley, Angott, Ali, Robinson, Pep, Greb, Loughran, Walker, Ross, Duran, Gans, Chavez, McLarnin, Britton, Canzoneri, Ike Williams, B. Leonard, Arguello, Pacquiao, Monzon, all have better winning resumes against greats than SRL.. He's between 25 and 30 in my opinion..

well 1st of all were talking about top 15 you named like 20 fighters so lemme just discredit a few, without taking away their atg status...1st of all most of those guys had 60+ fights, leonard only had 40 because of his eye injury....

monzon never overcame a size disadvtange to the best i know....arguello was not able to beat pryor, thats similar to leonard-hearns....archie moore=bad chin...when you talk about those guys from the 1930s they may have had better resumes because they fought more but there skills do not match...

[GJC]

...archie moore=bad chin...

Getting KO'd 7 times in 30 years is having a bad chin?

[JAB5239]

Getting KO'd 7 times in 30 years is having a bad chin?

Yeah that a bit absurd when all but 2 I believe came at heavyweight and against mostly HOF'ers. AND this was over 185 fights against many of the best of all time.

[carlos slim]

Getting KO'd 7 times in 30 years is having a bad chin?

u ever see that fight where him and the other guy keep knocking down each other....i think it was in canada......imo a superfight win as long as both are in there relative primes (not lewis-tyson) is worth more then several wins over top contenders....