I love how everybody says "Tommy Hearns would beat this guy and that guy blablabla"

[IronDanHamza]

He's always used as a consolation opponent when someone tries to prove to me what a monster Hearns was. It just seems like he's always the after thought. Its like saying Mayweather, Pacquiao, DlH............Oh yeah and Zab Judah just to prove my point.

Well, he is the "after thought" of that era. That's of course a testament to how strong that era is as opposed to how good Benitez was. He's definitely the weakest link of the "Fantastic five".

But, still, I think it's hard to argue he's overrated and I don't think it's fair to compare him to Zab Judah.

Benitez is very skilled and his resume isn't too bad either. He also happens to have one of the biggest and most astounding accomplishments in the history of Boxing with his win over Cervantes.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he's a Top 20 ATG or anything like that. I'm just saying, I don't think it's fair to say he's overrated. He is a great fighter, IMO.

He fell short with Hearns and Leonard but there's no shame in that. Most did.

[studentofthegam]

I meant Benitez. Hearns did too, though. And it's not like Hearns had a Floyd Patterson chin, it just wasn't iron. It was average to maybe slightly above. I agree with you that a lot of guys had flaws that people tend to overlook, but I don't think Hearns is one of them. He really was incredible. Benitez wasn't a perfect fighter but he was incredibly skilled and gifted. I think he had more natural ability than Mayweather, but Mayweather's unparalleled work ethic made him a better and greater fighter.

That certainly counts for something. Im not saying he's garbage or even close. Of that era he's just the other guy. I was just saying that he only seems to be used to validate Hearns. This is the one rare occasion someone even mentions his domination of Duran. Its no coincidence that Duran is the other "Flawless Darling" of that era. LOL. I dont want to make it sound like a conspiracy theory but damn. I cant leave out the fact that Floyd could have possibly lost to Castillo or Pacquiao's been KOed twice by body shot to discredit the next generation of fighters.

[studentofthegam]

Well, he is the "after thought" of that era. That's of course a testament to how strong that era is as opposed to how good Benitez was. He's definitely the weakest link of the "Fantastic five".

But, still, I think it's hard to argue he's overrated and I don't think it's fair to compare him to Zab Judah.

Benitez is very skilled and his resume isn't too bad either. He also happens to have one of the biggest and most astounding accomplishments in the history of Boxing with his win over Cervantes.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he's a Top 20 ATG or anything like that. I'm just saying, I don't think it's fair to say he's overrated. He is a great fighter, IMO.

He fell short with Hearns and Leonard but there's no shame in that. Most did.

I do agree that over all it was more great fighters in that era. I just used Judah, not as an exact comparison but it seems like Zab is that next tier down in this era. Good skills, good res but came up a little short at times. No shame in being Super Judah in that aspect.

[Scott9945]

which doesnt mean anything.

I was just pointing out what the REAL scores were. The only ones that would have mattered if the fight went the distance.

[Miburo]

Hearns' size + style just match up really well at WW and JMW against most fighters that have ever fought. Very hard to deal with, especially for smaller opponents. It wasn't really until he hit MW that his fights stopped being physical mismatches. Also some of the fastest hands ever at those weights, he could land the jab at will on virtually anyone, probably one of the top 3 all-time best jabs.

[bojangles1987]

He lost two big fights. Two. That's no where close to "almost all of them."

[Hands of Iron]

okay so you guys say Hearns was unbeatable at welterweight. so then tell me who did Hearns beat at welterweight? normal fighters with normal records (no disrespect to them, but thats how it is). Cuevas was the only one he beat who was well known, then Hearns lost to the first real big name which is Leonard. end of story. period.

Hearns outboxing Leonard over the majority of 12 rounds actually proves more than anything Floyd or Pacquiao have done at the weight; demolishing Cuevas inside of two does as well. He also beat several rated welters on his ascension to the top and showdown with Leonard. He was favored in the fight for good reason and despite Leonard's longer track record. His physical attributes, fighting ability and skill set made him one of the most dangerous welterweights of all-time.

here we go. hearns is the best. hearns would kill pacquiao. hearns would kill floyd. Just as I said. everybody here thinks hearns is the greatest welterweight of all time. based on WHAT?? based on losing to a top 15 welterweight all time?

btw some guy just said Leonard is the 2nd greatest welterweight of all time. hahahahaha. he is not. Leonard is so great cause of his overall resumè, not "just" or BECAUSE of his welterweight reign.

How many would you put over him? Not even Robinson has a better top three than Hearns, Duran and Benitez there. Gavilan is the only comparable fighter from an ability/skill standpoint (at the time), and he'd been bettered by lesser fighters and was yet to reach his peak. Shields, Ranzany, Green, Mayweather, Price, Finch, Gant were all amongst the numerous contenders he also bested at 147. Can you tell me what makes guys like McDaniels, Motisi, Fusari, Doyle, et al. any more distinguishable? B-level is pretty much B-level, and Leonard added more bulk than people seem to think because of his fewer fights. His 147 record is comparable to just about anyone you'd care to mention. Weigh the notable wins with notable defeats, he's easily got a case as the #2 Welter of all-time.

[Hands of Iron]

As if it were some type of hipster, foreign idea to rate Leonard amongst the greatest welterweights of all-time.

http://www.boxingscene.com/-top-25-welterweights-all-time-top-ten--23544

http://www.ibroresearch.com/?p=434#respond

http://coxscorner.tripod.com/divisional_ratings.html

He ducked Pryor? No.

Pryor turned down the fight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME4zw...e_gdata_player

Little known fact: Pryor accepted a second offer for $700,000 and signed a contract. He was going to fight Leonard after Stafford. They discovered the detached retina prior to the SRL-Stafford fight.

Pryor never did **** at Welterweight. Pryor had no defense. Pryor gets destroyed, and Leonard is criticized for fighting him today.

Ducked Cuevas? No.

FOUR KINGS by George Kimball

After Leonard won his first world title by stopping Benitez for the WBC welterweight title in November 1979, there loomed an obvious candidate for a big money fight, and his name was not Roberto Duran. In early 1980, the mexican welterweight Jose "Pepino" Cuevas was boxing's longest reigning champion having won his WBA title in 1976 and defended it on ten occasions.

A showdown between the two 147-pound claimants seemed not only natural but inevitable, and the ground work for the fight was laid by Leonard's first WBC title defense, a fourth round one-punch knockout over England's Davey Boy Green in March of 1980.

A deal for the Leonard-Cuevas fight had actually been reached, with the approval of both sanctioning bodies, but the proposed match-up rapidly began to unravel amid charges of backroom politicking involving some unlikely bedfellows.

Although Leonard was the standard bearer of the World Boxing Council, the organization was headquartered in Mexico, and WBC President Jose Sulaiman implored his countryman to step aside and pave the way for a Duran challenge to Leonard (a cynic might have noted Sulaiman's cozy relationship with Don King at work in these machinations: Leonard-Cuevas would have been a big fight on which King would not have made a single peso).

The World Boxing Association, whose title Cuevas held, was based in Duran's home country, and the military government there turned the thumbscrews on a pair of Panamanian officials, WBA president Rodrigo Sanchez and Elias Cordova, the chairman of the organization's championship committee.

Col. Ruben Paredes, who headed up the National Guard of Panamanian dictator Gen. Omar Torrijos, paid a visit to the WBA offices and strongly intimated that it would be in Sanchez's best interests to pull the plug on Leonard-Cuevas. Paredes represented the muscle of Torrijos. Torrijos principal padrone was Carlos Eleta, Duran's influential backer.

Hearns was drained? No.

Exclusive RING interview with Hearns from Jan 1982.

R: You weighed 145 pounds for the fight, surprisingly light isn't it?

H: People think just because I'm tall and have a big upperbody that I should be heavier and that I have problems making 147 pounds. Let me set the record straight right now. I don't have any problems making 147 pounds. I think I proved that by coming in at 145.

R: Might you have overtrained or de-hydrated from making the weight?

H: I couldn't have been de-hydrated. I told you, I made the weight naturally. I didn't have to starve myself. I ate like I always eat before a fight. As for overtraining, that couldn't have been possible. When a fighter overtrains, he gets tired and is not strong during a bout. I never got tired and felt very strong. All I know is that I didn't sweat that much.

[Welsh Jon]

He's always used as a consolation opponent when someone tries to prove to me what a monster Hearns was. It just seems like he's always the after thought. Its like saying Mayweather, Pacquiao, DlH............Oh yeah and Zab Judah just to prove my point.

I threw up in my mouth a little bit at the thought that Benitez was comparable to Judah.

[Japanese Boxing]

It took Ray Leonard 14 rounds to get in enough hits to take down Hearns. Up until then he was being outboxed.

Leonard was smarter, stronger, bigger (with longer range), a harder puncher and just as fast. Just overall better.

It's not the same fight as Ray Leonard. In fact, it's completely different styles. Like I said, I'd favor Hearns, but if both were able to execute their game plans I don't know if Hearns would be as impressive.