Why Isn't Benny Leonard the GOAT?

[Anthony342]

Doesn't matter, because if you're the big star, you can make any fight happen. I didn't say Cottto and Mosley didn't do some ducking as well, but it still hurts his legacy that those fights didn't happen sooner. And I don't hate Mayweather at all, just feel his resume is lacking.

[ShoulderRoll]

That's just it, Floyd wasn't a big star back then. That's why he was avoided.

Even Lampley and Roy Jones say in the video that he was too high risk and low reward. He didn't become the "Money" Mayweather cash cow until after he accepted the low end of a 70-30 split to get De La Hoya in the ring.

[rightsideup]

Benny Leonard was a genius in the ring. It would have been kinda neat to see him become a trainer later in life. I understand the era he fought in was considered very high as far as lightweights go. I just cannot consider him better than Robinson at his peak or some others I will not mention. He just was not blessed with the physical gift's combined with skill like Ray Robinson was.

[LoadedWraps]

I call them pure boxers myself. They must have a deep medicine bag of traditional skills at their disposal. High athleticism helps. Floyd fits right in with guys like Mike Gibbons, Benny Leonard, Gene Tunney, Sweetpea Whitaker, Willie Pep, Wilfred Benitez and a few others.

Notably Ali, Leonard and Jones, three of the greatest fighters ever, are absent from this list. They relied mostly on supreme natural athleticism, and did not have a deep bag of traditional boxing skills. Once their reflexes were gone they were easy meat.

Mayweather is not one of the greatest fighters ever, in my view, because of the way he consistently conducted his career, but he is definitely one of the greatest pure boxers--he showed me enough to deserve that. The only key to being a great fighter is taking the monster challenges and winning them. Sometimes even being in them elevates your status. Mayweather lacks precisely those monster matches in his career where people thought he might get killed and he emerges victorious. People in their day actually thought SRL and Holyfield could lose their lives. Mayweather does not have that, but he could have. He avoided the thing that makes great boxers into great all time fighters. That is my view on it.

Very well said. Couldn't have said it better myself. Great post.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

I don't think Benny's list of opponents is on par with other fighters in the discussion of GOAT

[Anthony342]

Don't a lot of people consider Benny Leonard the best lightweight ever though? I usually hear his name or Duran in that discussion.

[rightsideup]

Don't a lot of people consider Benny Leonard the best lightweight ever though? I usually hear his name or Duran in that discussion.

They both had long reigns at lightweight some feel benny fought better opposition but most cannot argue that most of duran's opponents wish they were accountants and not fighters after being in the ring with him

[Anthony342]

So then yes, GOAT Lightweight.

[rightsideup]

So then yes, GOAT Lightweight.

not really I said some people think that benny leonard fought the best opposition at Lightweight but people underate people on durans lw resume like kenny buchanan , he ctor tompson, and esteban dejeus. Benny Leonard did not move up in weight to beat sugar leonard, davey moore and iran barkly and fight hagler well way before his decline.

[Anthony342]

Ah okay. But I know some pick Benny Leonard and others go with Duran as the best all time at lightweight. Kind of like how some go with Joe Louis and others Muhammad Ali for best heavyweight.