Who was better, Sugar Ray Leonard or Roy Jones Jr?

[billeau2]

Wow its that unanimous? Not one peep for Jones? Ill play devil's advocate here: Sure Leonard could do more things than Jones, but Jones was superb at what he could do... How would Leonard deal with Jone's power in the exchanges?

Leonard could not use most of his artifice against JOnes, defense would hardly really matter, counter punching? probably not between these two! It would come down to the exchanges most likely and who got there first...Jones with his ackward ways, or Leonard with his angles, speed and and grit. JOne's speed and relative size at a catch weight even, seem to loom very large!

[The Old LefHook]

Wow its that unanimous? Not one peep for Jones? Ill play devil's advocate here: Sure Leonard could do more things than Jones, but Jones was superb at what he could do... How would Leonard deal with Jone's power in the exchanges?

Leonard could not use most of his artifice against JOnes, defense would hardly really matter, counter punching? probably not between these two! It would come down to the exchanges most likely and who got there first...Jones with his ackward ways, or Leonard with his angles, speed and and grit. JOne's speed and relative size at a catch weight even, seem to loom very large!

This must be one of those aspects you know very little of but on the other hand are an expert in.

[billeau2]

This must be one of those aspects you know very little of but on the other hand are an expert in.

When I started posting on the boards...a few years back for sure, there was no "floyd Mayweather" instead there was the cult of Roy. Jones was the second coming, the perfect fighting machine, a man who could do not wrong, and if one were to question any aspect of that, you were deluded.

It just suprises me that one can today have a thread where Roy Jones is allowed to lose! lol. In point of fact I think if they met at a catch weight Leonard would win. He would not mix it up with Jones, he would pick his spots. Jones would not be effective enough to win a decision imo, but wanted to make it interesting!

[The Old LefHook]

I am of the opinion that a catch weight affair with any significance at all was never possible between them at full blossom because of the flat huge difference in their natural prime weights. You would have a welterweight facing off against a super middleweight--unless, that is, you want to scale the boys P4P, and make the whole thing a mythical P4P shindig. In which case I would be inclined to agree with your given assessment. Raw talent between them nearly balances out. In the ring Leonard would figure out effective adaptations faster between the two, once he realized his normal talent advantage would not bail him this time. If I know Leonard, he will have been looking for ways to take advantage of Roy in every facet of boxing, life and psyche well before the fight, and he may have found it, or created it. Ray was complete in that respect. Some fighters do not have a game outside the ring. The very great ones often do.

Almost every time Homer mentions Odysseus (in a book about him, I remind you) he precedes his name with the usual citation of resourcefulness. The same citation would do for Leonard, who had a complete game, whose rules and methods extended even into the minds of fans and the very judges. Hardly any fighters of the past have shown this trait. Ali possessed it massively and perhaps originally. (Others before him had it to various degrees, of course, but that is for another discussion). Leonard knew how to work his moments much more effectively than ol' Roy. Leonard could really rise to the occasion, as they say. In fact, he specialized in that. He specialized in the rare type of challenge that is breathtaking. Roy, on the other hand, avoided such massive nerve testers his whole career, so I cannot even figure out what he is doing in this fight.

Ray had more nerve for greatness than Roy. The top corps of all time greats often craves the big event, and earnestly seeks the most press and the mightiest challenge of impossible mountains, like the heroes of old on a quest. Talent approximately balances out. Leonard wins with a deeper medicine bag, a broader game, and most likely a better chin.

Scaled to P4P, I believe each man has enough punch to KO or TKO the other.

[OctoberRed]

Wow its that unanimous? Not one peep for Jones? Ill play devil's advocate here: Sure Leonard could do more things than Jones, but Jones was superb at what he could do... How would Leonard deal with Jone's power in the exchanges?

Leonard could not use most of his artifice against JOnes, defense would hardly really matter, counter punching? probably not between these two! It would come down to the exchanges most likely and who got there first...Jones with his ackward ways, or Leonard with his angles, speed and and grit. JOne's speed and relative size at a catch weight even, seem to loom very large!

Jones' best weight was 168 or else I would 100% go with Jones. If everything is on an even level and they fight, I would go with Jones.

[The Old LefHook]

Jones' best weight was 168 or else I would 100% go with Jones. If everything is on an even level and they fight, I would go with Jones.

I am hearing who you think would win. I am not hearing why.

[McNulty]

I think prime Leonard beats young 154 lbs. Roy Jones. It's not that far-fetched of fantasy match-ups, both hard excellent performances at junior middle.

Nobody beats Jones at 154 and that goes for Robinson too. 154 was way too big for Ray.

Ray didn't have a good run at jr middle dude. I think you need to open boxrec for a tick.

[Zaroku]

Sugar Ray Leonard proved his class against the best of the best.

As good as Roy looked he suffered from a lack of elite opposition for a large part of his career. It's easier to look spectacular if you are fighting subpar foes.

So...more credit to SRL.

Agreed, but SRR would have whopped both Roy & Ray, just my opinion.

[Zaroku]

Nobody beats Jones at 154 and that goes for Robinson too. 154 was way too big for Ray.

Ray didn't have a good run at jr middle dude. I think you need to open boxrec for a tick.

Good point, I'll look at boxrec and possibly change my position.

Thanks

[Zaroku]

Wow its that unanimous? Not one peep for Jones? Ill play devil's advocate here: Sure Leonard could do more things than Jones, but Jones was superb at what he could do... How would Leonard deal with Jone's power in the exchanges?

Leonard could not use most of his artifice against JOnes, defense would hardly really matter, counter punching? probably not between these two! It would come down to the exchanges most likely and who got there first...Jones with his ackward ways, or Leonard with his angles, speed and and grit. JOne's speed and relative size at a catch weight even, seem to loom very large!

I got Robinson beating Leonard, and BTW, I hate young punks that give themselves that "Sugar" moniker.

Jones would have lightning struck Leonard, too fast..
I don't need to consider opposition to make this assessment.
Kaboom= jones. I'd like to think the smaller Robinson would have found a way to survive & win ( old man talk ) but I can't see Leonard beating wpeither guy.