What people don't realize about Sugar Ray Leonard's Greatness is...

[Roy Keane]

leonard said himself he fought a lot without head gear and small gloves during training to get ready for hagler so yes he had tune ups.

[them_apples]

That he was retired at the young age of 25, with TKO victories over prime Wilfred Benitez, Tommy Hears and Roberto Durant.

He then retires due to eye injury on his left eye, is ordered by doctor not to fight, stay away from the ring for 3 years. Then comes back to fight, with no tune ups and beats the best pound for pound fighter in the world in the world at that time... Marvlin Hagler.

So when you Mayweather and Pacquiao fans are out there making statements about either of them being the best fighters of all time, remember that boxing dosen't consist of only the last 10 years.

yeah well hes considered one of the greatest WW of all time for a reason

[jvsnypes]

As great as Leonard was he still lost to a LW moving up 2 weight classes. That cant happen ever. Hes still great though.

The lost was controversial, but still a decision I can live with. Plus it was against an all time great and the best lightweight ever. So it doesn't take away from Leonard's greatness what so ever. Duran, at that time, would have beaten Manny and Floyd too at 147.

[jvsnypes]

Am a big Ray Leonard fan (Check username) but just like any great boxer over the last 30 years or so there are positives and negatives surrounding them, Must power to him for coming out and fighting Hagler without any tune ups but he also fought Hagler "according to him" when he knew hagler wasnt the same fighter, He also looked for advantages in contracts before agreeing to step in the ring with Hagler, something Pac/Roach would be proud off, He then fought Lalonde (If i remember correctly) at a smaller weight while he require lalonde to also put his belt from a different division on the line in that same fight.

So while Ray is a great fighter and a warrior he also did all the things that we accuse the RJJ,Mayweather or Pacquiao of doing right now.

I don't think that's worth mentioning. Any fighter that has worked his butt off to be in a position to make those type of demands, deserve it. The opponents don't have to accept anything. But, they know fighting these top guys will give them their biggest payday. And at the end of the day, its called PRIZE FIGHTING.

[-Antonio-]

Sugar had two tuneups behind closed doors befote the Hagler fight I have read. Still impressive nonetheless.

[Ray*]

I don't think that's worth mentioning. Any fighter that has worked his butt off to be in a position to make those type of demands, deserve it. The opponents don't have to accept anything. But, they know fighting these top guys will give them their biggest payday. And at the end of the day, its called PRIZE FIGHTING.

It's worth mentioning because we nowadays critise the new generation of boxer for doing the same thing, facts are facts and am pointing out those facts, nothing for anyone to get hurt about.

[Luilun]

That he was retired at the young age of 25, with TKO victories over prime Wilfred Benitez, Tommy Hears and Roberto Durant.

He then retires due to eye injury on his left eye, is ordered by doctor not to fight, stay away from the ring for 3 years. Then comes back to fight, with no tune ups and beats the best pound for pound fighter in the world in the world at that time... Marvlin Hagler.

So when you Mayweather and Pacquiao fans are out there making statements about either of them being the best fighters of all time, remember that boxing dosen't consist of only the last 10 years.

Sugar Ray would have beat Maywearther and pacquiao on the same night

[djtmal]

That he was retired at the young age of 25, with TKO victories over prime Wilfred Benitez, Tommy Hears and Roberto Durant.

He then retires due to eye injury on his left eye, is ordered by doctor not to fight, stay away from the ring for 3 years. Then comes back to fight, with no tune ups and beats the best pound for pound fighter in the world in the world at that time... Marvlin Hagler.

So when you Mayweather and Pacquiao fans are out there making statements about either of them being the best fighters of all time, remember that boxing dosen't consist of only the last 10 years.

SonOfCuba, thanks for the information, regarding the greatness of Sugar Ray Leonard...SonOfCuba, in a fantasy matchup regarding Sugar Ray Leonard and Floyd Money Mayweather Jr., when a poster sided with Floyd Money Mayweather, because of all the adversity Floyd Money Mayweather has going on now, and how mentally/physically strong he is, I pointed out that Sugar Ray Leonard, between fighting Kevin Howard in 1984 and Marvin Hagler in 1987, battled ******* abuse, marital problems, etc. during his three year layoff, and also moved up in weight, to outpoint Marvelous Marvin Hagler, for the undisputed 160 lb. title...

SonOfCuba, I compared that to Floyd Money Mayweather, taking an 18 month layoff, to come back and beat Juan Manual Marquez, a fighter who would never rank as high on an atg list, as Marvelous Marvin Hagler, and who had to move up two weight classes to face Floyd Money Mayweather during the course of one fight, at a catchweight, which Floyd Money Mayweather, welched on....

[MurkaMan]

That he was retired at the young age of 25, with TKO victories over prime Wilfred Benitez, Tommy Hears and Roberto Durant.

He then retires due to eye injury on his left eye, is ordered by doctor not to fight, stay away from the ring for 3 years. Then comes back to fight, with no tune ups and beats the best pound for pound fighter in the world in the world at that time... Marvlin Hagler.

So when you Mayweather and Pacquiao fans are out there making statements about either of them being the best fighters of all time, remember that boxing dosen't consist of only the last 10 years.

SRL Has a better LEGACY Than them both, but skillwise, Mayweather is far from anything boxing eyes have ever witnessed...there has never been a fighter like this...Greatness to me, is PARTIALLY when u go thru a war, and u rise to the occassion...the best fought eachother, went thru wars, After Ray retired, he would come back and beat the guy who won each war...he retires again, while the other fighters went thru a war, showing their greatness, then he comes back and beats the winner...SRL Is The greatest to me...Well its a tie between him and Ali...I dont see Floyd in that equation, but skillwise, he is obviously the better fighter!