I was watching Sugar Ray Leonard on Ringside on ESPN Classics

[wpink1]

sugar ray leonard, never tried to box roberto duran in the 1st fight, and roberto duran, never had to cut off the ring, to find sugar ray leonard...stop the nonssense...sugar ray leonard, was in war mode, the minute roberto duran called his wife a whore in spanish...lol...as soon as roberto duran, rocked sugar ray leonard, who was flat footed and standing in front of him, sugar ray leonard was really in war mode, for 15 rounds...

Thank you. I have been trying to tell this dude that.

[Frank Ducketts]

frank ducketts, fanboy reasoning, as you put it, is not in my dna, my man...but frank ducketts, you seemed to get real sensitive, when i mentioned that floyd mayweather jr. would have to go through a lot of atg fighters, just to get a shot at a top 10 atg, in anyones book, in sugar ray leonard (word)..in a fantasy fight, between sugar ray leonard, and floyd mayweather jr., every opinion is subjective and speculative, and can be looked at, from any angle, outside of the obvious boxingscene rhetoric, my man...

Understand this. I only want an explanation as to who wins, Sugar or Floyd, that's all. The above is unwarranted.

[Frank Ducketts]

Lateral movement is lateral movement. Cutting off the ring is cutting off the ring, Anyone can look at the fight and see if it happend or not. I challenge you to produce any segment in the fight where it happened.

Go to youtube
identify the part of the video where it happened.
copy the link into this sight and indicate where it happened
I will mail you $1000

If you can't.... then lets move on and stop that crazy noise that Duran make leoanrd fight his fight and cut off the ring, and leonard tryed to box in the 1st fight. Didnt happen. In fact Ray outlined PRIOR to the fight that he was not going to box. But If you want to believe differently , be my guest

Dun, I'm on your side. Somehow you're not reading me though.

[Frank Ducketts]

Here is the mistake that many of us are making when judging these two legends.

Regardless, that was not the best Sugar that fought Duran in fight 1. Duran had a game plan, Leonard didn't. Durans aggression, stay in your face style, and cutting the ring off kept Sugar from boxing and coming in and landing his fast/hard combos.

I hope this wasn't the problem dun.

[Frank Ducketts]

If you believe that Duran didn't cut the ring off on Sugar, then you don't know boxing. How did Leonard fight and how did he lose? Did Leonard get out slugged center ring and on the ropes? Did Sugar just back up and try to counter Duran? Duran bullied Leonard, and leonard used to be the bully that's why Leonard lost. I saw the fight live as a youngen. You ain't tellin me **** about this game.

[MayMosPeaHop]

Network and Sugar Ray Leonard was on. I was watching Sugar and Davey Boy Green, and this fight reminded me of Floyd Hatton-the power. The irony!

I watched both fights last night. Green tried some rough house tactics early, and just pissed Sugar off. Hatton was able to get away with his rough house tactics for a good portion of their fight.

Sugar could put your lights out! Floyd would just embarrass you.

Both Green and Hatton had their lights dimmed by theq aforementioned.

I just can't see how Floyd would beat Sugar. Floyd was naturally 17 lbs smaller than Sugar.

Do any of you think that Floyd could beat Sugar because I don't?

And if you think he could, explain how.

Sure I think Floyd could beat Ray if they fought. Floyd is a elite fighter, just like Ray. All Floyd has to do is out box Ray just like he does every other fighter. Floyd does not have to do anything magical. Just be Floyd. I believe Floyd is a more cerebral technical fighter than Ray, plus Floyd has faster hands and the better defense. In my opinion, Ray's best attributes was his mind, will and toughness. Ray could box, but I thought he was a better brawler/stalker. I do not think Ray could outbox Floyd. Ray would come forward and that is why would lose. He would get out-boxed.

[Frank Ducketts]

Don't tell me that Sugar didn't box because he tried and it worked at times...but Duran stayed busy, and Duran gave him no breathing room. Duran had a game plan. Leonard didn't. Leonard had never faced a monster like Duran. Durans skills were on full display that night. Leonard underestimated Duran. But did he really? Ive seen young Duran and prime Duran. The night Duran beat Leonard was the best Duran that I ever saw. Duran had a I don't give a **** about your power, I'll eat it if i have to, and mauled Sugar. A legend that lost to a legend. But out of the fighters in his era....Sugar was able to adapt which is why Sugar beat them all.

[MayMosPeaHop]

Don't tell me that Sugar didn't box because he tried and it worked at times...but Duran stayed busy, and Duran gave him no breathing room. Duran had a game plan. Leonard didn't. Leonard had never faced a monster like Duran. Durans skills were on full display that night. Leonard underestimated Duran. But did he really? Ive seen young Duran and prime Duran. The night Duran beat Leonard was the best Duran that I ever saw. Duran had a I don't give a **** about your power, I'll eat it if i have to, and mauled Sugar. A legend that lost to a legend. But out of the fighters in his era....Sugar was able to adapt which is why Sugar beat them all.

Whether it was underestimating or not being prepared for Duran's style is debatable, but Ray was definitely prepared for the second fight.

[Frank Ducketts]

Sure I think Floyd could beat Ray if they fought. Floyd is a elite fighter, just like Ray. All Floyd has to do is out box Ray just like he does every other fighter. Floyd does not have to do anything magical. Just be Floyd. I believe Floyd is a more cerebral technical fighter than Ray, plus Floyd has faster hands and the better defense. In my opinion, Ray's best attributes was his mind, will and toughness. Ray could box, but I thought he was a better brawler/stalker. I do not think Ray could outbox Floyd. Ray would come forward and that is why would lose. He would get out-boxed.

Good post...

[PED Salesman]

Duran clearly was the aggressor, and yes he forced ray back. But ray had since the olympics had lateral movement as a tool if he ever wanted to use it. He never TRIED NOT ONCE. I will mail you $1000 if you can go to a part of that fight were ray tried to use lateral movement and duran stopped him.

7:49 Duran rushes Leonard. Leonard falls back to the ropes, and moves laterally to the side, but when he does, Duran throws a hook that landed on Leonard’s body or guard. Either way, Leonard’s lateral movement still wasn’t fast enough to avoid the hook all together.

8:04 Ray shows some beeeeaaaautiful lateral movement (is my check in the mail?), but he still gets tapped to the liver at the end it because Duran turns with him the whole time, and the shot makes him hold near the ropes.

8:44 Ray trying to move laterally and box, but then Duran cuts him off at the ropes, forcing Ray into a flurry just so he can put off some of that pressure and move out of there.



0:39 Slow motion of the last flurry where Ray was moving to the side. Leonard got the better of it at the end, but watch two things:
1. Duran’s knees and how close they are to Leonard’s. Duran is way too close to get away from because he has fast legs himself. And Ray had been moving laterally just before this and still couldn’t get away.
2. Duran using hooks and widening his stance to keep Leonard from moving laterally. Leonard had to hit him with a clean hook to get away.

2:22 It’s not “feeling out” (as you claim) if they’ve already had crazy ass exchanges earlier in the fight lol. Leonard tried boxing Duran for a change, and Duran OUT-boxed him back. They were both jabbing and moving laterally. Duran used a jab to distract Ray, meanwhile sneaking his left foot closer and threw a right hand, missing ray with it, but putting him in perfect position to throw a shorter hook that Leonard didn’t expect from that distance, and almost put him on the floor. That’s how Duran out-boxed taller opponents with his short lightweight reach later in his career. Leonard didn’t see that in time to move to the side.

9:53 Leonard tried to back and move laterally to his right, but Duran stopped him from doing that with a right hook. Ray ended up holding to stop the exchange for a second.


I’ll stop here for now. Mail me the keys to your house, and I’ll comb through the rest of the fight for you.