Is Sugar Ray Leonard overrated?

[joseph5620]

He is overrated but that doesn't mean he isn't great. He's just such a great public figure people forget he lost to a lightweight moving up two divisions.

That's a misconception. Duran actually had very few fights at 135 pounds while he was champion. Most were over that limit. By the time he fought Leonard he was well adjusted at 147 and easily beat Carlos Palomino at 147. He didn't just jump from 135 to Leonard.

[UNBIASED BOXING]

He defeated probably the best welterweight boxer of all time, Thomas Hearns. Seriously, Hearns would have beaten anyone to date in a 12-round championship fight. Leonard won because it was a 15 round championship fight back then. Still, the fact that he won that fight, and against Hagler (which was either way, IMO), shows just how great of a fighter he was.

[joseph5620]

is this poster right or wrong?

I can't take that poster seriously if he judges fighters based on when they were over the hill. Fighter's age differently which makes his age comparisons ******.

[!! Shawn]

He is overrated but that doesn't mean he isn't great. He's just such a great public figure people forget he lost to a lightweight moving up two divisions.

Its hard to be overated when you fought the best fighters in the best era, in the best weightclass, and you fought them all in their prime, and beat them.

Thats what he did. Benitez, Hearns, Duran, Hagler. Thats everyone he needed to fight, the best of the best, and he fight them all at the best time.

Floyd would fought Hearns after Hagler KOed him, Duran after Hearns KOed him, Benitez after Davey Moore KOed him, and Hagler probably never.

Instead He fought 38-0 wilfred benitez prodigy, 71-1 Roberto Duran, 32-0 Tommy Hearns, and the Marvelous one.

[!! Shawn]

I am well aware of what a great fighter Leonard was in his prime. Hearns was my favorite fighter and Leonard came from behind to knock him out in a battle of two real aces. I just was saying Leonard did not age as well as many other great fighters did. That fact doesn't detract from the great fights Leonard fought in his prime. Am I a Leonard fan? No. Was he a great fighter in my opinion? Yes he was. Is he somewhat overrated by many? I think so. I would rate Hagler a greater boxer if you study their entire careers.

His career was cut short by a detached retina, he retired for legitimate health reasons. Probably shouldn't have come out of retirement at all.

[Suckmedry]

Leonard has an incredible set of wins. Yeah he got lucky vs hagler but that fight was close.

Didnt deserve the 2nd win vs tommy but oh well.

At his peak he was the full package. Fast, strong, skilful with a great chin and great skills.

No welter in the years since beats him.

[!! Shawn]

Yes in a sense he is overrated but mostly when it comes to comparing him to Mayweather, for some reason posters act as if he was 100million times better than Floyd, he was a very great fighter however and I enjoyed his fights!

People know how good he is, because he faced the best fighters in a STACKED era in their PRIME, and had to face adversity, and showed how he handled it and could overcome it.

Floyd Had a stacked era, avoided it, let everyone fight and beat the fight out of each other, then stepped back in and cleaned up the leftovers.

We can argue that Floyd might have been as good as Leonard skill wise, but we will never know, because Floyd never too the hard fight. He took the easiest one available.

[!! Shawn]

For Leonard it was maximum risk and maximum reward, fighting a number of not only greats, but ATG's.

And not just ATG's but ATG's at their all time best.

[-Antonio-]

SRL's case is a weird one. There are a lot of "yeah, buts" to his career. He beat Duran in the rematch but he lost to him first. He knocked out Hearns, but he was clearly losing first. Then he was given a huge gift in the rematch. He beat Hagler, but it was when Hagler was older, and the fight was very close.


On paper though, beating Hearns, Hagler, Duran, and Benitez is huge. No one has 4 wins as good as those.

[b00g13man]

He's one of those posters you should never pay attention to.