Is Sugar Ray Leonard overrated?

[imperial1]

Ugh anyone who can even fathom that SRL is overrated should stop following the sport all together

[SergioMartinez]

I would say no.

Leonard had wins over Hagler, Hearns and Duran all while on top.

I would go as far as saying that Leonard would easily out point or no every top WW today. Including the last 10 years and etc.

I can't think of a fighter style wise that would give him problems from 154 and down.

[NateHound]

I can get why some people don't like him, but no way is he overrated. If SRL is overrated then every boxer is.

[jvsnypes]

To go 12 full rounds with "Terrible" Terry Norris at that stage of his career speaks volumes. I personally can't see Floyd, Oscar, Canelo, or Manny in their prime going the distance with Norris. Norris was a very skilled and ferocious fighter in the ring. People also fail to realize that Hagler was dominating the middleweight division. He had like 9 straight KO's before fighting Ray, so for those who say Hagler was past his prime, his resume doesn't support that opinion. Ray comes off a long layoff with no tune ups and out performs (not necessarily out fought) Hagler on one of the biggest stages in boxing history. He gets a tko over one of the best and most dangerous punchers ever in the welterweight division in Hearns, and he beats Duran 2 out of 3 times. Is he overrated??? The man is the definition of a complete fighter. Mayweather can be compared to Ray simply because his career was derailed by an eye injury. Had that injury not happened, who else would Ray have conquered? He could have possibly went down in history as the best fighter ever. That can and will always be debated, but just off the few years of his prime, Leonard has to be put in the top 10 p4p, and I don't think I have ever witnessed a better welterweight. Many speak of Robinson, but there is no footage that I'm aware of with Robinson fighting at 147, so I can't compare the 2.

[Dr Rumack]

He's factually correct in what he states.

That being said, judging SRL by the twilight of his career is like dismissing Roy Jones Jnr as a bum just because he has spent the last few years closely scrutinizing more canvas than an art dealer.

SRL fell into the same trap as so many by reversing his retirement. It doesn't taint his legacy in any way.

[Dr Rumack]

There are only two knocks against Leonard for me. The first is that his time at the top as a truly active fighter was relatively short. The second is that he quite blatantly waited out Hagler and, as he has himself acknowledged, fought him as soon as he saw signs of decline.

In terms of the first, from '79 to '82 he amassed what is arguably the greatest run in welterweight history. It's possible that the division was never as deep as it was in those years and Leonard fought 16 times, winning 15 and beating Benitez, Hearns, and Duran along the way. It's a 2-3 year record that is probably unmatched.

In terms of the second, there’s no doubt that he dodged Hager until Hagler slowed down, injury or no injury. But Hagler was one of the best middleweights to ever do it so for Leonard to come back and even compete with Hagler was testament to his ability.

All in all, not overrated unless you insist he’s the greatest ever. It’s more a question of where in the top 10-15 you decide to place him.

[IMDAZED]

To go 12 full rounds with "Terrible" Terry Norris at that stage of his career speaks volumes. I personally can't see Floyd, Oscar, Canelo, or Manny in their prime going the distance with Norris. Norris was a very skilled and ferocious fighter in the ring. People also fail to realize that Hagler was dominating the middleweight division. He had like 9 straight KO's before fighting Ray, so for those who say Hagler was past his prime, his resume doesn't support that opinion. Ray comes off a long layoff with no tune ups and out performs (not necessarily out fought) Hagler on one of the biggest stages in boxing history. He gets a tko over one of the best and most dangerous punchers ever in the welterweight division in Hearns, and he beats Duran 2 out of 3 times. Is he overrated??? The man is the definition of a complete fighter. Mayweather can be compared to Ray simply because his career was derailed by an eye injury. Had that injury not happened, who else would Ray have conquered? He could have possibly went down in history as the best fighter ever. That can and will always be debated, but just off the few years of his prime, Leonard has to be put in the top 10 p4p, and I don't think I have ever witnessed a better welterweight. Many speak of Robinson, but there is no footage that I'm aware of with Robinson fighting at 147, so I can't compare the 2.

Hagler was definitely old when they fought. He had slowed down a lot. I mean, a lot.

[The plunger man]

That post is exactly right. I should know. I posted it. Leonard was excellent in his prime but some boxers age better than others. Leonard certainly didn't age as well as Hearns who was winning world titles at an age when Leonard was completely done. Check the records and you will see it's true. I make mistakes on here but I never make stuff up. Leonard was destroyed by Norris when he was 33 years old. The 25 year old Leonard probably would have destroyed Norris.

We have to take in consideration Leonard's retirements as well as him be addicted to ******* and an alcoholic since he retired as a welterweight .....that will simply destroy your ability and affect your longevity.....to last in boxing you have to be completely free of those demons especially in a sport where your physical ability s tested to limit.....but I never saw Leonard's post hagler career as anything to go by..he stiill showed glimpses of his prime but let's be fair he was nowhere near the fighter he was in 1982 or the night he beat hearns....and I would say from 1979 to 1982 he probably was the most complete fighter in the last 40 years...and if you judge him in his prime...who really was a better boxer....beating Benitez,Duran,kalule and hearns as well green,bonds and finch In the space of 27 months is quite spectacular and then coming back after 1 fight in 5 years and beating hagler and then beating a light heavyweight in lalonde..which fighter can match that record ?....let's put things in perspective from the age of 26 when he suffered his detached retina injury to when he boxed Norris at almost 35 he had boxed just 4 times ...that's just 4 fights in almost 10 years and was probably a drug and alcohol addict half those years ....longevity wise he rates in the top 20 and ability,resume and achievements he rates as high as Robinson, Ali or Louis ...IMO

[!! Shawn]

There are only two knocks against Leonard for me. The first is that his time at the top as a truly active fighter was relatively short. The second is that he quite blatantly waited out Hagler and, as he has himself acknowledged, fought him as soon as he saw signs of decline.

In terms of the first, from '79 to '82 he amassed what is arguably the greatest run in welterweight history. It's possible that the division was never as deep as it was in those years and Leonard fought 16 times, winning 15 and beating Benitez, Hearns, and Duran along the way. It's a 2-3 year record that is probably unmatched.

In terms of the second, there’s no doubt that he dodged Hager until Hagler slowed down, injury or no injury. But Hagler was one of the best middleweights to ever do it so for Leonard to come back and even compete with Hagler was testament to his ability.

All in all, not overrated unless you insist he’s the greatest ever. It’s more a question of where in the top 10-15 you decide to place him.

Its hard to say you are waiting someone out when you are retired with a legitimate injury. I doubt the plan was. "Okay, now lets retire for 3 years, then fight hagler."

[The plunger man]

To go 12 full rounds with "Terrible" Terry Norris at that stage of his career speaks volumes. I personally can't see Floyd, Oscar, Canelo, or Manny in their prime going the distance with Norris. Norris was a very skilled and ferocious fighter in the ring. People also fail to realize that Hagler was dominating the middleweight division. He had like 9 straight KO's before fighting Ray, so for those who say Hagler was past his prime, his resume doesn't support that opinion. Ray comes off a long layoff with no tune ups and out performs (not necessarily out fought) Hagler on one of the biggest stages in boxing history. He gets a tko over one of the best and most dangerous punchers ever in the welterweight division in Hearns, and he beats Duran 2 out of 3 times. Is he overrated??? The man is the definition of a complete fighter. Mayweather can be compared to Ray simply because his career was derailed by an eye injury. Had that injury not happened, who else would Ray have conquered? He could have possibly went down in history as the best fighter ever. That can and will always be debated, but just off the few years of his prime, Leonard has to be put in the top 10 p4p, and I don't think I have ever witnessed a better welterweight. Many speak of Robinson, but there is no footage that I'm aware of with Robinson fighting at 147, so I can't compare the 2.

In my eyes he is the most complete fighter I have ever seen....could box and move, speed,KO power and could adapt and what Joe Louis once said about him he was the best finisher since he was around...Leonard in his prime from November 1979 -to February 1982 which is just 27 months...fought Benitez,Green,Duran (2 times),bonds,kalule,hearns and finch so he had 8 fights in just under 27 months....Benitez,Duran,kalule and hearns had a combined record of 179 wins 1 loss and 1 draw and Leonard beat them all ....Benitez was a 3 division champ, Duran was a 4 weight champ and hearns was a 5 weight champ...if anybody is gonna talk about how good Leonard was its better that they actually check out his accomplishments ...I along with you rate Leonard as probably the greatest boxer I have ever seen..respect