Is Sugar Ray Leonard overrated?

[stuff jones]

Nope, he'd destroy your boy Floyd. Sorry.

[The plunger man]

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.

Let's face it....Leonard or Robinson is the best welterweight of all time...15 rounds is the true length of a world championship fight...that's why 13,14,15 are called the championship rounds.....and plus Leonard had hearns on the brink of knockout in rounds 6 and 7 of the first fight and it was Leonard who showed to be the superior puncher and fighter that night...and they both boxed in there prime with no excuses and hearns was unbeaten in 32-0 with 30 kos .....I'm sure if it was 12 rounds Leonard would have turned on earlier it had no difference whether it was a 14 round KO ...all the big rounds in that fight were dominated by Leonard and the 6,7rd should have been 10-8 rounds......I would rate hearns very high but not above leonard because it was proven who was the better fighter when they boxed

[12TRIBEsRiSe]

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.

good to know your opinion, understood! my point was just that people tend to overrate ray Leonard more when Floyds name comes up, I see it all the time, "Floyd couldn't hold rays jock strap" or he's nowhere near his level of talent, your argument is a different one, it deals with resumes.

[12TRIBEsRiSe]

Nope, he'd destroy your boy Floyd. Sorry.

even if he beat Floyd it wouldn't be a destruction, nobody just destroys a great boxer like that. this is what im talking about right here, Ray leonard struggled with lesser boxers but he will just DESTROY Floyd one of the greatest technical boxers of all time? this is what im talking about right here

[12TRIBEsRiSe]

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.

great post!!!!!!!!!!!

[SplitSecond]

even if he beat Floyd it wouldn't be a destruction, nobody just destroys a great boxer like that. this is what im talking about right here, Ray leonard struggled with lesser boxers but he will just DESTROY Floyd one of the greatest technical boxers of all time? this is what im talking about right here

He might destroy Floyd. He's faster, longer, more chin and more power.

MNayweather has struggled with plenty of fighters also e.g Castillo, Augustus, Corley, Maidana, Cotto etc

[12TRIBEsRiSe]

He might destroy Floyd. He's faster, longer, more chin and more power.

MNayweather has struggled with plenty of fighters also e.g Castillo, Augustus, Corley, Maidana, Cotto etc

Ray got hit with unnecessary shots at times, there are aspects in mayweathers arsenal that would trouble ray and vice versa, I don't knock anyone saying Ray would win, but Destroy??? I just don't see it, it would be a good fight, Ray was a very big WW.

[New England]

is this poster right or wrong?

the facts are correct, but the idea that leonard isn't a great fighter is a silly one.


looking at the perception of leonard's greatness, and his actual greatness; no, he is not overrated.

he has wins over benitez, hearns, duran, and hagler. he had a short career, but he beat bonafide greats when they were at or near their peaks.


his top wins are up there with any other fighters' top wins in boxing. the knock wiht leonard is that he had a short career for an all time great. extremely short. he's compared to ali, robinson, duran, greb, lanford,[all greater fighters than leonard, BTW,] his resume is very short. duran and robinson fought more than 100 times. robinson fought 200 fights, IIRC.

[New England]

Ray got hit with unnecessary shots at times, there are aspects in mayweathers arsenal that would trouble ray and vice versa, I don't knock anyone saying Ray would win, but Destroy??? I just don't see it, it would be a good fight, Ray was a very big WW.

leonard has advantage in every category other than accuracy, speed, and defense. floyd's a more accurate and a more technical counterpuncher [can counter when given less,] but leonard was a knockout puncher with either hand, so you really have trouble calling him a better counterpuncher.


leonard would be way too big. floyd would try and box and lose to a more active, harder punching, bigger fighter. he can't fight any other way.

[MurkaMan]

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.

Stop making up lies Lol Floyd spent his career chasing TWO money fights with Gatti and Oscar! He basically jumped classes and went directly to those two fights, and his haters accused him of ducking 10-20 fighters in between!

Did Floyd look at Cotto and Margarita the way he looked at Pac? Lol Could you imagine Floyd accusing Cotto or Margarita of taking roids? No way dude Lol

Floyd retired and came back past prime, at a later age, to fight guys way bigger, faster, sharper, and closer to their prime! In fact, SRL faced everyone at the right time! He ducked Hagler for 5 yrs, lied about a detatched retina, and faced him when he was washed up!

SRL used to retire to duck opponents! When Floyd was a young fighter, everyone said he was the next SRL!

So they PROJECTED EVERYTHING SRL DID, ONTO FLOYD! Their were NO fighters in the division that could make Floyd, the sharpest tactician in the history of the sport, retire!

He probably wasnt even impressed by no damn Cotto, and MARGARITA? They were GREAT fighters, but he has faced tougher foes when he was past prime dude Lol

SRL has a GREAT resume, but he faces everyone at the right time! Floyd faces whoever is winning! And while SRL has big name legends on his resume, look at the circumstances of Floyd's greatest victories! Facing guys half his age and 15lbs heavier! DOMINATING them and HUMILIATING them!

Sometimes coming off layoffs, and making lightwork of guys that he shouldnt be able to even squeak by.

For that reason I have Floyd top 3 ATG, same as Hatton said! And lets put SRL at the disadvantages of Floyd; SRL has the power to hurt guys, while Floyd does not! SRL was about the same size of his opponents, while Floyd was waaay smaller and older!

Floyd faced 49 different opponents, changed his entire fighting style for each, and dominated them all without being touched! A whopping 19yrs of consistancy!

He aint have the power to hurt him, so he just outslicked the HELLL out of foes! We cannot change history and say he ran! What, he ran in 3 or 4 of the last few fights? He was so sharp and impeccable, he was pure genius!

Outslicked JMM, it was amazing what he did to someone like JMM, and at an older age, he walked down Canelo from start to finish! I mean, I never seen anything like that in my life! I could never put SRL ANYWHERE above Floyd on ANY ATG list!

As I said, SRL may have great legends on his resume, but the circumstances of Floyd's victories are night and day! For that reason I feel Floyd's resume is WAAY tougher, and he didnt just win, he used to put on performances! Boxing will NEVER be executed like that, at this level, against these types of opponents, EVER EVER AGAIN in history!