Comments Thread For: Sugar Ray Leonard: I Told Mayweather I Would Have Beat Him

[NaijaD]

Who cares about their prime? Lets talk about Floyds.

Floyd was ALWAYS in his prime, from 1996-2015, Floyd Mayweather Jr was ALWAYS at the peak of his abilities according to the historians here.

While all these other fighters have a made-up set period from fans of when they were at their best, Floyd does not have that cop-out cache.

The man with no prime.

I lol'd .... it's true, you'd think he never lost a step the way these forum guys accuse him of waiting out everybody else's prime years before facing them.

[Robbie Barrett]

I would agree................... if people here weren't picking Manny to win.

When people do that, it tells me that they picked Manny regardless of him being in his prime or not, they still thought he would beat Floyd. He lost and now they try to "cop-out" with that excuse? So why pick him to win?

Not an excuse to me.

Pacquiao was seen by most as one of the top 2 fighters in the entire sport (the other being Mayweather himself) when Mayweather fought him, but now they want to act like that win means nothing.

[stefl14]

I would agree................... if people here weren't picking Manny to win.

When people do that, it tells me that they picked Manny regardless of him being in his prime or not, they still thought he would beat Floyd. He lost and now they try to "cop-out" with that excuse? So why pick him to win?

Not an excuse to me.

Nah it's pathetic if you said Pac would win pre fight but say that now. However, I myself thought Pac was done and the fight wouldn't be close. Pac actually did better than I expected. I thought it would have been a decent fight around 2010, though I still would have expected Floyd to win. Manny actually did better than I thought he would because he made Floyd look a little bad. Floyd basically couldn't land on a fighter they said had defensive issues. I think Floyd was also a little past it too to be fair to him, but the difference is it mattered a lot less for Floyd's style.

[Razcal26]

I lol'd .... it's true, you'd think he never lost a step the way these forum guys accuse him of waiting out everybody else's prime years before facing them.

Pacquiao was seen by most as one of the top 2 fighters in the entire sport (the other being Mayweather himself) when Mayweather fought him, but now they want to act like that win means nothing.

It's easily in the top 3 of ******est things associated with boxing.

So in the years of 1996-2015, Floyd must of discovered a Lazarus pit.

The man has no prime.

[The plunger man]

Duran beat Leonard and Hearns was leading on the cards before getting caught. Leonard can be outboxed.

Not by a fighter who has a smaller reach or less height than Leonard ..hearns had a reach of 78 inches and almost 6ft 2 that's why Leonard had such a tough time with hearns plus one of the hardest right hands in history..lol...Leonard is a 74inc reach and 5ft 10 ...Floyd is 5ft 8 and 72 and a natural 130lb ...Duran beat Leonard because Leonard went toe to toe with one of the most fearsome and hardest fighters in history.....what did Floyd do with maidana ....ohh I can't see ....ohh I can't seee...ffs ....mayweather would not in anyway shape of form replicate the kind of fight Duran had to undertake to get the close victory over Leonard ....mayweather hasn't knocked out or stopped a fighter since he blindsided Ortiz when he was looking away and seeing the amount of quit in Ortiz and how many times he's been stopped it's hardly a difficult task ...reality check once again

[BillyBoxing]

Actually the opposite possibly could be said. While it can be argued that some of Duran's opponents have better resumes than Floyd does, it's perfectly reasonable to argue that Floyd Mayweather is the better fighter than Leonard, Hearns, Duran, Hagler, Benitez etc. Note here that I didn't say greater fighter, I said the better fighter. I think any reasonable analysis not clouded by nostalgia would conclude that Floyd is certainly the best technical boxer Duran would have faced. Still, Duran was a technical master himself and I'd be very interested in this fight. Duran is possibly my favourite fighter but he could have it tough vs Floyd. Duran, for all his craft, could struggle against negative fighters as Benitez showed. It's a good fight. I'm not downplaying Duran here, he's possibly my all time favourite and was successful moving to Middleweight purely on account of his boxing skill. But Floyd would be the best technician he'd have faced - better than both Leonard and Benitez as far as I'm concerned technically.

I said "the best fighter", and YES I don't think Floyd would be the best fighter Duran had faced.

You're talking about the best technician, well, P4P wise, that's a different question and I kinda agree.

But you don't win fight only based on technic, otherwise, Lara would have cleaned the 154 division by now.

Power, strenght and intangibles count a lot in ATG fights.
Not saying Floyd is bad regarding those assets.

My point is Leonard, Hagler and Hearns are better fighters than Floyd, and this because they would have beat him IMO(at 147 and 160 for Hagler).
P4P you can make a case about Floyd being better than them.

Floyd ATG level stops at 135/140, he fought weak oppostion at 147 and 154 compared to the 80s. And IMO Floyd would lose to most 147 ATGs.

Ortiz, Baldomir, Bruseless, Berto, Guerrero are some GGG's mandos level opposition as 147 has been overrated and overhyped for a decade, those guys are average and would get beat at 154, murdered at 160 altough 160 is weak.

Hatton, Maidana, lil Marquez weren't some A class opposition neither (at that weight for Marquez)


Regarding his best wins above 140:
What Pacquiao who is a career featherweight, Oldsley, Nelo Alvarez at 152 and a past it Cotto at 154 tell us about his abilities to compete with Duran, let alone Leonard.

I just dunno.

I think Floyd lacks power above 140 to compete with ATG from those divisions.

[BillyBoxing]

Why are you bringing up TKO's? Why do Mayweathers lack of TKO's matter in this discussion?

Well, use your brain and you will find the answer.

Beating by TKO is beating fair and square and not "escaping" with a narrow vegas decision deserving a rematch.

[Robbie Barrett]

Well, use your brain and you will find the answer.

Beating by TKO is beating fair and square and not "escaping" with a narrow vegas decision deserving a rematch.

Someone winning on all cards and getting caught in the late rounds isn't deserving of a rematch? A rematch that the boxing world wanted to see and would have been another massive pay day.

[The plunger man]

Difference is Mayweather gave them rematches, SRL wanted no part of Hearns or Duran after escaping with the W until they were older and more war torn. SRL was VERY selective on who and when he fought them, the same thing people hate on Mayweather for.

What are you talking about....know your history ffs....Duran could not even get a fight after the the no mas....he was in exile and was a disgrace even to his home country...he then made a comeback and struggled with Jimmy batten , lost to Kirkland Laing and was out boxed by Wilfred's Benitez and only found his redemption in 1983 when Duran beat davey Moore ...Leonard was already retired , after hearns lost to Leonard ....he never asked for a rematch and then moved up to light middleweight where he changed his c
Name to the motor city cobra ...u don't know your facts

[Razcal26]

Well, use your brain and you will find the answer.

Beating by TKO is beating fair and square and not "escaping" with a narrow vegas decision deserving a rematch.

That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.