Mayweather vs Sugar Ray Leonard - who wins?

[The D3vil]

Oh yeah, anybody not picking Sugar Ray Leonard is on drugs, seriously.

Dude's the 2nd greatest welterweight in history, while for Floyd welterweight was his 4th weight class that he could rule over because there were no all-time great welters in his time.

I'm not sure Floyd beats a prime Felix Trinidad, or Carlos Ortiz, or Emile Griffith, or Tommy Hearns, or Donald Curry, etc. . .

Fact is, if Sugar Ray was at welterweight say 10 years ago, Floyd would've stayed at 140 or tried to make him fight at 144 like he did with Marquez.

Sugar Ray's too big, too strong, too fast, too skilled, and a bonafide killer, who beat bonafide killers like Duran, Hearns, Hagler, and Benitez.

He beat the greatest middlweight of the modern era at 160, for fxcks sake!!!

Stop the madness!!!

[JakeTheBoxer]

When I rewatch RSL - Hearns 1 and 2 and RSL - Hagler, I say, no way Floyd would beat him.

Duran beat RSL because Duran was just amazing fighter.

[LockardTheGOAT]

Leonard did not outclass Duran in the rematch. It was a close, competitive fight. That's why Duran quitting is still such a scandal and a black mark on his record.

Plus Leonard's version of fighting defensively was not anything like how Floyd fights.

He won every (or almost every) round in both fights, especially the third. He definitely outclassed him.

[JK1700]

Nostalgia is a helluva drug and SRL was one helluva fighter, but let’s be real guys boxing has evolved since the 1980s. I get it, Mayweather played the villain and a lot of you guys are jealous and will never give him the credit he deserves for that reason alone, but skill wise he’s on another level. Ray struggled like mad with Hearns and Benítez and you guys seriously think he’s going to beat the greatest defensive fighter and also the smartest fighter ever? Come on. I think he pushes Floyd to the limit but he would struggle to hit him and Floyd was a lot faster. Also smarter.

Not to mention Duran was able to get in his head and get him off his game plan so what do you think would happen against Money Mayweather? I see it being similar to the DLH fight it would be competitive for sure but Floyd would adjust and beat him. All these fighters are legends and paved the way for Mayweather to be where he’s at right now, so it’s no disrespect to them. But when I see Floyd I see a guy who learned from all those guys and became the complete fighter. Boxing has evolved since then, and skill wise TBE is the GOAT. Whether you haters want to admit it or not. Now if you’re talking “legacy” that’s a whole different debate but skill wise there’s no fighter that can match Floyd Mayweather.

[Roadblock]

Size is the biggest issue here, Ray is a bigger man Floyd is not a true WW and I believe thats the edge that gives the fight to Leonard.

If this fight was at 140 Floyd wins, with all the weight class jumping thats gone on many fantasy matchups are not near a fair fight, be like saying Manny vs Hearns, they both WWs lol.

Floyd is not a WW neither is Manny, they were just atg little guys that were good enough to beat the top guys of their era, who jumps 4 weight classes and fights prime atgs at their best weight, only fantasy fights. I see it like Hector Camacho a little guy fought them and size was always the decider.

Size is such a great leveler when all other things are near equal.

[hogey]

Leonard by stoppage in about 5 rounds simply too big, too powerful and too good for a almost any welterweight let alone a little fella like Floyd, if you could hit Benitez at his best you would have no trouble landing on Mayweather. I would bet money on Hearns and Duran also putting him away before the halfway mark as well. I would put Leonard well above Floyd p4p let alone sharing a ring at welterweight.

[BoloShot]

Close tough fight. There were spurt moments where Floyd Sr got off some nice counter punch shots against Leonard. Jr is 100x the boxer his father was and I think he would’ve given Leonard hell. Leonard was a textbook boxer and it’s not easy to hit and setting up Floyd with the same variation of punches over the course of a 12 rounds fight. It would’ve probably look like Mayweather vs De la Hoya with Leonard being active and Floyd landing all the eye-catching shots.

Sugar Ray Leonard a textbook fighter? What in the hell are you smoking man?!

[BoloShot]

Size is the biggest issue here, Ray is a bigger man Floyd is not a true WW and I believe thats the edge that gives the fight to Leonard.

If this fight was at 140 Floyd wins, with all the weight class jumping thats gone on many fantasy matchups are not near a fair fight, be like saying Manny vs Hearns, they both WWs lol.

Floyd is not a WW neither is Manny, they were just atg little guys that were good enough to beat the top guys of their era, who jumps 4 weight classes and fights prime atgs at their best weight, only fantasy fights. I see it like Hector Camacho a little guy fought them and size was always the decider.

Size is such a great leveler when all other things are near equal.

Manny is one of the smallest successful welters ever, Floyd is average size for the weight class, same as Thurman basically. He is a welterweight, he's also not good enough to beat the Fab 4 like Manny isn't. At least Manny fought a much bigger man in Margarito too.

[Stuart_boxer]

I can't think of many fighter's Floyd fought who had the hand speed of Leonard.

Judah is one example and he was giving Floyd's problem's early before he started fading. I don't think Leonard would fade. It would probably go to a razor thin decision in my opinon.

[JK1700]

I can't think of many fighter's Floyd fought who had the hand speed of Leonard.

Judah is one example and he was giving Floyd's problem's early before he started fading. I don't think Leonard would fade. It would probably go to a razor thin decision in my opinon.

Ray was pretty fast but Floyd did beat plenty of fast fighters who threw a lot of punches. For example Jesús Chavez (threw 100 punches a round and was very fast) and Floyd handled him. Same thing with Pacquiao, I know he was old but Floyd was even older. It’s all good being fast, but it’s useless when you can barely hit the guy and that’s where the problem comes in beating him. Ray would get his shots in no doubt he’s an all time great, but Floyd would adjust and adapt to his style. Frustration would set in, Floyd wins a close competitive decision I think.

As for the Judah fight. I think it’s massively overrated in terms of people saying it was competitive. I watched it without commentary and had it 10-2. Plus Floyd was on the way to stopping him before Zab punched him in the balls. I think a guy like Aaron Pryor would’ve been a tough fight for Floyd because of his relentless pressure style. He was a monster. That fight would’ve been something special for sure and Floyd said it himself.