Comparing the skills of Sugar Ray Robinson to Sugar Ray Leonard

[Flo_Raiden]

How would you compare the two in terms of all-round skills?
Who was better at doing certain things in the skill department such as:

Defense:
Counter-Punches:
Power:
Jab:
Speed:
Ring Generalship:
Combinations:
Feints:
Footwork:
Body Punches:

[Barn]

How would you compare the two in terms of all-round skills?
Who was better at doing certain things such as:

Defense:
Counter-Punches:
Power:
Jab:
Speed:
Ring Generalship:
Combinations:
Feints:
Footwork:
Body Punches:

Defense - Similar

Counter punches - Edge to Robinson

Power - Robinson

Jab - Robinson shot it out more consistently and used it more effectively throughout a fight in my opinion.

Speed - About even.

Ring Generalship - Have to give the edge slightly to Robinson again.

Combinations - Slight edge to Robinson once again, his combos carrying more KO power.

Feints - Similar here again.

Footwork - Robinson by a whisker.

Body Punches - About even.

Makes Robinson look much better than Leonard with this but, there still wasn't a lot in it, Robinson just nicking most of the categories.

[Sugarj]

In my book Robinson shades Leonard by a whisker in just about every category.....nothing is vastly superior. But I will give Leonard the slightest advantage in the following areas:

Footspeed

The speed of his two alternate fisted combinations

Slipping punches

Showmanship

[Barn]

In my book Robinson shades Leonard by a whisker in just about every category.....nothing is vastly superior. But I will give Leonard the slightest advantage in the following areas:

Footspeed

The speed of his two alternate fisted combinations

Slipping punches

Showmanship

Definitely showmanship haha.

Interesting question. Who was the bigger star outside the ring? For me it's Robinson.

I remember speaking about boxing to my Grandpa and my Grandpa just over-heard us talking and exclaimed "SUGAR ROBINSON, Sugar Robinson was always on the telly everybody knew him."

This was in UK and it gave me quite a laugh.

I think Footspeed is similar, Robinson danced around shooting his jab in and out a tad faster than Leonard in my opinion.

Slipping punches I will give to Leonard.

By alternate fisted combinations, do you mean like the ones we seen in the Olympics .

[NChristo]

What about separate punches instead of just the jab in there ?
Think Leonard has him on the uppercut.

[Barn]

What about separate punches instead of just the jab in there ?
Think Leonard has him on the uppercut.

Yeah, and maybe the right hook by a small margin.

[Sugarj]

Definitely showmanship haha.

Interesting question. Who was the bigger star outside the ring? For me it's Robinson.

I remember speaking about boxing to my Grandpa and my Grandpa just over-heard us talking and exclaimed "SUGAR ROBINSON, Sugar Robinson was always on the telly everybody knew him."

This was in UK and it gave me quite a laugh.

I think Footspeed is similar, Robinson danced around shooting his jab in and out a tad faster than Leonard in my opinion.

Slipping punches I will give to Leonard.

By alternate fisted combinations, do you mean like the ones we seen in the Olympics .

Yes Robinson was more famous, he was as much an icon as John Wayne! Ha ha. Not that Leonard wasn't famous though, I think he would make many people's 1980s icon top 10 list after Michael Jackson, Madonna, Mike Tyson, Maradonna, Bono, Michelle Pfeiffer, Arnie, Harrison Ford and Sly Stallone.

Yes, footspeed is similar.....as I said there is only a 'whisker' in it. But Leonard's feet seemed so damn quick in the return with Duran, when he was dancing and doing the Ali shuffle in the 'showboat' round....., it was like a hummingbird's wings! Even at middleweight vs Hagler Leonard's footspeed was a joy to behold at times. Granted though, Robinson was a skilled tap dancer.

As for alternate fisted combinations, I used that expression carefully because I fear that Robinson hooked faster off the jab with the left. Indeed, I think Robinson's repeated left hook combinations were faster than Leonard's. I love Robinson's KO of Olsen too.

But for Leonard's speedy right, left, right, left work whether in straights, hooks or uppercuts check out round 9 of the Hagler fight, theres a beauty in the middle of round 12 too. Even up at suppermiddle the first knockdown of Lalonde was rapid. That said, they were both in the same league for speed.

[New England]

In my book Robinson shades Leonard by a whisker in just about every category.....nothing is vastly superior. But I will give Leonard the slightest advantage in the following areas:

Footspeed

The speed of his two alternate fisted combinations

Slipping punches

Showmanship

absolutely agree and nice post. i would say that robinson's power and his chin were on a level beyond leonard's
especially his power. the guy really could bang



i'd also say that leonard had less stnap on the end of his punches, but flurried / as fast as any WW i've ever seen
faster than robinson. he moved his whole body with fluidity and it produced flurries that were just blinding.

[GrandpaBernard]

Yes Robinson was more famous, he was as much an icon as John Wayne! Ha ha. Not that Leonard wasn't famous though, I think he would make many people's 1980s icon top 10 list after Michael Jackson, Madonna, Mike Tyson, Maradonna, Bono, Michelle Pfeiffer, Arnie, Harrison Ford and Sly Stallone.

Yes, footspeed is similar.....as I said there is only a 'whisker' in it. But Leonard's feet seemed so damn quick in the return with Duran, when he was dancing and doing the Ali shuffle in the 'showboat' round....., it was like a hummingbird's wings! Even at middleweight vs Hagler Leonard's footspeed was a joy to behold at times. Granted though, Robinson was a skilled tap dancer.

As for alternate fisted combinations, I used that expression carefully because I fear that Robinson hooked faster off the jab with the left. Indeed, I think Robinson's repeated left hook combinations were faster than Leonard's. I love Robinson's KO of Olsen too.

But for Leonard's speedy right, left, right, left work whether in straights, hooks or uppercuts check out round 9 of the Hagler fight, theres a beauty in the middle of round 12 too. Even up at suppermiddle the first knockdown of Lalonde was rapid. That said, they were both in the same league for speed.

so what you're saying in short is that Robinson is better at doubling and tripling up on shots with a single hand compared to Leonard?

[Sugarj]

absolutely agree and nice post. i would say that robinson's power and his chin were on a level beyond leonard's
especially his power. the guy really could bang



i'd also say that leonard had less stnap on the end of his punches, but flurried / as fast as any WW i've ever seen
faster than robinson. he moved his whole body with fluidity and it produced flurries that were just blinding.

Its sad that we cant find any film of welterweight Robinson, in hindsight he might have been ridiculously fast at the weight.