Iran Barkley Vs Sugar Ray Leonard

Not in a million years would Barkley beat even an 87 hagler.
And Leonard would UD or late stoppage barkley. Too quick,mobile and sharp punching. Barkley was tough as nails and had good skills,a huge punch and a lot of size,but he was a little predicatable for the great fighters. Hagler would outbox and splice him up,though Iran would make it very tough.

 

I felt Duran beat Barkley even more clearly than he had beaten Leonard in Montreal.

 

Barkley was bigger, stronger and tougher than Mugabi. And Mugabi gave Hagler all manner of hell.
Not quite the puncher, true, but Iran was a better middleweight. And Hagler was even further gone AFTER Mugabi.

Barkley beat Hearns twice.
The fight with Duran was razor-close, imo.
He gave Nunn a decent fight, and Nunn was not only a master boxer in his prime, but he was a big middleweight.
Leonard never convinced me against the big guys.

just my take though. :good

 

Iran Barkley was too big and hit too hard for ray leonard im not hating on SRL but Iran Barkley is about the biggest middleweight ive ever seen and a fading sugar ray wouldnt want to mix it up with this animal from the south bronx. Iran Barkley talks about how he was mad he never got a fight with SRL because it would be a huge pay day and Sugar said something like you hit too hard Iran i'm not looking to fight anyone like you. Dont get me wrong Sugar ray is p4p, legend, more talented, more accomplished etc but Iran was simply too big

 

Duran won legit. Barkley went down in round 11 which didn't help him with a decision. That was a nice punch by Duran, and Duran always had a nice right hand. Even hit Hearns with it. Barkley was a strong guy and Hearns and Leonard would have trouble with his style, yet Duran had a great style for Barkley getting under his punches and inside and landing that right hand. That was a heck of a fight. Either way Barkley would be tough for Ray. That hitting on the break which Ray did with Lalonde would not work with Barkley it would just get him more mad. Ray knocked Lalonde down by hitting him on the break, all the legit punches missed. With Hearns he tried it again and it didn't work. I love Ray ,but his comeback fights were handpicking to get two titles in one fight, and revenge against two of his big rivals Hearns and Duran. Barkley was not a fight he wanted.

 

Leonard wins a lopsided decision.

 

I am not sure. Barkley had a bigger faster guy (than Leonard in 1989) backing up and on the defensive in Michael Nunn, I am not sure Ray would have been able to do much to Barkley, and then he would be getting hit. It is a very hard fight for Leonard in 1989. Now a Leonard at 160 like he was at 147 in 1982? That Leonard stops Barkley on cuts in 8 or so in a lopsided fight.

 

Mugabi counter punched against Hagler AND Hagler really had to be careful as mugabi was a pure bomber with a solid chin at that stage of his career. Iran was a come forward guy with a big punch (but not a one punch bomber like Mugabi.) and would be straight in Haglers face,which is what Hagler loved. Also barkleys size and height would actually favour hagler,Marvin loved fighting tall sluggers.
Hearns and Nunn didnt have even half the ring intelligence of Leonard,and this is why leonard would UD or stop barkley,wheras nunn and hearns struggled. (in saying this,Hearns didnt struggle in the first fight,he was whipping iran and just got caught.)

 

No Hearns had intelligence he just liked to bomb when he was hitting a guy easily. He looked for the knockout. He didn't go into a fight thinking I am going to fight this guy only if I can beat him, and that is what Ray did after he came back for Hagler in 1987. And Ray didn't fight Barkley adn he could have had that fight. So we have to think he knew Barkley might be too big. Barkley was not an easy fight for anyone and Barkley was much better than Lalonde.