Sugar Ray Leonard; worthy of being a top 20 ATG

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by TIGEREDGE, Jan 18, 2013.

  1. TIGEREDGE

    TIGEREDGE Boxing Addict Full Member

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    i am a massive fan of ray leonard. he was great from 76-82 and his performance against marvin was amazing considering his inactivity (lets forget about what happened after that. dont recognise any of it) .

    he has one of the greatest if not the greatest resume/record of all time

    he was deffo one of the top 10 most gifted fighters of all time but he never had enough fights to warrant being considered one of the top 20 greatest of alltime.

    he never established that he was the better man in any of his rivalries with the fellow all time greats of his time that he beat once.

    if not for the detached retina imn pretty convinced he would of achieved enough to warrant being in the top 20

    i think its ridiculous when people list him in top 5
     
  2. dinovelvet

    dinovelvet Antifanboi Full Member

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    I thought he was great up until 88-89. Top 20 defiantly.
     
  3. MMJoe

    MMJoe Boxing Addict Full Member

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    yes, top 20
     
  4. SouthpawJab

    SouthpawJab On his way up!! 4-0!! Full Member

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    Top 5 or 3
     
  5. lora

    lora Fighting Zapata Full Member

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    terrible receding hairline
     
  6. lufcrazy

    lufcrazy requiescat in pace

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  7. anj

    anj Guest

    11th in my all time rankings
     
  8. Manassa

    Manassa - banned

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    Not from my perspective.

    Several boxers had a lot more fights, month in, month out, against the best of their day. I don't believe Leonard's record, while spectacular, can match Ezzard Charles', for but one example:

    Moore x3
    Walcott x2
    Bivins x4
    Maxim x5
    Marshall x2
    Burley x2
    Louis
    Yarosz

    All in the Hall of Fame. Went tooth and nail versus Marciano and lost a controversial decision to Harold Johnson, too, when a few years past his best of course. Not mentioning a whole host of Davey Green level contenders, a beaten list of which must be twice the length of Leonard's.

    Sorry - old timers seemed to fight more often against quality opposition (I'm well aware they generally lost more as well). That's just the way it is, not favouritism.

    Leonard, about #22 for me. But higher for ability. I feel he'd have carved a definite top ten all-time career for himself if he'd been around earlier and ended up with a record of 89-9-2 and more names and numbers of names to his name.
     
  9. Nate 2011

    Nate 2011 Active Member Full Member

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    Sugar Ray Robinson
    Muhammad Ali
    Willie
     
  10. Nate 2011

    Nate 2011 Active Member Full Member

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    Sugar Ray Robinson
    Muhammad Ali
    Willie Pep
    Sugar Ray Leonard
    Roberto Duran

    Note: Leonard & Duran tied for fourth place and in no particular order.
     
  11. Hands of Iron

    Hands of Iron #MSE Full Member

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  12. Nipple

    Nipple I hate my username banned

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    I'd say he's the greatest ever. An amazing talent who was so spiteful yet wonderfully skilled at the same time. A true fighter.

    The complete package. He had it all.
     
  13. Stevie G

    Stevie G Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Definitely top ten all time great. Look at his resume between 1979-87,especially.


    Certainly a top 3 Welterweight.
     
  14. TIGEREDGE

    TIGEREDGE Boxing Addict Full Member

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    i agree with yer. i dont think his resume is the best but its up there

    charles and harry greb are my top 2
     
  15. TIGEREDGE

    TIGEREDGE Boxing Addict Full Member

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    nah needs his career to last longer. top 5 in a ability maybe

    i think its really wrong to say he was greater than the following list. yes he was more gifted than some guys on this list

    srr, armstrong, ali, greg, charles, duran, longford, pep, bennny leonard, moore, walker, saddler, ketchell, louis, Tony Canzoneri,Jimmy Wilde, jcc.

    there are a few other guys i would rank above him on achievements. i