I am not and never was a fan of either one of these 2 guys, but in my unbiased opinion, Leonard at 147 would have kicked his ass.. Mayweather didn't have the power to hurt Ray, and Leonard would be the naturally bigger, stronger man and would bully Mayweather in a fight that Leonard would dictate from start to finish, Dundee in the corner would be a big advantage also.. May struggled against a prime De la hoya several years ago, and Leonards way more talented than the Golden boy, I just don't see any single advantage Floyd would have in this fight:huh Leonard wins a comfortable decision...
I don't wish to be rude on this Easter week end but you don't have any credibilty on the subject of Ray Leonard's abilities as far as I am concerned.
well that may be becuz Leonard was soundly whipped and u would like to forget those two fights. Never mind that he was heavily favored to win both fights but when has Leonard EVER whipped someone with the speed of Camacho or Norris? He had to wait five entire years for Marvin to lose his just so we could have superfight '87 if u ask me, Leonard and his career was a joke. so what does that say about u for continuing to cast him as a boxing legend?
This is a bit of an unfair assessment to make about Ray Leonard. The thing I'll always remember about SRL is he might be the only ATG who didn't fight consistently in his prime. His detached retina essentially took away his prime years, which IMO was around 1982-1986. Think about it, he turned professional in 1976, won his first major title against another young champion in Benitez in early 1980, took on Duran and Hearns and by 1982 SRL couldn't fight anymore due to the hazards of attempting to fight with a detached retina. He did fight everyone in the fab 4 plus Benitez and had winning records against all of them. I didn't appreciate that ridiculous announcement he made when he announced his retirement in front of Hagler in 1982, I thought it was rude and unnecessary, but his record speaks for itself. I thought he lost in his second fight with Hearns and the Hagler fight was a close one to call. I will say that he was fortunate enough to take on the Marvelous one when it was clear Marvin was well past his prime by 1987. I think Hagler would've beaten him decisively had they met in the early 80's. But it's a testament to how great Ray leonard really was. I mean the guy didn't fight in his absolute prime because of his eye. Who knows how many more wins he would have accrued had he never had that retina issue and was able to fight consistently from 1982-1986. Lastly, that Camacho fight was just ridiculous and just for a nice payday. A prime Leonard would've battered the Machoman worse than CHavez did.
I find the thread interesting in the fact that anyone would consider Floyd ... Mayweather is an exceptional fighter, an all time pound for pound great. I say tis without being a fan of the guy ... however, at welter he has not fought great fighters and it would take a great welter to beat him .. Ray Leonard was bigger, stronger, faster, had a longer reach, much greater power, equal conditioning and confidence .. I truly think a prime Ray, lets say post Duran 2, either wins a clear decision or stops Floyd who has never been hit like Ray , with his speed and power, would hit him.
I agree with this SRL was an incredible talent that could box and punch had a mean streak and killer instinct despite his nice demeanor. He would be the aggressor here and would have to figure out the Floyd defensive puzzle and but once he did it could be a stop or KO in favor of SRL
Hagler went into the Leonard bout 62-2-2, hadn't lost in 11 years, and was nobodies punching bag ever. Hagler was inconsolable about his loss to Leonard. A fight he thought he'd won, and depending who you believe, wanted a rematch Leonard wouldn't grant him. They are accepted to be the major reasons Hagler never fought again. Ever heard of the book "Four Kings" by George Kimball? You should read it, because you have an extremely distorted view of history.
I've flip flopped on this one over the last couple years. I think Mayweather would win because his defense and ring generalship are better than Leonard's ever were. The big variable is how much bigger and stronger Leonard would be, and I don't really know for sure because they aren't in the ring together.
first of all, Leonard is the last guy who needed a payday at 40 years. please, let's stop with the pretense Look at it from the standpoint of Camacho & Norris; both were big time underdogs and soundly whipped leonard at his own game - fighting :yep so there is nothing unfair about it as for him not being to fight in his absolute prime on account of his eye, why fight years after his prime when he was cleared to fight by 1982? why come looking for Hagler if he was cleared 5 years before and had a fight in 1984? I will tell u. Leonard never fared well against other fighters who could box and be sharp, hence the avoidance of Hagler, Pryor, Curry, and his sudden & devestating downfall vs Norris & Camacho
yeah I knew you'd duck the question becuz you're too stuck on your boy and frankly couldnt give a F*** about facts
Sorry but I simply do NOT accept that. I believe that Mayweather possesses the skill to nullify any size advantage Leonard may have, making it a battle of skill, and wits. I'm not sure that Leonard has any advantage under those circumstances. I will reiterate. People simply can't say ( not you personally ) that SRL wins because he is bigger, and stronger than Mayweather in one breath, then say Lewis, or a Klitchko can not possibly beat a Louis, Marciano, or a Frazier just because they are so much bigger, stronger, and hit harder. It just doesn't add up.
Leonard has wins over Hagler.Hearns.Duran and Benitez, three of them by stoppage.That alone entitles him to ATG status. You just parrot Norris and Camacho's wins ad nauseum,as though they mean anything anyway. Leonard was 35 when he lost to Norris,41 when Camacho beat him and he hadn't fought in 6 years. If you weren't so filled with hatred towards Leonard you would see the absurdity of your argument. Leonard beat clever boxers like Benitez,fast handed boxer punchers like Hearns a p4p great in Duran and a top 5 middleweight in Hagler. Norris was a glass chinned comet who rose fast and fell just as quickly . he never beat a prime great fighter. Camacho had the makings of something until he ran into Rosario , then spent the rest of his career doing the reverse waltz.