Who was better, Sugar Ray Leonard or Roy Jones Jr?

Sugar Ray Leonard and Roy Jones Jr were some of the most naturally talented fighters to ever lace up a pair of gloves. Both were noted for their speed, and both had success at multiple weights. But, who was the better fighter pound for pound?

 

Jones was naturally a little more gifted but leonard was a more complete fighter specially with a better chin.overall leonard was more versatile and better because he was tougher

 

Leonard was a more technical fighter than Jones.

 

P4P Sugar Ray Leonard.
However, when your speaking in their primes, no one was more dominant than Roy Jones Jr in their prime apart from SRR and maybe a few others.

 

I' have to say Roy Jones Jr

 

I might have to say Roy. I hate to, but I have to.

 

Leonard was by far the more successful fighter, but Jones had more natural talent.

I will name Leonard as the better pound for pound, based on the first point.

 

Leonard was greater, Jones was better. Jones at his best was unreal.

 

This one is easy. Jones never fought Benitez,Duran,Hearns, Hagler level guys for titles. Ray by a lot. Skillwise people are saying Jones is more, how can we really tell. He did not fight this level of fighter. Toney was good but never that level. Ray easily the better fighter and pound for pound just a fighter with my deep down heart.

 

Leonard.imo

 

Couldn't agree more. Leonard was as naturally gifted as any fighter that laced up a pair of gloves, including Jones. But he was ahead of Jones in terms of his greatness, because he fought and beat fellow all-time greats in Benitez, Duran and Hearns. He was also probably one of the three best welterweights in history (along with a prime Sugar Ray Robinson and Herry Armstrong) and he beat one of the very greatest middleweights of all-time in Marvin Hagler after only having fought once in 5 years and it was his middleweight debut as well!

Jones was one of the greatest natural talents to ever step into a ring but he didn't always test himself when he could have. He has to take a large chunk of the blame for the fights with Hopkins (in 2002) and Michalczewski (anytime between 1997 and 2003) not happening. I wouldn't say he ducked either of them but he certainly didn't try to make the fights happen either. There will always be a question mark for me over how great Jones truly was.

Ray may have had the luxury of being able to pick and choose who he fought and when he fought them but no-one can truly question his greatness because he still met the very best fighters of his era and he met them when they were at their peak.

 

In what way was Jones more naturally gifted? Ray had much better footwork and knew how to escape off the ropes like he did vs Duran in the no mas fight, he also kept breaking the pattern of movement in that fight going one way then the other, Jones was more clumsy and didn`t have Ray`s great balance. McCallum who fought Jones did say he had more natural speed than Ray though.

 

Jones would have beat the version of Hagler that fought Leonard, Marvin had slowed down alot.

 

Jones had better natural athletic abilities. The guy was "feline". Speed and reflexes

 

If Jones had better career management and quit after Ruiz, at the reasonable retirement age of 33, we are arguing his position in the Top 10 all time P4P.