I hate to break the hard truth to you but... Duran was a level above Chavez. Chavez needed Richard Steele's intervention to beat the homeless man's Ray Leonard. How the Hell is he gonna deal with the real Ray Leonard?
To be fair, Hearns would have beat Leonard in a 12 round fight. Chavez would have killed Taylor in a 15 round fight. But Chavez v Leonard at 47 is preposterous to suggest. Why not make it at 130?
Duran is definitely ahead p4p over Chavez, what I was rereferring to was Chavez being higher than Leonard. I think Chavez is the perfect style against Leonard, so even though he is naturally lighter, I think he beats Leonard on his precision power and cutting off the ring. Leonard will get caught with counter rights and body shots. Chavez has a slight edge on Duran with ring generalship and body attack. Granted , Leonard should have the size advantage but, I am betting on the upset.
Chavez is one of my favourites and one of the very best fighters I’ve ever seen. He also was never, ever a genuine 147lber and would be giving up size, speed and power to a guy who was in the frame for the best ever at Welter. A bridge way too far for JCC to overcome. He’d get out manoeuvred, dominated at range, overpowered and outsped in close. He can’t win this in any way. There is a reason weight divisions exist and this match up is an example. Hell Chavez was past prime at welter anyway, I’m imagining a prime Chavez magically transported to 147 and still giving him no chance.
Assuming this is at 147 (and one can only think it would be) it's a bit of a mismatch. Leonard was a natural and great Welterweight; Chavez was not. Leonard wins by KO, inside of 8 rounds.
Leonard wins every round, taunts, showboats and when he is ready to do so, he gets JCC Sr. out of there.
HBO wanted Chavez to fight Honeyghan back when he was undefeated....the best Honeyghan would beat the best Chavez at 147 imo. Leonard is simply a different level imo. Julio fighting Oscar was a good matchup
Interesting…. Chavez got totally outboxed by 3 slick smaller, shorter reach, less power not as good boxers, Taylor , Chavez, and Randall. Yet you think he moves up to beat a fighter much bigger stronger, longer reach, better counter puncher and as fast if not faster than those others. There is no way besides a lucky shot, (ray was never dropped at welterweight, before his first retirement) that Chavez wins.
Final response. Ray beats Chavez with any style he uses. But if Ray used the same style that he used vs Duran 2nd fight, then he brutally destroys Chavez. Go back and look at how easy he was hit, with combo’s. Add Ray power at 147,,,,, its over.
