Would more people like Ray Leonard if he had been more disrespectful to his opponents?

I don’t understand that point of view.

Why do you care how much money he made? Or whether he had tuneups or not?

Tons of popular fighters have made good money on comeback fights — in fact, that’s usually what lures them out of retirement. If they’re not going to make good money, why take the risk of fighting again?

Boxing is a sport, but for a boxer it’s a vocation. It’s a job. It’s how they make a living.

I think most everyone who fought Ray Leonard made career-high purses against them … either at the time or for their entire careers, including whatever fights came after. So they benefitted. And Ray took the lesser end of the purse to fight Hagler and to rematch Duran.

As for tuneups, again, who cares?

 

he was never nice guy. he was "articulate" & friendly of camera & reporter media but you do not see him being nice guy with opponent
rival. He was clear made it clear he consider opponent to be under him inferior.

he was competitive 'ego" man & is good for a champion star super fighter.

yes he was the "fake" but what is wrong with it in the public light? why should famous person show real side always to whole world public? if you have millions strangers persons everywhere watching you :it is sense to keep you real side in privacy & let them see only just the "image'. you don't owe a mass public a look at real you. Just boxing that is all they are owed for the money .

 

Yeah, it's downright stupid. In fact, just a cover up.

When Leonard came straight out of retirement to face Hagler he had paid his dues by beating Benitez, Duran and Hearns. He was a legend in his own time and had earned that. And it's not like it was a gimme fight either.

Compare that with, say, Cooney who got two shots at the lineal HW title without beating a live body, only shot versions of name fighters. And before Spinks he hadn't even done that.

Total nonsense. Say after me: "I don't like him because he's too mainstream and beat one ore two of my favourite fighters (usually Duran and Hagler)."

 

You must be a heck of a Fighter. When you out next ?

 

Any ultra-famous, ultra-successful athlete is going to have people who hate them. It's not unique to Sugar Ray Leonard. Millions of people hated Michael Jordan when he was at the peak of his abilities, and it had to do with the fact he was young, rich, and a champion. Millions of people hate Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, or Derek Jeter, or Steph Curry...

I imagine fighters resented Leonard because he was a middle-class kid who made $40,000 in his first professional bout and transcended boxing as a global celebrity.

 

I love mainstream fighters. Especially Floyd, the most successful fighter ever

and still undefeated

and lets hope he stays that way

Ray Leonard is successful too. If only he had retired after the Hagler fight and then no one would have ever found out his limitations (Norris)

and the public wouldn't have been witness to a terrible knockout loss (Camacho)