Could peak Floyd Mayweather have beat all Sugar Ray Leonard challengers

Mayweather won his 1st belt at SFW. He proved himself the best at WW, 3 x divisions up, and won a couple of fights at LMW, 4 up. SRL won his 1st title at WW, so the equivalent jump in divisions for him were SMW and LHW.

You're right Mayweather s*#@s all over SRL in terms of longevity.

SRL did beat 2 consensus, original 8 weight division, top 10 all time fighters, though (admittedly 1 above the weight hes a consensus top 10 all time in), with a 3rd that would appear top 10 in more lists than not. Mayweather didn't beat any.

There are extremists on either side of the balanced view, but that balanced view is pretty obvious to people without an agenda. SRL has the greatest couple of/few wins, whilst Mayweather has the most depth and better longevity.

 

Agree. If we were rankings fighters SOLELY on their best win then Ray Leonard is better. But then again we’d also have to rank guys like Buster Douglas and Iran Barkley above plenty of greats too

 

If we were ranking them solely on their respective best 4 or 5 wins, SRL would rank higher.

If solely on their 6th to 16th best wins, Mayweather would rank higher.

If on their whole career, it depends either where your bias lies, or, if no bias, whether you prefer the greater quality of low quantity signature wins, or the greater depth of very good wins, allied with longevity and consistency.

I have SRL #17 p4p all time and Mayweather #18, which is as close to equal as it gets.

 

Are we having a casuals day at Classic Forum or something? Mayweather would retire instead of fighting Duran, Hearns, Hagler or Benitez.

 

Floyd would go 0-4

 

In your dreams.

 

That wouldn’t be comparable though.

 

It’s not.

You only rate those guys because Canelo fought them.

He barely beat Trout.

Trout’s claim to fame is beating an end of the road Cotto.

 

I would have loved to have seen Floyd fight Norris.

 

Yeah, but Ray has a number of better wins than Floyd.

 

In your nightmares.

 

I don`t think Floyd would have been a great middle and I think Hagler and Hearns would have had far too much reach for him and would have out-jabbed him, he never faced long jabs like that from master boxers.

 

Floyd had no power at welter and never met a fighter like Hearns.

 

You think he stops Hearns quicker than Ray? Floyd didn`t have Ray`s power and Tommy could have taken Floyd out with one shot, that`s a huge reach advantage.

 

Floyd doesn't need power, that was never his asset.