Ray Leonard vs Tommy Hearns 2... at superwelteight.

Tommy by decision, especially if it's only 12 rounds. Tommy by the time he was fighting Benitez, already knew how to grab on whenever he got cornered which was one of the things that lost him the first fight. Still Ray Leonard will always be a livedog in any scenario.

 

Yep, I can see Tommy getting a decision.

 

Didn’t Hearns only have one or two more fights at welter?
I think Leonard would have found a way to beat him again and in similar fashion, Hearns was a freak at welter but he always had a bit of vulnerability to him

 

Hearns weighed 145 at the same day weighin. In fact, Leonard said Hearns looked like one of the hungry kids from Africa at the weighin. I partly attribute Leonard’s win to Hearns running out of gas. At 154 Hearns was stronger so I don’t see the same outcome. It certainly wasn’t the same outcome in their second fight.

 

Quite feasible that Hearns wins by decision in this scenario. But like his idol,Muhammad Ali before him,you can never truly count Leonard out.

 

I’d make Hearns the slight favorite in this scenario. But a prime Leonard would always have a chance.

 

I'd also go with Hearns by UD. The extra weight is a major factor. Tommy was simply too light in their first fight and he ran out of gas. (He was comfortably ahead on all the scorecards but had nothing left in the tank after the 12th round.)

And as the above post points out adroitly Hearns finally learned how to effectively clinch and tie up an opponent--skills he didn't have back in late 1981.

 

Leonard would probably win

He seemed to have figured Hearns out and would be able to adjust more

People will bring up the 2nd fight but that was at 164 and Leonard didn't have the same punch resistance anymore

 

The weight thing is an overblown excuse

Hearns faded towards the end of their 2nd fight as well

 

Hearns was coming off a stoppage loss to Barkley. And also being badly hurt by Kinchen in which he needed to hold on like an octopus to survive.

They were both past their prime at that point and Leonard was the favourite to win based on their recent performances.

 

154 seemed to be Hearns's best weight but Leonard wasn't too shabby at that weight either.

Over 12 rounds I'd favour Hearns but over 15 rounds I'd favour Leonard.

 

It's always going to be Hearns by decision of Leonard by stoppage. Leonard cannot outbox and outpoint him. This is obvious. 154 is Hearns greatest weight, and over 12 rounds I'd minorly favor him. He'd learnt to clinch when in trouble and was a bit more stable at the weight. Hearns carries weight better than Ray, he's the bigger guy.

It's still on a razors edge every time they fight tho. If Hearns had Durans chin he'd beat Ray every time out. It's Ray's only avenue to victory.

 

Leonard just beat Haggler and Lalonde before the Hearns rematch; he was still a formidable threat at that point. Even more so than Tommy after almost getting stopped again versus James Kinchen.

 

Hearns style was better suited for a higher weight class and aged better..

In their primes at 54 I'm going with Ray Leonard