Rank Ray Leonard Thomas Hearns Floyd Mayweather Terence Crawford

I understand

I just dont see how Benitez was a better fighter than Canelo

Maybe more naturally gifted. Just not a better fighter

Hearns beating Benitez at 54 isnt close to Crawford beating Canelo at 68

 

Benitez didn't achieve as much but he was also fighting against the likes of Hearns, Leonard, in their prime at their best weight.

If you put Canelo in the same era fighting against a prime Leonard, Hearns, how do you think Canelo would fare against those fighters ?

Crawford moving up to beat Canelo is a better achievement on paper. But Benitez was on a great run at 154 beating the likes of Maurice Hope, Roberto Duran, etc these were stand out performances.

Benitez brutally KO'ed Hope I believe he knocked out some of his teeth.

Benitez schooled Duran.

Canelo in comparison had been labouring for the past few years in dull 12 round decisions looking past his best whilst clearly ducking Benavidez.

That's why you need to look at the context.

As for Benitez/Canelo I could definitely see Benitez outpointing Canelo at 154 but that wasn't Canelo's peak weight in all fairness. But its also realistically the only weight that could face off against eachother in a mythical H2H match up.

 

At a weight he didn’t belong at.

Canelo barely beat Lara and Trout.

He couldn’t win a round off of a 36 year old Floyd.

He got a gift draw against a faded GGG.

Even at his best, Canelo wasn’t as good as what Benitez was at his.

 

It isn’t close??

That’s ridiculous.

 

The faded GGG thing is nonsense

GGG was more in his prime than Canelo

Canelos overall career and resume blows Benitez out of the water

4 division champ

Undisputed at 168

Was considered the number 1 pound fighter at one point

I doubt Benitez was

Compare Benitez to Miguel Cotto

Im not even sure if Benitez career was better

Everything with Benitez is theoretical just like Salvatore Sanchez

 

Its not close

is Benitez even greater than Trinidad ?

 

Canelo would do better than Benitez in that era

Benitez would do worse than Canelo in this era

Best way to put it

 

How so ?

Benitez beat the great Antonio Cervantes at aged 17 I doubt a young Canelo was ready to beat a great figher like that.

Canelo definitely wouldn't beat Leonard/Hearns.

Duran would be more competitive against the slow footed low output Canelo rather than a tricky slippery defensive fighter like Benitez.

 

This is what people like to do with Benitez they like to bring up the age thing

Ya obviously he was better at 17 than Canelo was

And obviously, Canelo was better than Benitez at 30

Canelo was the better fighter by any objective metric

Benitez is a little overrated on here

 

But you said and I quote "Canelo would do better in Benitez's era"

So you wouldn't be able to have the Middleweight version of Canelo at age 30 on PEDs fighting Cervantes.

Since we're following a realistic timeline of Benitez's career path it would be a young Canelo fighting Cervantes.

It took Cervantes two and a half a years into his professional career to defeat the great Cervantes.

It took Canelo 5 years to win his first title against Matthew Hatton which is a major league difference to Antonio Cervantes.

So even if we took some liberties and had Canelo with 5 years experience into his professional career when he won his first title up against someone of Cervantes class.

Would Canelo be able to beat someone of Cervantes level at that stage in his career ? I doubt it.

And as I've already said Canelo certainly wouldn't beat Leonard or Hearns in their primes.

So again I'm baffled at the suggestion that Canelo would do better than Benitez.

 

Excitement wise Hearns is no. 1 for me.

But greatness wise, it has to be:
1. Mayweather
2. Crawford
3. Hearns
4. Leonard

 

Leonard is last

 

1. Mayweather
2. Crawford
3. Hearns
4. Leonard

 

I struggle to understand how Leonard can hold wins over Benitez, Duran, Hearns himself and Hags, who destroyed Hearns, and rank lowest in greatness.

He has four elite wins on paper - Crawford has one elite win on paper and one very good win.

If someone wanted to argue Floyd above Ray, I wouldn't agree but could understand but Bud and Tommy, it would be interesting to see the logic behind this and whether the logic is applied consistently across fighters.

 

Canelo would do better than Benitez if you had his career prime coincidence with Benitez

If that was somehow possible