Monzon as Middleweight (160 lbs) Leonard at 158 lbs with speed and power. Leonard finally got to Hearns......and Hearns was faster than Monzon in both hand and foot speed. Could Ray pull off the "impossible"?
I doubt it; Leonard fantastic welter, but his credentials at middleweight are not even close to Monzon's. Too big, too strong. Leonard is very durable and i see him going the distance, but i think Monzon would be too good at controlling range, subtle defensive maneuvers and power punching.
Hearns didn't have the chin that Monzon had, so Leonard wouldn't be getting to anybody in the final rounds. Monzon UD. Just too big, strong, and accurate for Leonard, who isn't at his best weight here.
Ray is way out of his element here. In short, he would never reach Monzon. Even if he did get close enough, Ray would end up paying the price.
Leonard wouldn't be able to get any work done; well, hardly. And Monzon would just bash him down, I doubt a stoppage though, maybe a very late one. Leonard would fare a lot better than that old drunkard Napoles did.
dont compare hearns to monzon, monzon was a bigger, stronger, more powerful and had a better chin, monzon would of stopped ray inside 13 rounds in a 15 round fight
Monzon KO's Leonard sometime in the second half of the fight. Monzon too tall and rangy for Leonard to box and move, plus Leonard's punches wouldn't register with Monzon.
I dont think its the `impossible` TBH. Monzon was quite slow & like to grow into a fight & come on late, if Leonard built up a big lead using his speed & better boxing, I think Monzon would have a hell of a time overtaking him on pts & an even harder time KOing him. I actually see Leonard outboxing Monzon & gritting his teeth in the championship rds to score a pts win, I think it would genuinely take Monzon a good 11 or 12 rds to get his range & find Ray with anything harmful, I think this is a bad style match-up for Carlos. Leonard UD Monzon (12 or 15)
Okay I was worrying that I was the only one who thought Leonard would have a chance in this matchup, especially given that Napoles was able to have some minor success in the early going against Monzon.
Leonard has a better chance than most are giving him. This isn't the worst stylistic match-up for him IMO.
Monzon will build his rhythm late. If this is a prime for prime matchup, we have to consider that Ray was nowhere near his peak when he eventually campaigned at 160, and neither was Hagler. Ray would start off flurrying, running and trying to snatch rounds, but Monzon would build his rhythm up as the fight went on and as the fight goes past the 5th of sixth rounds he would be battering Leonard IMO. He would time Ray on the way in trying to flurry and keep him on the outside. Monzon would win a decision over 12, stoppage over 15. Easily IMO.