A rant from me (Robinson, Hagler, Leonard)

Okay i want to start by addressing the issue of a hypothetical match up between one Marvelous Marvin Hagler and one Sugar Ray Robinson.

Long has it been thought by many, that Robinson beats Hagler, because of the ability to outspeed and outbox him. I have no problem with people thinking that Robinson beats Hagler, but i want to say this;

When you look at all the middleweights that give Robinson trouble and actually beat him, and you are faced with the proposition of only picking one other middleweight in history to beat him in a fantasy match, it has to be Hagler. I could wax lyrical on how Hagler could be considered a melting pit of most of them fighters' styles and then some all day, but i think the board gets my point. I have no problem whatsoever with Robinson being picked to beat Marvin, but please don't give me this bull**** about him schooling Hagler one minute and then being knoced unconscious by Bob Fitzimmons the next. (i'm waiting for people to throw the styles match up at me now, well i don't see it regardless, not a ko, a knckdown yes, but not a follow up finish) I would also like to say that many people seem to pick Robinson over Hagler on the strength of how his loss to Leonard came about. For a start it is blatant that Hagler had declined in terms of speed. But it's not Hagler that i want to touch on, interestingly to some of you, it's the comparison between Leonard and Robinson and how that affects the style match up that might have an effect on the Hagler Robinson super bout.

Robinson and Leonard at middleweight were dissimilar in some respects. Robinson would never disrespect the sport by carrying out a pre-meditated gameplan to steal rounds. If Robinson was to go into the ring to box Hagler his methods would be to feed him a steady diet of jabs, to throw power shots with intent off the backfoot like he did against LaMotta. He'd blast in hooks and body shots when Marvin was conserving his energy, that's what boxers do. He'd move in and out with every punch in the book, and he would no way ever go to the ropes with a mind to counter with flashy shots. He would be put on the ropes, and he would fight off them, but go to them to steal rounds, no. This said it means that Robinson can win, but it means Hagler can as well, it's a toss up out and out.

Which brings me to the comparisons made between Leonard and Robinson. At welterweight this bout is more or less stamped as a toss up exclusively across the board. In my opinion Robinson was flat out better and had more than Leonard as a boxer and a fighter. For one to visualise the chess match in centre ring between the two, it is important to remember how both fought there. Leonard was one to throw single rapid shots in mid ring before much developments had been made. A quick fire snapping jab, he'd circle and release a lightning fast left hook, if the range was right, an overhand right, all with a view to setting up more offense. If his man was all over him then he'd release combos, if his man was backing up he'd release combos, if his man was hurt he'd finish him. Robinson, in a centre ring chess match, had more for my money. He could jab, he could shut a man out with the jab. He could fire, precise four and five punch varied combos when both men were standing off one another trying to get the leverage, before any developments had occurred in the bout, just right off the bat. Up close, he was a better body puncher than Leonard in my opinion also.

Leonard has the edge in handspeed, but like i said, what's he going to do, shoot a power shot, a pot shot in centre ring, hurt Ray Robinson then administer a beating? I highly doubt it. Or is he going to circle, moving laterally, with a gamplean set up to outbox and counter Robinson? Nah, any type of fight like that means you get hunted and hit in succession by likely the most claculated and well thought out, (not to mention effective) offense ever.

I think the fight is a classic, and it's even close. Leonard would even win some rounds with his jab, and he'd bounce heavy artillery off the head of Robinson. But Robinson would beat him. The way Duran hurt Leonard in round two from a centre ring area, that's Robinson's bread and butter, and he is likely better at it than Duran. Robinson would get nasty, he has more and he would use it, and he never stops. He would have Leonard in retreat at times and he'd capitalise, and he'd win a close fight. But in the end i reckon he would truly remind Leonard why he choes to copy the nickname of the great man he did. Walker Smith would make Ray Leonard realise why he was given the moniker 'Sugar', and why he copied it. To a degree he would be his daddy.

 

Hello everyone, i've just come home now and seen all the replies. Thanks for reading, i don't really want to start any arguments up, it really was what it said on the tin, a rant. I've said everything i wanted to say on the matter, it's all off my chest now. The reasons why i said it are all up at the top of the page in the rant itself if you want to read it.

Thanks for the nice comments as well everyone, this is probably my favourite post (by me i mean).

Thanks again.

 

Thanks, i did actually think it out the night before (sad ****),

 

:good