Sugar Ray Leonard vs Pete Ranzany

What speed and what power! Leonard was something at his best and would be a match (and maybe more) for any WW past or present. Robinson vs. Leonard...What a dreamfight!!

 

Yet, The "Old Timers" do respect Ali, who was more of the new breed & as brash as any of these " new " modern era fighters also Whitaker gets alot of respect in this forum. although he was quite a showboat in his own right. If a fighter has substance as well as showmanship, he will always command respect.

 

This part is especially true with people on this forum.

 

Why can't we stop concerning ourselves with presumptious crap and just talk boxing?.

Or on the other hand anyone else notice that all the big Mayweather and Toney fans tend to think Duran was overrated, Monzon was **** and Hagler not fast or as skilled as Toney/McCallum/Nunn/Hopkins

 

Before I go off on a rant, I just want you to know that this isn't a dig at you personally or anything....

Where the human psychology of boxing is concerned, nearly every great fighter is internally driven by a degree of self-belief that borders on arrogance. Jimmy Cannon - who was quite close to Joe Louis and respected him more than most - said that even a fighter of Joe's modesty and humility was bound to be endowed with it, even if it wasn't readily apparent. All great athletes are.

Carlos Monzon was probably as detestable a sociopath that ever set foot in the ring. Robinson was reported to be a domestic nightmare, whereas Ali became subserviant to a doctrine which preached that white people were created by devils. Yet all of them are revered by people of all generations for what they achieved inside of the ring, with their failings as human beings having **** all to do with it.

Leonard, though one of the greatest to ever lace them up, was an arrogant, self-serving charlatan and shameless politician; Tyson is a polarizing figure who tends to be both overpraised and overcriticized in equal amount, though still an undeniably outstanding fighter. You'll find plenty of old timers who sing the praises of both men, and the valid criticism directed their way has jack squat to do with them being black or outspoken.

Mayweather isn't outspoken or anything such; he's just an insecure, ignorant, obnoxious little **** who has benefited both from competing in a mediocre era and good matchmaking, as well as a decent amount of technical ability (which is in itself overstated most of the time IMO). The ire towards him comes from the fact that he flaunts his wealth in the faces of those less fortunate than himself who have helped him to actually attain it via the easiest route. At least Ali, Toney, Leonard and most of the other bullshitters bothered to back their inflated egos up by facing the best (in much stronger respective talent pools, I might add). Floyd is just awful. I feel unspeakably embarrassed for him every time he opens his absolute pissflap of a mouth. His case, however, and the case of Jones Jr, aren't aided by the absolute travesty that is the majority of the international boxing media kissing their arse pockets at every available opportunity. Nor by the army of ill-informed sychophants that have them up on some unattainable pedestal.

That said, generational bias is always going to exist in a sport as unique and subjective as boxing, with the old timers being short-changed just as much as (if not moreso than) the modern day fighters. Anybody boxing fan who tells you that he isn't biased one way or another is a flat-out liar.

And I'm 24, if that helps at all.

 

Yeah, like I said, it's the knowledgeable ones who seem to dislike Ray Leonard. It's not presumptuous, there are exceptions, but I've been around on this forum for almost five years, and I see the "I couldn't stand Leonard" all the time.

I think Pachilles is on point when he says...

 

Perhaps a overstatement on my part.
At what fight would you say that he did master his craft?

 

I just watched it again. This might have been a flawless performance. He ended this brutally.

 

Probably Davey Boy Green would be that point of demarcation between "rising superstar", and "peak ATG at the height of his powers", but you know, Leonard looked pretty awesome here against a pretty solid contender. He took less shots in four than Cuevas did in two, and that stoppage, in its own way, was just as brutal as Pipino's kayo of Pistol Pete.

 

Beautiful performance. All the politics and histrionics aside, Leonard was a hard man and a great fighter. Not a fan, but anyone watching this has to appreciate the talent.

 

Spot on.

 

Agreed.

 

Leonard could fight flat-footed very well against guys who didn't bring a lot of pressure and aggression. Ranzany was tailor-made for it. Pushed forward just enough to put himself in Leonard's punching range but never enough to make Leonard uncomfortable or to knock him off his front foot.

 

When I look at the Ranzany, Price, and Green fights, I become convinced that Ray had the 2nd fastest hands of all time, behind only Jones.

 

:happyOne of my favorite ko's. Killer instinct personified. The barrage of left hooks was awesome, and then pounding down on poor Pete's head with right hands at the end always gets me. Great stuff!