**Could Cotto vs. PBF has the same fate as Pryor vs. SRL....**

I dont know if this has been mentioned, but Leonard didnt need to fight Pryor, unlike Floyd, who needs Cotto to build on his already impressive legacy because:

1) Pryor was not a welterweight, unlike Cotto, who is and

2) Leonard had other viable opponents in the WW division, ie. Hearns, Duran (who had vacated his LW belt in 1978 and had 8 fights at WW prior to meeting SRL) to fight, and for that reason, should not be looked down upon for not fighting Pryor, while Floyd should be if he does not fight a real WW, such as Cotto.

 

Forget all this contract ****. Some of you are arguing that Floyd dodged a past his prime Zoo at 38 years old. The same over the hill fighter who was stopped by Hatton. One of the major knocks on Hatton is that he did not beat a top level fighter in his prime. How would it have been any better if Floyd fights the shot and inactive Zoo?

And doesn't Floyd's TKO over Hatton kind of nullify this argument.

Also this situation was nothing like the situation when Floyd fought Judah. When Zoo lost he was STOPPED, 38 years old, and coming off an almost 2 year layoff. When Judah lost he was still 28 years old and in his athletic prime. He had the athleticism to match Floyd, which made it a more intriguing fight.

Some of you guys don't seem to even understand what ducking a fighter implies. Fighting opponent A instead of opponent B is not ducking. Refusing to fight opponent B because of FEAR that you might lose is ducking. Do any of you actually think Mayweather feared 38 year Zoo?

I mean based on some of your logic, didn't Tito ducked Vernon Forrest and Shane Mosley by opting to move up in weight in an attempt to set up a major payday with RJJ? Think about it. Your logic is flawed seriously.

 

I agree with you, but I think SRL has been allowed to get a free pass for all of his politicing. He kind of hustled Duran in the second fight in regards to the stipulations (SRL admitted this). Then he retired leaving a lot of good fights on the table. Duran-Leonard III rubbermatch, Leonard-Hearns II, or Leonard-Hagler.

It's like SRL fought the best, but its kind of misleading. It would have been impossible for him not to fight Hearns. Duran was a risky fight. And he only fought Hagler after Hagler seemed to obviously be declining and after Hagler didn't really have his heart in it no more. But looking back, there was only one "prime" fight against Hearns; he didn't fight Duran again until almost the 90's, and he waited until Hagler was going to retire to fight him.

 

All true, but SRL fought everyone he could before he retired the first time. Pryor did not gain public recognition until he beat Arguello in late 1982, and by that time, SRL was done. When he did come back in 1987, Pryor was done. All I am saying is that SRL fought everyone of significance before he retired the first time. when he unretired, thats a different story, but by that time it wasn't a prime SRL.

 

Yeah no doubt I'm not knocking him. I just think that he incorrectly has the image of a guy who was willing to fight everyone and take on all challenges when I don't think he was like that. He was too calculating to be like that.

IMO, the intial retirement just doesn't sit that well with me. Not saying that he retired so that he wouldn't have to fight Hearns again or a prime Hagler, but it just seems kind of convenient. He stayed away, took a fight, retired again, then when Hagler was about to retire and Hearns was kind of out of the picture, Sugar returned and started fighting actively.

I mean Sugar even said it was no way he was fighting Hagler until he realized that Hagler wasn't the man that he used to be. So to act like SRL would fight anyone and feared no one is kind of untrue. Just my opinion. I think that mentality more so fighted someone like Tommy Hearns (one of the most underrated fighters ever, this dude was a beast) than Leonard.

 

And my main point is that when Leonard first retired at 25 years old and 25-1, people were saying that he had nothing else to prove and that his legacy was already secure. Yet, Floyd is 30 years old, 39-0, and people act like he still has so much to prove still. IMO, I think that is because SRL was adored by the fans, so we wanted to see him walf off into the sunset. Floyd is so disliked, I feel that everything he does is diminished and not enough according to the fans.

 

Sadly, seems to be the case.

In SRL's defense, Pryor is the only guy he "arguably" ducked. Fraud has a long "duck" list. Winky, SHane, Cotto, Margarito, Kostya, Casa.

 

Winky wanted 70/30

Shane "my tooth hurts"

Margo sucks ass, proved it vs Clottey and Williams

Zoo - Winner of Gatti-Floyd was suppose to fight winner of Hatton-Zoo.

Didn't Floyd call out Casamayor after one of his fights at 130/135 :huh

 

SRL was 32-1 when he first retired. I know this isn't a Margarito thread, but he beat clottey down with attrition-dont forget Margarito was hurt as well going into that fight and coming off a 10 month layoff. Against Williams he lost 7 rounds to 5. Many at ringside had it a draw and some had Margarito winning.

 

I had it a draw in Margo-Clottey

 

BS

Shane was ready and willing after the DLH fight, Fraud went after little Hatton instead (path of least resistance)

BS

Should have gone after KT instead of Gatti - cause he only wants to fight for Linear titles right? :roll:

 

I'd give Pryor a must broader chance to beat SRL then Cotto to beat Floyd.

 

:rofl :rofl :rofl

Are you really that much of a blind nuthuger, that you score a Margarito fight with Frauds balls over your eyes. You have almost no credibilty after that stupid statement.

 

He did go after KT. Zoo was calling for Gatti in a big PPV showdown after one his fights and wanted to unify the titles. Floyd was in no position to demand a fight with Zoo at that time. He went after Gattis title to take Gattis position, the winners were suppose to meet. Zoo didn't come through on his end of the deal and lost to his mando that was handsomely paid for by Frank Warren. And Floyd had to go through Corley and Brussles to fight Gatti for the his belt (2 Title Elims FTL)

 

:rofl

There was a post someone challenged people to rewatch the fight and score it. A lot of people had it in Clotteys favor/draw. Ill try to find the thread.