He'd have lost 1 or 2 big fights IMO, He'd also have won some but I don't think his record would look as studded had he fought more regularly.
Do you think a Hearns rematch would've been on the cards? Personally I think Hearns would've won on points had they have had a rematch at 154
Rematches with Hearns and Benitez would definitely have come about. A fight with Hagler would have occurred no later than 1983 due to the demand for it. Ray would have missed fights with the likes of Honeyghan,Breland and Starling as he would have vacated the welter division before these men came to real prominence. A Pryor bout may well have occurred in late '82.
Leonard's hands were not good enough for another 4 or 5 bouts against elite fighters. We are talking anywhere from an additional 50 to 70 rounds. Another factor is the attrition factor/wear and tear. Leonard was no Bazooka Limon at absorbing punishment fight after fight. When he was finally asked to absorb punches he went downhill pretty quick. Not too many guys out there like an Ali that can go gradually downhill and still find a way to win. Most drop off the table once those reflexes go and Ray sure did drop a bunch when you look at Hearns rematch/Lalonde/Norris/Camacho.
Very much a 50/50 one for me. Hearns would have been well capable of outpointing Leonard at that time but Ray may have been better at rallying down the stretch of a 15 rounder.
Another one that could have gone either way. Let's remember that Leonard was also past his prime when he and Marvin finally fought.
He goes on to beat Curry, McCrory, McCallum and whoever else was there at that time... (and I thought very highly of Mike McCallum, but I think Ray Leonard would beat him)…..
Those are tough fights for him after Benitez, Duran and Hearns. He is prime, but McCrory he would stop in 4 or 5 rounds I think. Curry? Tough fight. I think he would edge a decision, but again those guys are all motivated to fight him. And McCallum? I pick Ray at 154, but Mike would be tough. I think he got out after the Finch fight in 1982 at the right time to wait. Let Curry get big at welterweight and then lose to Mike. Hearns in the meantime fought Benitez, Duran and Hagler, so he was always busy. Duran also. I think Leonard was always best to fight his old buddies Benitez, Duran and Hearns again.. He knew them and they were bigger than the other three in stature. The other guys? Lower name recognition and tough fights. Ray would have had a tough road. Easier to keep his legacy on the side with HBO and watch the other guys win and lose and then come up when Hagler looks old with Mugabi. Then fight Hearns and Duran in 1989 when they look old. He was smart. The Hearns rematch almost backfired on him. It should have been a loss for him.
I think he had little to gain and a lot to lose to be honest. He had such a fantastic resume considering the small amount of fights he did have, that one or two loses could have really effected the way we perceive him today
Well factually he was going to fight Roger Stafford next and i also showed many many years ago that he had come to terms for a Pryor bout after that. Leonard was at his absolute peak. He would have beaten both of these guys. IMO at most he would have had one more bout at 147. I think he might have fought McCrory actually. He then would have taken on Duran straight after he beat Davey Moore and the timeline fits. He would have beaten Roberto. Things then get murky. Hearns would have well and truly beaten Benitez by then and i strongly feel Ray would not have fought him at his 154 peak. I think he'd be happy to sit on that 1-0 record against Hearns. McCallum was never going to be a big enough draw either. There was nothing big at 154 (post Duran) excepting Hearns. I think Leonard would have tested the waters at 160 with a fight or two and summed up if he thought he had "it" at 160. If he thought he could carry the weight well he would have taken on Hagler. I don't think this would have been the guaranteed whupping many seem to think as Leonard too would have been younger and faster and busy. It's almost a given he would have been in Hagler's head and gave himself the best possible chance of an upset. By this time the 12 round title fights would have begun. You'd favor Hagler but he would have been no bigger favorite than he was in their actual bout. If Leonard thought he didn't cut it at 160 he probably would have retired. If he did there's every chance in the world he still would have come back in 87 to fight Hagler. It's almost a given.
You make some good points... I believe Leonard had the talent to beat all those guys, but it's true, he was a business man first. Sitting back and watching all the younger guns do all the work fighting each other, then picking the winner to fight for all the marbles at his own convenience was more his way of doing things.... When you become as big as SRL, your options are open and you can call the shots to your liking.... As for the Hearns rematch, (I have not seen that in awhile, as I recall it was close), maybe so, but, had it been 15 I think Hearns gets KO'ed again....
I don't know. Ray was the one who went to the hospital that night not Hearns. Ray put his all into tht 12 th round he was tired. I don't know. And the only clean punch he landed at the end was a hit on the break.
Ray takes on McCrory, Starling, and Curry, after beating those 3, moves up and becomes 154 champ again in 1984, moves up to middle in 1985 and beats Marvin Hagler in 1986, then retires to hang with Eddie Murphy and company.
With 2 good eyes, he would have not missed as many punches on Juanita, after she flushed his cocaine down the toilet.
