Best boxer in last 30 yrs - `Sugar`Ray Leonard

Seriously?

 

Past 40 years, as most have already stated, is Duran for me aswell. Leonard is a good one for the past 30 though, but i like Whitaker personally, like i always say, greatness is awfully subjective, so the case could possibly be made for either as it's tight.

No disrespect, bt Hearns has no place in this thread, PLEASE do not overlook the 'no disrespect' at the beginning of this sentence.

 

Seriously.

 

No I was more suprised that he had Hopkins, PBF and Jones higher in his P4P rakings than Hagler and Hearns.

 

I have Hagler above Hopkins in my all-time MWs list, but simply as a great fighter i rate Bernard very high, the case could possibly be made? Maybe not, it's a hard one, he has proved his greatness imo, but so has Marvin.

 

As I said before, Duran should be discounted from this time-period because of his work at lightweight in the 1970s.

However, in your post you seem to be speaking about their wider careers, so I must take issue that Leonard was better as he beat better opponents. Leonard had 4 big wins in his entire career (Benitez and the big 3), but very little else on his resume. The Hagler win was very debatable. Duran has wins over Ken Buchanan, Esteban deJesus (twice), Leonard, Pipino Cuevas, Davey Moore, and Iran Barkley on his record. Duran dominated a division for a prolonged spell, which Leonard didn't, and he competed at the top level for a far longer period. IMO, Duran jumping to welterweight and taking Leonard's zero beats anything on Leonard's resume.

 

I am not overlooking it mate, but do you mind if I ask why you discount Hearns from this discussion?

 

Putting Floyd Mayweather above Marvin Hagler is scandalous.

 

Hector Camacho KO 5 Ray Leonard. If you had any valid points to make you'd put up an argument

 

No that's fine, it's just that the title of the thread is 'the greatest boxer of the past 30 years', i don't mind an honourable mention for Tommy, but i really don't think the case can be made for number 1.

I will admit though, that i'm a bit grouchy on the subject of Hearns of late, i really think he is generally the most overrated ATG on ESB. It seems smetimes that people think if a guy is tall and long-limbed and can box then he is h2h one of the most difficult propositions ever. So maybe i'm being a bit harsh on on Tommy how i jumped on him rather than the others that have been wrongly mentioned here.

I like Tommy and rate him high but there are a few welters i pick over him h2h, im just sick of seeing things to the effect of him beating Ray Robinson and oither elite level achievers around his weight division(s).

Sorry about the unnecessary rant by the way!!

 

Thomas Hearns is my favourite boxer of all time, but I agree that there is no way he can be called the greatest boxer of the past 30 years.

 

Taking the Duran cut off I agree on Leonard but...

His ranking over Hearns really should not be by much at all. The seond fight was a fair match up (even if it didn't look like it at the time).

You can argue that Hagler beat Hearns but not Leonard but then you can argue that Hearns nuked Duran and Leonard didn't...

Both of their fights were very competitive.

The guys who stand out for me...

Leonard
Whittaker
Sanchez
Chavez
Spinks
Hagler
Hopkins

 

Good to see we agree, i like Tommy too, possibly (most likely) the hardest hitting welter ever. Greatest 154 pounder ever for me, but McCallum runs him close.

 

People like to forget about all the years that Roy was #1 in the p4p ratings, something like six times. I think eight is a more realistic figure but the media was also having a love affair with DLH.

Ray Leonard only won the award once-in 1981. Personally I think Hagler or Sanchez were more deserving but the media was still having it's love affair with Leonard. Personally I was excited that Leonard had beat Hearns because it would make his image grown even though he didn't look good doing it. I also there were better fighters out there.

Hagler's performance vs. Hamsho was much stronger. He looked at least ten times better than Leonard that's why Ray lost interest in fighting the same man who earlier was boasting how much he wanted to fight.

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I also think Sal Sanchez delivered a much stronger performance than Leonard. While Leonard had to wait a few rounds before taking chances with an anemic hitman, Sanchez went toe to toe with Gomez right away. A man that had stopped ALL of his opponents had his eyes closed and cheekbone broken and in serious trouble all in the first round alone.

Sanchez was masterful in the manner in which he took his time wearing down his dangerous foe and NEVER falling behind the way Leonard did. No controversial stoppage either. :smoke

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