Boxing Illustrated All-time Pfp rankings (1995)...

Honestly, he's hard to watch for more than five minutes.

 

True, there's no more than 5 minutes of footage is there

 

I agree. Even though I think the world of Ray Leonard, #4 is a bit too generous.

 

hell yeah! That's what i been saying for years. Thankfully, most of our members (except for John Thomas) have a mind of their own.

 

Didn't see the bit about Leonard. Benny Leonard, yea, stick him at number four if you want, but Ray? Definitely not. He couldn't even beat Terry Norris.

 

Benny was fighting fifteen times a year - or more - at that stage in his career. He was twenty years old and still learning; and he was still beating the majority. Ray was primed and raring to go when Norris thrashed him, winning every round.

 

He'd beaten Roberto Duran just over a year before - and you want me to think Leonard was past his prime against Norris? Typical Leonard fans... Prime when he won, shot when he lost

 

What is there to laugh at? Even when Duran smacked him all over the place (with twelve years and over seventy fights worth of punishment taking its toll), Leonard's fans still insist Leonard wasn't in his prime. They say 'he was yet to reach his peak'

As I said, whenever Leonard lost, he was apparently not in his prime. His fans, like you, get awfully stuck and awkward when I ask them why Hearns was kicking his arse until Leonard got lucky. Normally, they'll either hype up Hearns to be some kind of demi-god, or they'll pretend Leonard won more rounds than he actually did. It's laughable.

 

The Leonard-Duran III fight was a poor showing from both fighters, Duran probably more so. The manner in which they both performed was lacklusture to put it mildly.

Leonard was past his prime, and had become inactive throughout the late 80's. Age crept up on him, as did the weight against Norris. He hadn't made 154lbs for seven years, fighting at or around 160lbs for his fights against Hagler, Lalonde, Hearns II, and Duran III.

Age got the better of Hagler when he faced Leonard himself. The reflexes and speed rapidly going downhill. Those signs were apparent during the Mugabi fight 13 months earlier.

Leonard was around the same age as Hagler when he shared a ring with Norris. Not only did age catch up with Leonard, but the weight as well. A fighter who struggles with weight also struggles with stamina, speed, and co-ordination.

 

He wasn't shot when he lost to Duran.

Leonard's prime was between 1979 and 1982. He was still a damn fine boxer when he beat Hagler, but past his best.

Fighters can still put out great victories when past their prime. As Leonard did against Hagler, Ali against Foreman, and Duran against Barkley.

 

What you mean is; 'Leonard ran all ****ing night.' Still, at least he showed he had a good set of legs on him - a tell tale sign that a fighter is still youthful and agile. And you know what a youthful, agile fighter is, don't you? In his prime!

Classic nuthugger! Six pounds made the difference in him winning handily and getting the **** beaten out of him

Talking of ****, I could have sworn I saw a little bit run down Leonard's leg just before the fight. He was scared of Norris. Just like he was scared of Duran & Hagler, that's why he ran all night against them.

Yes, Hagler was going downhill when a prime Leonard beat him (criminal decision, but that is another matter).

Difference is, Hagler had more than twice the amount of fights under his belt than Leonard, who didn't have the guts to fight regularly.

 

What are you laughing at you swine?

 

:huh

I've been wanting to vent my anger for a long time, but certain restrictions have limited me. I've held back for long enough, but no more - Leonard was a rat. A filthy, stinkin' rat. No, he was worse than a rat. He was a snide, sneaky, sly, shrewd, shifty, shady, scheming (and any other derogatory word you can think of beginning with 's') little ****. I know what I'm going to call him; Gay Leopard. He was furtive and cunning like those little ****ing leopards, and he was gay with it. Did you see him slap the hands of his trainers after the Duran rematch, trying to get them to put him down? What a little nancy boy. Plus those words rhyme with his real name.

 

Manassa is right. Legends don't lose in this manner to 3-1 underdogs.

It's not even worth the effort defending leonard. It was a total flogging so in the end you have to say the critics of Leonard were right to say he was overrated. And no other fighter was as choosy about picking comp as leonard.

 

Not me. His Kidding aside, I never bought into the legend of Ray Leonard.