On a H2H basis,I'd take the Leonard of the first Hearns fight over any welter in history apart from the original Sugar.
That's a very valid point ,the counter argument is of course,how many of them would you pick to beat him?
I'd rate them all highly, although he never beat the best version of Duran at the weight. But what also weighs heavily for me is how stylistically different they were. One of the best pure boxers, one of the best boxer-brawlers and one of the best boxer-punchers. It's quite rare to beat masters of three different styles. And it also weighs in that he easily flattened the rest of the contenders he fought at the weight. Never really had problems with anyone he shouldn't have problems with.
I often hear this term but how do you get a lucky punch in boxing? Did Ray not mean to hit Tommy?! Did Tommy deliberately hang his chin out?!
Never liked Leonard but now watching him on video he is miles ahead of most of the Welterweights since his time. Certainly an ATG and a better fighter than Hearns overall.
Amended. top fourteen, still too high for Honeyghan. Griffith McClarnin Rodriguez Napoles Gavilan Leonard Robinson Walcott Trinidad DeLahoya Basilio Britton Mayweather Paquiao Lewis Walker Armstrong Zivic Ross Petrolle Williams Burley Bratton Starling Hearns Benitez McGirt Breland McCrory Taylor Whitaker Mosley Palomino Cuevas Graham Brown Curry* Weight drained when Honeyghan beat him . All superior to Honeyghan
Ray Leonard at 11, what kind of crack you're smoking? He got win over Hearns, Duran and Benitez for ****'s sake! Trinidad at 7? His biggest win at welter is a robbery over De La Hoya, he spent nearly a decade knocking out nobodies and has been, what did he do to deserve top 10? Ike Quartey higher than Jose Napoles??
Is anyone aside from Hagler and Barkley got an easy fight with Hearns? Hearns is in top 5 ATG welter in most lists I've seen, that's why Ray Leonard win over a prime Hearns is so significant. About Trinidad and Quartey, not that they're bad but there are boxers more accomplished that them. Take Luis Rodriguez for example. Unified WBA/WBC welterweight champ, beaten Emile Griffith, Benny Paret, Hurricane Carter, Curtis Cokes, Georgie Benton and Bennie Briscoe. Did Trinidad and Quartey have a better resume than him?
It seems that you value longevity and dominance in a division more than quality of opponents, which I prefer. That's okay. I just can't agree on Ray Leonard outside top 10. He didn't have long stretch of dominance, sure, but look but who he bet! And Hearns is not green. He was 32-0 and demolished HOFamer Pipino Cuevas for the title, he is in his prime. Fight was scheduled for 15 rounds back then and they paced themselves for 15 rounds. Ray won fair and square, that is. Mayweather with wins over Mosley, Pacquiao, Cotto and Hatton is already in top 10, but Mosley is in no way in top 10, or 20 for that matter. His biggest win at welter is a split decision over De La Hoya, followed by 3 defenses against unheralded opponents. Then he got whipped twice by Vernon Forrest. Does that sound impressive to you? His second win over DLH is in LMW so it doesn't count, then of course he got whipped by Winky Wright. His win over Margarito is amazing, but Margarito's handwrap scandal made me think twice about his credential. And don't get me start on Mosley's PED allegation.
That is what he said. Here are his exact words. While Britton and Robinson are almost equal at Welterweight (in terms of achievement); the later one was there clear better than at Middleweight. Admittedly not easy to comprehend, but clear enough.
At the absolute peak of his prime, and as an overwhelming favourite Leonard lost to a career Lightweight Duran. For that NOT to be counted against him is pure fanboyism. Also it is pure idiocy to rank him directly behind Ray Robinson. Furthermore much is made of the 14th round win over the severely weight drained Tommy Hearns. A man who went on to fight for a further 25 years, never even attempting to make 147 again.