Describe Sugar Ray Leonard in one word

Well, okay, so answer the question I asked and dazzle us.

First of all, go take a look at Duran's record on the night he challenged Leonard. He already had almost 30 fights more than Leonard had in his total career. Okay? After that, answer the question posed to you already. Then, consider the last time that a LW champion defeated a MW champion. I'll give you a hint. NEVER. What Duran did against Barkley 6 years after he fought Hagler was unprecedented. Had Duran beaten Hagler, it would have been three times as astounding as Leonard's defeat of a -significantly faded- Hagler. As it is, Duran's loss to Hagler was damn near if not slightly more impressive than Leonard's win to Hagler. Why? Duran was in his 15th year as a professional, he was a natural 135 pounder, and he fought Hagler -one of the top MW ever, during Hagler's prime, over 15 rounds, and in the danger zone.

What was Leonard doing in his 15th year as a pro...? He was getting tortured by Terry Norris.

Is this getting clearer...?

 

Actually I changed it to fake, as you could never trust a word he said and every big fight he had from 84 onwards had something warped about it...

 

Not against this man though.

Addie when I post do you see this gif as my signature?

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I assumed it was rhetorical. We all know the answer.

I appreciate that, but what has Duran's victory over Barkley in '89 got to do with his fights with Ray Leonard, and the disrespect often directed towards the best fighter of the 1980s? As a side note, Barkley was far from being a great fighter and the decision was every bit as disputable as Leonard vs Hagler.

It has became exaggerated since the fight actually happened at how competitive Duran was in his fight with Hagler. I give credit where it's due, and the simple fact a former Lightweight could fight competitively with a fighter of Hagler's stature and ability is no doubt impressivd. I make no bones about that. However, there was a clear winner, at least 3-4 points, and ultimately he lost the fight.

Leonard, in stark contrast, defeated a fairly good version of Marvin Haler in a fight he was given little chance in. The guy hadn't fought in 3 years, was naturally lighter himself, and had overcame a detached retina. I know you already know all of this. It's one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the sport, and a clear decision loss on the part of Duran isn't remotely close to topping it. That would be dumb.

I think when you factor in how inactive Ray Leonard had been at the time though, it really affected his ability to remain at the top level for an extended period of time. I would like respect to be shown to both fighters, it isn't even flamers who come in and talk **** about Ray Leonard. It's really knowledgeable die hard fans of the sport often times, and I guess what I'm saying here is, explain it to me? I don't get why Ray is resented so much.

 

Don't even go down that road, Blanco. I appreciate the fact that Terry Norris is a great fighter in his own right, but he fought an absolute shell of Ray Leonard and only a deluded fool like RedRooster would claim otherwise. We all have out favorite fighters, but that doesn't justify being stupid.

Peak Ray slaughters Norris at 154lbs. Believe it.

 

Ray Leonard was great. End of.

 

Absolutely, Ray's past prime days defined his whole career. :verysad

 

Stop acting so sensitive right about now, when I posted the gif I did it in a light hearted manner which is why I added an emotiocon.

And just because a poster may have a unpopular opinion does'nt make him a "deluded fool". I also believe Norris beats a prime Leonard but do I come off as a fool whenever I post here at ESB?

 

Norris would be taken to the electric chair. :good

 

Sure. Duran did the manly thing, and had the nerve to take on a prime Hagler over the championship distance with eight ounce gloves, and was actually more in the lead after 13 rounds than Saccharin Ray was after going the pussified 12 round distance with ten ounce pillows, despite the fact that Marv was much better against Duran than he was against Saccharin Ray.

You really think Saccharin Ray would have beaten Hagler over the first 13 rounds with both of them wearing eight ounce gloves if he'd been in the ring with Marv when bad ass Duran had the balls to try? (Are you sure Saccharin Ray could have lasted 15 rounds with the Hagler who took apart Scypion and Sibson?)

Duran proved it was possible to actually compete with the monster. When was Saccharin Ray ever going to try being the first to prove something like that?

 

I didn't see the .gif mate.

The Leonard vs. Norris match-up shouldn't really ever be referenced to unless it's to acknowledge the tragedy of the event. That fool RedRooster talks about it like Norris overcame great adversity to pull of his career defining win against an ancient Leonard. Laughable.

Norris would be competitive early on with his speed and athleticism, but he just can't take the firepower. Leonard's right hand would be too much.

 

1976: I am going to retire

1982: I am going to retire

1984: I am going to retire

1987: I am going to retire

1989: I am going to retire

1991: I am going to retire

How could you trust him? He was not one us, he was a media darlin', a white collar lover, we did not need and we did not want him the sport, he ultimately polluted it, and did a lot more harm than good.

It was about style first for Leonard, he help mould this horrid era that we have today, where presentation comes first over everything. So unless your a 30-0 good looking media darling no one is interested in you and ready to give you a chance.

 

Rooster, is that you?

 

... I don't think that you know the answer to that. In fact, I'm convinced that you don't. It's hard to find if you tried to google it (and you surely have), which is probably why you have deflected it twice already.

Ray does deserve much of the resentment from boxing purists... like Hagler. Listen, boxing fans are very often hard-edged, street wise, and direct. That fake smile perfected by recent boxing celebrities like Leonard, like De La Hoya, is not appreciated by crooked-nose congregations anywhere. It is undeniable that Leoanrd was a manipulator and a politicians. How many people in your neighborhood idolize or even respect politicians? Leonard exploited and used people for his own ends -including at least one great champion who deserved more respect. Read "Sorcery at Caesar's" for an in-depth and very fair presentation of what he has done throughout his career.

That being said, Leonard was a great fighter. I'd say that he was a complete fighter. And I for one had no doubt of his in-the-ring heart after the loss to Duran.

 

You mean to say, Ray Leonard, this pretender, beat up on your favorite fighter? The 1980s was an unbelievable era for Boxing, and Ray stood out. Forget about all of the emphasis about his retirements, and media personality, when he got inside the squared circle he tore that **** up. Duran was humbled in the rematch, Hearns suffered his first career loss by knockout, and Benitez was out boxed and out punched. What a fighter.