Does Sugar Ray Robinson have a better win than Duran beating Leonard in Montreal?

Rays wins over Lamotta,Gavilan,Fullmer,are on a par imo.

 

Curry was perceived as a great fighter and reckoned, at one point ,to be the outstanding challenger to Hagler after Leonard,the way he dismantled big punching Colin Jones whilst standing in the pocket reinforced that opinion.

 

Griffith could beat Leonard (and of course Leonard could beat him). Not sure I'd pick a winner, but it would be a hard fight.

I don't really rate fighters on the basis of who might beat who in a fantasy bout. All I was really getting at is I don't think Leonard should automatically be rated ahead of someone like Griffith, a legit all-time great in his own right who also had a far longer and tougher career.

 

Agreed. I don't think we're far off at all.
I'd go as far as to say, in hypothetical head-to-head match-ups, Leonard have a very good chance against ANY welter in history, and wouldn't be a clear underdog in any, apart from Robinson. He's pretty much 50-50, give or take, against the best of the rest, on their best ever nights. I might favour some others him slightly, and him over others slightly. But I qualify that by saying there are about a half dozen other historical welters (*those same select few) I'd extend the same reckoning to. It's a competitive division stacked with fine fighters.

 

Your right, the Jones performance was A+. And Jones was a very good fighter, but he wasn't a world beater.

 

Jones was good enough to hold the number 1 contender for the vacant title to a split decision in his own country,a decision he may well have reversed had the fight been in the UK.

 

There are no automatics but if we choose to rate it is what it is .. while I think Leonard was overall better than Griffith I do feel that Emile's strength, speed, stamina and chin make him a very tough match up ..

 

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