If sugar Ray Leonard beat Marvin Hagler albeit a close fight, than he surely decisions a Gene Fullmer...IMO...I saw Fullmer fight ringside. Rough, tough and awkward, but a Zale, Cerdan, and LaMotta of the 1940s all were better...
This I totally agree with. He would be man-handled by a fighter he has bags of skill over, but would never have an opportunity to unleash. Fullmer was one of the strongest middleweights whom, if you didn't hold onto both those arms in a clinch you would be taking shots on the top of the head, the back of the head, the soles of the feet, etc. I see Leonard going 15, but being mauled in the process.
The second bout with SRR was the only clean, decisive victory that was scored over Fullmer in their series. Gene Fullmer was a load of trouble for anyone he fought. Wild, rough and extremely unorthodox. I know of no skilled fighter who was able to just "have their way" with him. Fullmer fought like a man through the pain of a broken elbow in the Fernandez fight for 15 rounds. He had a primitive, old school mental hardness, and it seemed that only the really big punchers like Lausse, other strong men like Tiger could deal with him...and the aforementioned "lightning in a bottle left hook from the best fighter of all time, SRR. Over the 15 round distance, he would have been a full handle for even SRL....and even Roy Jones Jr. for that matter. Not saying who would win either way, just that I wouldn't be surprised if Gene have Leonard all that he could handle.
No one could truly "manhandle" Fullmer...though Tiger came the closest. Leonard sure as hell would not have been able to.
Sorry if I was unclear on that. I was referring to Leonard being manhandled by Fullmer not vice-versa. An overgrown welterweight like Ray - who by the way is one of the greats at 147 - would never be able to unfurl his particular skill-set against this unorthodox primate charging him for 15 rounds.
:goodI know you didn't mean it that way, I just took off on a tangent about the ludicrous concept of "manhandling" Fullmer...I don't think ANY middleweight champion of history could have done that....and you're right BTW,...Leonard's particular skill set would have been thwarted by the awkwardly wild but effective way that Fullmer used his great strength. GF was a criminally underrated performer.
I agree with Red Cobra on this one. Marvin Hagler made the mistake of trying to box with Ray Leonard, whereas Fullmer would use strength and pressure against him. He wouldn't over complicate things in there and would bull Leonard and batter his body. I'd favour Fullmer, especially over 15 rounds.
Leonard is a couple of classes above Fullmer. Fullmer's name is made of beating a 36/39yo Robinson way past his best in 2-1-1 series that saw him get ko'd. Prime Leonard (or the Hagler version) is much quicker, slippier and fitter than a 36yo Robinson. Clear Leonard win, whether UD or KO
Fullmer by ko. Incredibly rough and strong. Paret or Basilio all over again. With the gloves from the old days.
