Herol Graham vs. Sugar Ray Leonard at MW

It's hard to be too tricky for Leonard when it ultimately comes to getting the win. Kalule was boxing okay, Hearns boxed brilliantly against him but it was different, it was in a dominating manner using good offense and powerful straight shots. Graham might get it, but a middleweight Ray Leonard is an experienced one, and he'd be sensing defeat and looking for a ko if he was getting outmaneuvred and out-generalled.

Leonard for me.

 

Leonard hit too hard & precise & was far too good a finisher for Graham who had a glass jaw problem.

 

Really?

Leonard wins though for sure.

 

This is a tricky 1, Im really not sure, Graham gets well underrated, he had some silky skills, was elusive fast, great radar, I think it'd be a close call

 

I actually think it would Graham's significant strength advantage and ability to be very effective as a spoiler, rough-housing fighter that would be the keys to him doing well here.

Gut feeling says Leonard, but there is too much unknown about him for me at 160 against a variety of good fighters to be sure of how i think it would play out.He may have suffered an upset to someone had he opted to actually defend his belt, or show the kind of aging flaws that Hearns did against a Kinchen.Graham lacks the poise of the likes of Kalambay and McCallum though.I have little faith in him to get thejob done despite feeling Leonard had become beatable.

harry caprneter would have Graham winning by a mile if he was even remotely competitive though.There is that consolation.

 

I think Leonard's speed and sharp punching offset's Graham's slick movement and defense. Fight may be stopped late, more likely Leonard gets a big UD.

What makes you say that, Bill? I don't think Graham was ever knocked out prior to the loss to Jackson, and after that he was in decline, so I can't really hold any others against him.

Considering Graham's tendency to drop his hands I think it's possible Leonard might get to him and force a stoppage, but I think saying Graham had a glass jaw is being too harsh.

 

Leonard didn't do enough at 160 for us to gauge him.
The Hagler fight was a one-off deal, his mission, a very clever perfected game plan - some say smoke-and-mirrors. Anyway Hagler, past his best by how much we cannot be sure, was stylistically nothing like Graham. A great victory for Leonard but a thin piece of evidence to base his worth as a middlweight on.

 

:dealcouldn't say it better myself. leonard would not have the speed and movement advantages over graham and his strength, may have been greatly but only by a small margin. graham, had the athleticism, slickness and youth to negate leonards previous physical advantages and though he was adaptable and experienced, leonard may not be able to deal with an opponent he could not outspeed and outslick. i take graham

 

Ray would eek out a decision. This would be tough. Hearns/Graham would have been more interesting. I pick Hearns to eek out another decision. Herol was good.

 

Graham causes problems with his unorthodox stlye and speed but I think Leonard's class shows through and he finds a way to win after a frustrating night.

 

herol would not be quite good enough.
he does not have and did not have a glass chin.
plenty of fighters hit the deck more often and are not labelled chinny.

 

No he didn't. He wasn't iron chinned no, but definitely not glass jawed IMO

 

It's Herol all day/night 24/7 & for the next 10 million years for me & absolute stylistic nightmare for Leonard & especially at 160 where he'll be made to look ponderous & oh so slow, Herol was'nt called "will "O" the wisp" for nothing, he wins every round, talk about an absolute miss-match, SPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED SPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED SPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED.

Herol's far to fast for Leonard who was finished at the top level in 84 & (HE KNEW IT) when Kevin Howard smacked him on his arse at 149 & got robbed into the process so anyone thinking Leonard who would be 3 years older & 11 bls heavier & even slower better politly think again.

Leonard knew he was finished at the top level & ****ed off into another phoney retirement as too avoid getting hammered/humiliated by Hagler/Hearns & Duran who were still performing at the top & fighting each other in 84 & Kevin Howard was considered an easy foe too look good against & at 149 as well.

At 160 Leonard would have been wiped out by the likes of Nunn/Tate & especially Sibson who would have KO'd Leonard in 6 rounds. Leonard only came back to fight an old slow Hagler & he fled around the ring & bullshitted his way to a SD, then a catchweight Hearns & catchweight old Duran on the lucrative senior's tour, then gets his arse handed to him by one of the young guns in Norris.

I don't see Leonard even winning a round, it's a humiliating shutout with a possible retirement on his stool after 9 rounds or even a late TKO for Herol, absolute no-contest & just an earlier version of the Norris fight