If Ray Leonard was never born the Fab 5 would be boring

That´s the most important question. His life would have no meaning then.

 

How Fruit Loops tasted better in the "olden days" than they do now?

 

If Ray Leonard was not born, Thomas Hearns would of had a lot higher ATG rating today. It would of still been exciting

 

As certainly would Hagler and probably Benitez IMO. Duran would be an interesting study - we have his sensational win over Leonard vs No Mas. He may or may not have beaten Benitez at 147 and i believe he would have been axed by Hearns even if he did. Arguable for him many many ways.

 

I suspect that it would have been even more exciting because his peers would have fought sooner and with less politics. No one would have to wait on a primadonna.

Leonard was a manipulator and extremely arrogant -I think he enjoyed playing with Hagler and then manipulating the hell out of the Petronelli's thru Trainer for all those concessions in '87, making Hearns wait 8 years for a rematch, and luring dumb and dissoluted Duran into the ring 5 months after the first bout, and then ripping off the public 9 years later for "Uno Mas". Now he plays Mickey the Dunce about his shananigans. Great fighter, but he makes Robinson look like St. Francis of Assisi in negotiations.

....
Had Leonard went into politics instead of boxing, what would we have? Here's how the epics may have played out:

1. Duran, who hated Benitez almost as much as he hated Leonard, would move up in weight and face him in early 1980. Duran SD. Duran got legs and chases him down. Busier fighter.

2. Hearns still destroys Cuevas. 1980

3. Duran and Hearns meet at the end of 1980, only Duran has had plenty of time to train down and doesn't take Hearns lightly because Hearns wasn't stopped by Leonard. I reject the conventional wisdom out here that Duran would last a "few more rounds" against the "147lb Hearns". Too many factors make a big difference --including the presence of Arcel and Brown, the inspiration factor, Duran's being closer to prime, Hearns being not yet fully developed physically or in terms of experience, and those perilously exposed ribs on Hearn's frame (remember that Duran had legs at this point).... I'd take Duran over 15. UD.

5. Duran then faces Benitez at JMW and loses a close decision in 81. Legs are the factor. Duran has a lost a step, and Benitez gained one.

6. Hearns cleans up the top contendors at WW for a couple of years and then rises up to challenge Benitez at 154...Hearns takes a UD 1982

7. Hagler-Hearns happens in 1983. HOWEVER, Hearns boxes him because he isn't overconfident about his power because Hearns and Duran hadn't fought at JMW in 84... Hearns takes a SD and is now the MW champion.... Hagler is disgusted.

8. The MW King Hearns vs. Duran, is marketed as "War" and Hearns stops a faded Duran in 10 or less.

9. Meanwhile Hagler is cleaning up the division and gets his rematch. Hearns, who just stopped the Chin of Stone is now overconfident. He guns for Hagler, who is more than happy to oblige. Hagler stops Hearns in 3...

etc...

 

After reading all of that, I'm still missing Sugar Ray. :|

I think the fab five needed an overall winner, and Leonard was easily that.

 

I would question that; Leonard was great up until 1981 but thereafter his mucking about, playing the system and choosing his fights extremely carefully against the other Fab 5 members puts a big blemish on what he did pre eye injury. If Leonard had rematched Hearns earlier and fought Hagler before he slowed down too much we might today have a slightly different take on the man.