Leonard-Duran 2 and 3 are incredibly underrated wins

No it ai'nt bull****, yer looking at this from a modern perspective, you've got 2 realise what a phenom Leonard was being hailed as back then & some canadian bookies were offering even higher odds, back in 1980 Sugar Ray Leonard was held in such high asteem 2 the point of been viewed as the "Messiah" & viewed as the saviour of boxing.

He was allready Global in his appeal, he was the marketing dream "The REAL GOLDEN BOY" olympic gold medalist, conquerour of the best defensive fighter on the planet in Wilfredo Benitez, he was viewed as untouchable.

No one in there right mind thought Duran had a chance of outpointing Leonard, not mainstream fans anyway, Leonard was HOT & Duran was yesterday's man, 29 years old & back then that was viewed as GERIATRIC & fighting 2 div's above his immortal best weight so forget about 71-1 it meant ZERO,

No lightweight since Benny Leonard had ever succesfully navigated the jump from Lightweight 2 Welterwight 4 the title, simple as, Duran had'nt really impressed that much at the WW level excepting the Palimino fight & history was not on Duran's side, that was the carved in stone view at the time + he was up against the new young boxing superstar, the new ALI so when it comes 2 laying down yer $$$$ yer don't let yer heart rule yer head, bookies don't, it was a LOCK, a sure thing, the majority view held was that Leonard would absolutly bamboozle his way 2 a shutout or even stop Duran.

It was the dawn of a new error & a new decade, this ai'nt the 1st time bookies have got there arseholes pulled up over their heads is it

The old ones are the best: 95% ov the time it's the greedy ****ers that get robbed:good never make the mistake that the price of a fight is actually reflecting the outcome, but in this case any bookie worth his salt would have offered very generous odd's 2 suck in the mug $$$$$ considering what i've said in the above paragraph's:smoke

 

Back then it was viewed as heresy for any young & up & coming fighter 2 ever voice any opinion of Leonard other than it being a "thank you for the inspiration you've been sort of thing" seeing what Leonard had achieved & what was still a time of (Concealed) racial antaganisom. Leonard led the way as far as bringing the lighterweights of boxing 2 the top instead of playing 2nd fiddle 2 the Heavyweights.

Leonard was'nt all that popular amoungst the new young set, they showed respect & deference 2 him obviously that being down 2 his status & what he'd acheived. But just ask Don Curry how he feels about Leonard now, after Sugar Ray acted as his best buddie/adviser/teller of the truth:huh Leave Hagler he said, take your time, let him get old then he'll be all your's, GEE THANKS RAY

Norris proberbly/obviously made the statement tongue in cheek jokingly but i think he felt disrespected by Leonard who could be more that patronising at times 2 younger up & coming fighters or 2 anybody who held a title he wanted & was in the way. Put yerself in the shoe's of NORRIS, he was the champ & Leonard absolutly dismissed him, it's the Sugar Ray Leonard show folks.

Camacho never forgave him for his belittling commentry on one of his fights, hence his great pleasure at knocking him out:smoke

 

Top Posts mate:good love reading-em, it's nice 2 know that there's a few more on ESB that have experience of the under-belly of the sport so 2 speak. I'am new here but i've allready come 2 the conclusion that the majority of members here have just read back issue's of the ring/KO/Box ILLustrated they've bought off of ebay for all the boxing wisdom all excepting the youngsters who are just starting out who are entitled 2 question.

I really started 2 dislike Leonard when he jigged out of fighting Hagler in 82, he knew he was ****in DOOMED then we get the Kevin Howard fiasco, jeezus it really made me sick, then we get the Leonard statement that if Duran beats Hagler HE'S DEF COMING BACK!!!! Then Hearns gets wiped out & SILENCE, Leonard is a parasite pure & simple but you know it & i know it, but most of the ESB crowd here proberbly were not around the 80's scene then so obviously have gone by box-rec & fightmag ink 4 there expert opinions & don't they just hate being exposed

As you know back then there was no hiding place, just WBC/WBA no PPv just closed circuit & definetly none of the boxing tourists that you get at any MGM grand fights nowdays it was fightfans only that hit Vegas/Caesars for major fights, it's something the young kids should study when they watch any fight that was fought out in the pavilion, totally different crew & as far as i'am concerned in my experience is that the big majority of Leonards fan base are exactly that, boxing tourist's:yep

I still go 2 vegas 4 the MGM fights but it ai'nt no where near the same, there's just usually Bert sat in the zuri lounge getting wasted on my tab a small fee 2 pay indeed & if you mention Leonard you just what for the explosion ******* that ****in piece of ****, by that time his cuban is shredded.

Last point, as we know Leonard never dominated any of his fights against Benitez/Hearns/Duran, his defence was only average & he was quite easy 2 hit, Kaluli gave him a real test, so it's allways been drama, if Duran had seen out the new orleans fight Leonard would never have got away with what he was able in the future, the road 2 Hagler beckoned & it was a one way street but Leonard jumped down a manhole & hid:smoke

 

i think jones win against toney is overrated! sorry your thread bored me so i imagined my own

 

1 was a great win for Duran, 2 was a great win for Leonard

3 is worthless and should be killed with fire.

 

:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl

 

Yeah, but us here at Classic are just a bunch of pimply teens who buy magazines on Ebay...we're, like, cluless fella. :good

 

Out of curiosity, did Duran ever lose just because he wasn't good enough? Because the other guy was better? Or do you have such a well researched supply of excuses for all of his losses?