If Ray Leonard never retired then his goal was to fight at MWT, we all know his body could handle MWT because of the Hagler fight & he didnt lose that much speed tho obviously he wasnt as fast as he was at 147 so how about Leonard - if he didnt retire with the eye problem - re-establishing himself at 154 (remember he Ko`d Kalule) then maybe late in 1983 stepping up to face - time machine time - the Bernard Hopkins fresh of his victory over Trinidad ? Hopkins has the natural size advantage but he also likes to out think his opponents rather than just go straight thru them.... Leonard was 1 tough guy & the ultimate thinking mans fighter, this would be a great fight. I think Leonard has the smarts not to get suckered into any Hopkins traps while using his speed & boxing ability to outbox him for most rds & when hopkins does want to make a fight of it then SRL has enough pop in his punches to make him think defensive enough for the fight to remain a chess game which IMO Leonard would win - just check out his intelligence vs Benitez - I dont think Hopkins has enough boxing ability to outbox Leonard & he wont be overpowering him like he did DLH either. Leonard W12 Hopkins
Hopkins showed against De la Hoya that he has no intentions of playing into a fighters strength, no matter how tempting. In the case of Oscar and Hopkins, Oscar's only advantage was speed. Hopkins stayed patient, because pressing the faster opponent sometimes gives the faster opponent a better chance at victory. Against Ray Leonard, again Hopkins would hold every advantage except for speed. Ray Leonard is a much more difficult task than De la Hoya. Good thing for Hopkins is that he gets to be a little younger for Leonard, because the Trinidad fight was a few years before Oscar. I think Leonard would struggle with Hopkins much the way he did with Hearns. There will be no come from behind ko's for Ray. Hopkins UD, around 7-5 in rounds.
X by UD. I believe the size difference ultimately decides this one. This being MW, Ray would tire late.
I've said different in the past but I think a prime Hopkins just sneaks home with the win. It won't be by outboxing Leonard though. It will be by closing the distance, getting inside and holding, hitting and scrapping his way to a decision. Anything less than an absolute prime Hopkins and Ray takes it though. He'd beat the Hopkins that faced DLH for example. That Hopkins was way too passive.
