Prime Leonard vs todays Mayweather

I favour Leonard but think it'd be close, Mayweather has maybe as much speed, better timing, much better defense. Leonard is just more natural at the weight, with advantages in range, being primed at the weight, more power, better lateral movement. Floyd also doesn't like taller/faster opponents. The fight would be a real chess match all the same with many close rounds

I'm sure plenty on here will say 'easy Leonard stoppage' but Leonard didn't have an easy time with Benitez or Floyd Sr, he isn't having an easy time against a better version of that style

 

Leonard. Today's mayweather's legs and footwork seem to be stored away in the attic somewhere. Leonard is a natural welter. Prime Leonard is one of those fighters just who just seems to have it all, and I don't know if I can say that about TODAY's Mayweather.

think of this as a slower version of Leonard v. Benitez, I guess.

 

Yes.

No.

 

No.

No.

No.

Yes he did.

 

This wouldn't be a chess match at all. Mayweather is too small and Leonard would just walk all over him and brutally knock him out. It's like asking how Leonard would have got on with Ezzard Charles.

 

If i could somehow see mayweather at 130 vs Leonard at 130

0_o

Leonard didn't have an easy time with Benitez, that's just absurd. He called him the most elusive and talented boxer he's ever faced.

 

Don't you mean faster version? Agree on the stylistic match up otherwise

 

Do you actually watch boxing, Benitez/FMS were tricky fights for Leonard were he missed allot, got hit and lost rounds. FMJ is in better shape than both, quicker, better defensively and smarter as a boxer

As for him being smaller, well by about a whole 2inches in height, but Mayweather is now much stockier than the WW Leonard. Size wise it is pretty similar to Duran-Leonard

 

Leonard was beating Benitez handily. The man had no answer for the jab at all, and Leonard just boxed comfortably from range for what would have been a wide points win. Benitez only actually only scooped up a couple of rounds here and there through pushing the fight and getting into exchanges, laying inside etc. once he realised he was well behind. Floyd Jr. is way too small to do that.

Against Mayweather Sr., Leonard went into the fight with absolutely no respect for Mayweather because he had no power. He clowned around for a few rounds before stepping it up and savagely breaking him in.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S_YYhI-cA4[/ame]

Except Duran was beastly strong and a vastly superior fighter.

 

Nope, I mean slower. Today's mayweather is more flatfooted, he obviously doesn't use his legs as much as el radar did vs leonard. And mayweather throws mostly single shots-3 punch combos at most nowadays.

So slower.

 

This is all true. I've held this for a while, but Mayweather domianted Mosley so thoroughly I think a lot of people just assumed he was still at his best.

Mayweather is really a Lightweight.

 

Leonard was really a monster when he didn't respect you. He could just march right in, shrug off whatever was coming the other way and dominate the exchanges with his speed, power and accuracy.

 

Itry, you make it sound like a 1 sided fight. By 'clowing for a few rounds' you must mean being outboxed and missing punches at times because he wasnt clowning, and by 'not respecting his power' you must mean being backed up to the ropes and continually being in retreat for a round or 2. Seriously I think you only watched the end of the fight, in the beggining FMS was pretty level with Leonard, but in the 3rd Leonard was walking him down giving him a beating, although FMS rallyed back well into the 4/5/6/7 rounds and was possibly even ahead coming into the 8th when Leonard came on strong

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp_j3ZirLjM[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7P3xZGB350[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY5RZgABDp4&feature=related[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jRDHGnBbM0&feature=related[/ame]

And no Duran isn't necessarily better than Mayweather Jr otherwise he wouldn't be losing wide UDs to Benitez and Laing shortly after beating Leonard

 

Speed is about the speed it takes to land that first shot, and Mayweather is still faster at doing that than Benitez was. He doesn't use his legs as much in his last 2, but I'm not sure if thats just because he didn't need to