Ray Leonard: Best Fighter of the 80's?

, being outboxed by Hearns or Duran is no shame.
Tyson is the most skilled 80s heavyweight yes, Duran might make case for being the most skilled of all time.
Hearns... name me one guy, just one man who can outbox Hearns at welterweight.
You can't because even Robinson would have to KO him.

 

How do you rate this though?

I have an emotional reaction to Mike Tyson. In many ways he was a throw back - he fought the fighters that were in front of him. What more could be asked of him. He was so good he made it look easy, was that his fault?

With Sugar Ray Leonard I always got the feeling he was shrewd, picked the best time, picked the best weight, fought on his terms.

Tyson would fight anyone, anywhere, for a dime. I don't know.

You can't take it away from Leonard, he was incredible. He probably does have better names on his resume, but when people say - who was the fighter of the 1980s? My mind immediately says 'Mike Tyson'.

I'm not that big a Tyson fan, believe it or not - I just have to testify here because I think this is Mike's category.

 

Leonard was beatable, Tyson was a machine who was never even close to being beaten. He was cutting through the entire division like it was nothing and within 3 years he accomplished everything there was to accomplish.

This "skill" stuff when comparing weight classes is flawed. You can only compare others with their contemporaries and go from there. Which heavyweight was as skilled as Mike during his reign with Rooney? Mike is like top 5 in terms of pure skill all time amongst heavyweights. Leonard wasn't the most skilled amongst his peers. Mike was the total package and was much better defensively if you want to compare them directly.

 

Mike is top 5 HW

Leonard is like a top 2/3 welterweight

For reference.

 

Well in 'simplistic terms' as a comparison to Leonard et al, it kind of was. Leonard had Duran, Hearns and Hagler to play with; Tyson had fatties, old men and drug addicts...

 

Mike Tyson may not have been the best boxer named Mike in the 1980's let alone boxer of the decade. Also is no one counting Hearns 2 against Ray. Not a criticism just saying if you only have 12 fights in the decade you might need to win ask of them to be number one. Maybe...

 

I'd go for Chavez, his fights during the 80's weren't as high profile as Leonards but he did it all throught the 80's, unbeaten in the whole decade and busy, and a great fighter, you've only got to look at him on film.

 

Revisonist history. Hagler was still a very good middle weight. Sure Mugabi gave him a tough go in his previous bout, but Mugabi a tough oppoent and a future champion. Could Leonard have fought him sooner? Yes, but Hagler was not on the down slide when they did fight.

 

Neh

 

well he did get FOTD

 

:yep

 

Leonard is as good a choice as any & likely the best choice, his retirements don`t sit well with me but his victories over Duran, Hearns & Hagler alone are absolutely stunning stuff, as legendary as it gets.

For what its worth, I think (probably controversially) that Salvador Sanchez was every bit as good as Ray Leonard p4p & likely would have been the fighter of the 80`s if not for his death, he is up there as it is but Leonard takes it in this one, everything considered.

 

Yes he was dont be silly