Ray Leonard: Best Fighter of the 80's?

Looney tunes crazy. Chip on their shoulder types. Slight napoleon complex.

 

I'm sure KO magazine ranked them like this.

1. Ray Leonard
2. Marvin Hagler
3. Michael Spinks
4. Thomas Hearns
5. Mike Tyson

 

Leonard, yes. Tyson or Hagler at second.

1. Leonard
2. Tyson
3. Hagler
4. M Spinks
5. Hearns
6. Sanchez
7. Holmes
8. Chavez
9. Pryor
10. Galaxy(?)

 

must've been ******s doing these rankings

 

he was just on his wins, yet something about taking off most of the decade bothers me since his contempories who is he credited with beating Duran,Hearns,Hagler fought almost the whole decade, especially Hearns and Duran. Yet Tommy and Roberto cannot be considered best of the decade if they lost to Hagler and Leonard, and Duran to Hearns and Benitez also. And no one had the wins Ray had. Holmes does not deserve it, and Spinks lost to Tyson in one round in 1988.

 

All things considered (even though he's not my favorite fighter) I'd have to say yes.

 

popularity has nothing to do with it. Britney Spears is popular. Is she any good? no. leonard didnt have enough going for him. in fact, his career was too short, certainly nothing compared with Napoles

Hagler did more, he was in there with better people. I give Hagler all kinds of credit for sticking with it in the Roldan fight. Leonard would have quit in a fight that tough. In fact, I think Roldan was better also


plus Sugar had all kinds of chances to fight Hagler and kept passing up the chance. Not enough balls, that was his problem

I dont believe a guy like that with no interest in meeting a particular fighter after 5 years suddenly gains an interest in the same fighter without good reason

and I dont care about his puny wins over a couple of name fighters. hearns wasnt even established yet. just a fledgling champ and another paper title

ducked pryor. ducked Nunn. he didnt even fight Curry. **** the dudes got nothing

 

who said Hagler wasnt on the downside when they met? that boy know nothing about boxing, let alone be pushing that ignorant **** here at ESB

why the hell he thinks they finally MET?

 

This.

 

For me Ray Leonard is/was exceptional. A very gifted fighters who worked tremendously hard to become as great as he did. My issue with him is that he wanted to win more than he wanted to fight. Like Mayweather today, who won't get in the ring with anyone he considers a risk, and if he does want to put big names on his sheet, he'll pick the best opportunity to beat them, at the best weight, and generally make sure it's stacked him his favour. I have more time for a fighter who wants to fight the best opponents and has the courage to do that when the opponent is at their best. This coming in and out of retirement stuff is a load of horse****.

 

Bit unfair that, he got in with peak, Hearns and a bigger Hearns second time, Duran x 2, Benitez, Kalule, Norris, he even fought top contenders on the way up.

 

He did really get beat by hearns the second time didn't he and he only rematched hearns because he thought hearns had lost nearly all his punch resistance

 

You're a little nut-hugging Tyson fan. Thats why.

 

Yes but he was always a dangerous opponent. Leonard would have to be stupid to think that it was going to be a walkover. Leonard himself had been put down in his previous fight.
Anyway all I'm saying is that it is unfair to say he wouldn't get in the ring with anyone he considered a risk.
He must of thought that all the other fighters I mentioned could be a risk, specially Norris when he'd been inactive himself.