Ray Leonard - Smoke and Mirrors?

The undisputed worst excuse ever, coming from one of Roy Jones' opponents..........."I was coming down from a caffeine high".

You know what I'd like to know, if there is a single fight where one guy beat the other because he was better. Leonard-Duran I is considered both fighters at their peaks but one must factor in Leonard's wrong strategy for the fight. In the rematch there was the stomach cramps. Someone find me a match that I cannot dispute as to why they lost.

 

JT, it's quite simple. Holyfield had a heart defect known as "sticky heart" and as a result of this he suffered a 12-round heart attack against Michael Moorer. Then he went to one of those TV Evangelist type spiritual healers to get the problem fixed. What is there to doubt ?

The fact that he came back good against Ray Mercer proves that the diagnosis and cure were correct.

Then, he contracted that damn hepatitis, which just so happened to co-incide with a fight against Riddick Bowe !

 

I sense a great deal of sarcasm here. If there was nothing wrong with his heart, then why would he retire for a near two year period? It also seems strange that upon his healing, he managed to destroy Moorer in the rematch, beat Mike Tyson and go 24 rounds with Lennox Lewis. I also don't understand why you doubt the fact that he had hepatitus.

 

I'm just telling you the real reason he lost the fight. If you dont believe it then you're saying Randy Gordon is a liar.

 

I hereby call Randy Gordon a liar....

 

Here t is people the real life story Ray Leonard fans hope you never see. The link is

http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/310/mas-version/



Here's a particularly intersting statement one would expect coming from someone like Leonard.

Before I could get any words out, Leonard said, "I'm glad you're here. I don't know if you heard, but I'm gonna' be fighting Roberto Duran in June. What do you think of the fight?"

What do I think of the fight? Hmm. Why would he be asking me that question? Through the remainder of the day, I found out why. For the first time in his career, Leonard was not totally sure of himself. He had questions about his ability, his toughness, his speed, his stamina and his chin.

"Do you think he can hurt me?" "Can I take him out?" "How would you rate his power as a welterweight?" "Did he hurt Carlos Palomino?" "Do you think I'm that much faster than him?"

Those were some of the questions Leonard threw at me during every lengthy break we took. His confidence, normally sky high, was missing."

 

I'm just kidding around.

I DO believe there was something wrong with Holyfield first time against Moorer, everyone watching could see it (it's a testament to Holyfield's great courage that the fight ended up very close).

He also seemed to suffer an acute and unusual fatigue in the third Bowe fight, (George Foreman at ringside was dutifully concerned) and I have no reason to doubt his claims of hepatitis.

Maybe I'm just taking cheap laughs at the guy, but I think many here know I'm a big fan of Holyfield so it's not meant to be malicious or discrediting in any way.

I do feel "heart attck" "spiritual healer" and "hepatitis" (in that order!) lends itself well to humour in reference to a 20 month segment of a BOXING career !

 

In case anyone here doesnt have time to read the entire article I will highlight some more of the more interesting pieces.

 

Yawn.

 

Rooster you're up against everyone on here my friend. You're views opinions are well and truely a disgrace to the intelligence between you're ears. I'm not even a Leonard fan, but I give him credit where it's due.

 

I'm with you on that. All these pathetic excuses and conspiracy therories. A guy who has 4-1-1 against Duran, Hearns and Hagler is a great fighter, end of discussion. Sure, you can cite articles and stomach cramps till you croak, but you can do that about the moon landing as well. And lo and behold, I actually believe Neil and co went there!

 

Randy Gordon is a liar.

 

Randy Gordon? Who's he? Does he box? Did he spar with Leonard? He's your dad?

 

I heard he was the captain of those boats where Leonard - illegally - was preparing for Hagler!

 

Robbi I dont know what you're blabbing about. Those aren't my words. They're LEONARD'S words. Suddenly you don't know how to read?


I knew this latest quote would bring every leonard fans out in protest and it has as surely as my prediction that Norris would destroy Ray with his fists. As I said, this was the article no leonard fan can stand for the rest of the other posters to see.

But I exposed him anyways because I knew it would add more fuel to the fire and really shows him in his truest light. There's really nothing you all can do and undoubtedly I will add more details including how Leonard's camp kept spying on Duran, noting his ever balooning form and then cheering up a defeated and "sulking" Leonard telling him "Cheer up he's 40 pounds overweight-you should be able to beat him now"

That's basically what his own camp told him. They knew Ray didnt want to continue with fighting, that he wasn't the equal of Duran in battle so they had to use this approach. Like I said this was vintage Ray Leonard at work that continued all the way into the late 80s with the Hagler fight, the Hearns rematch until Terrible Terry Norris put an end to the legendary farce one and for all.


Dont go to the trouble of denying what Randy wrote in this article, I'm sure much of it is true. John Thomas in desperation even asks the question "Who's Randy Gordon" He's livid! Anyways, why should I care what John Thomas thinks. Does the lion concern himself over the lamb?

Anyhow this article is too good to let pass by and serves as the perfect example of how Leonard chose his opponents.