Ray Leonard's legacy

Late losses usually do little, if anything at all, to damage a fighter's legacy.

It just makes the fighters more like everyone else to go on too long and start losing to guys that they'd most likely handle in their younger days.

 

Great fighter, one of my personal favorites (along with Sanchez, Arguello and Chavez). I say that because, even though I'm partial to him, I think he's a little high on Ring's top 80. I'd put Marciano, Dempsey, and Archie Moore (c'mon the guy had 131 knockouts!) ahead of him. Therefore, I'd have him around #12.
To answer your question, no, I don't think it tarnishes his legacy. It makes him like all the others, with a few exceptions (Marciano, Hagler, Monzon come to mind).

 

He's great on film. He's tough, intelligent, fast and powerful at WW. He beat some of the best ever. Too few fights can't give him a Top 5 ranking.

Some days, I put him Top 15 all-time, some other times Top 10.

 

11-15... and some days that is debatable.

 

I would say Robinson was far the more proven of the two-so many more fights, so much more longevity. Of course the slide downward was more gradual-over years, even decades rather than a sudden downfall in one night against one opponent.

nd we must remember that back then there was no such a thing as the forced retirement as was the case of the great Ali. Nor was there any such as thing as having the luxury of hand picking opponent.

Also, Robinson had many more times the number of Leonard's (under 40) a paltry number even by today's standards.

Now the good news. Do the losses tarnish his legacy? Not from where I sit because I already had reservations about him. His early sudden retirement followed by the sudden late comebacks aroused suspicions.

His refusal to make a defense at 160 only to come in later and target Lalonde screamed out to me that a younger man with skills and speed would soundly defeat Ray in the ring. Even immediately after the Hagler debacle I told people straight out what would happen in he ever took on this kind of challenge and thankfully he did-by miscalculating his opponent.

I don't even want to go into some of his other bouts late in the decade. Did boxing really need to see these rematches? Where is the significance in beating a badly faded Hearns or fat washed up Duran? Why not target the younger, more athletic fighters like Nunn, or Jackson?

Instead he goes after the sport's only white fighter, one who was undeserved of being in the spotlight.

No, the Hagler fight did not convince me of anything other than his willingness to face a man who shows signs of weakness.

This fight should have come off years sooner and every time somebody asked him about it he wanted to change the subject. I'll never forget that. His antics in Baltimore pulling Hagler into the ring, getting everyone's hopes up is something only a ***** would do, a punk, an asswipe.


Instead we get Marv at the end of his career holding only one of his three belts, a clear sign he was on the way out. Hagler was a very suspect opponent as I had already seen him 3 weeks prior to the fight so I know the kind of condition he came in. Plain and simple: he didnt belong in the ring and was a complete mess. That followed by the Lalonde fight. :-(

So leonard didnt need to actually lose to lower his standing. I was already expecting it and once I heard he signed to meet with Norris, I laid out my bets and then awaited the ugly slaughter.

The knockout loss to Camacho was no less sweet. Funny how he never bothered with the showboating when he had someone else's fist in his mouth. The reality of the being on the recieving end of a knockout and shown to a worldwide audience had finally caught up to him. How sweet it was!

To summarize, my opinion of him did not change, it only confirmed what I long knew.

Leonard's place upper forties.

 

I have began to appreciate Leonard more as a fighter as each day passes on ESB.

 

Being unbiased amid plenty of the opposite will do that

 

Alright Castlemaine XXXX. Good to see you around here keeping the place in order.

 

Lately i have moved onto the Mexican beers - SOL and Corona

 

I'd stay off that stuff. Thats what Rooster drank years ago and look at him now. Not in a good state mentally. Your geniune fairness for Leonard might change soon if you knocking back cans of SOL and Corona on a daily basis. Thats how the doctor diagnosed our crazy ESB friend.

 

Well lets hope i retain better faculties than our madpow SRL fan did

 

Hey, it's just in his genes. I think. You should be fine knocking back tinnies of that stuff.

 

Too high class to come in a can, bottles only and good ones to boot

 

Hi everyone.

For me Sugar Ray Leonard is top 5, definetly.
The Predator