I have watched this fight many times and I am convinced that this is fixed. SRL never had any intention of winning this fight from the start. For someone who had been there with some of the greatest in the sport, he could not possibly look as bum as he did in that fight. He is afraid to throw serious punches, and he seems to be just waiting for Camacho to land a solid punch so he can go down and call it a day. I know he was shot and all but that should have shown up after few rounds not from the onset.
i don't know dude, i've seen fighters shot before...from round 1 to round 12. lot at his fight with norris: he wasn't remotely competitive there either and that was years before. compare with how bad ali looked at holmes, duran looked against joppy or holyfield looks against anyone lately (let's say iggy). at that point, leonard was a hollow shell and a wise writer said that boxing is cruel in that it's the only sport without the stats and the measurements to know when you've completely lost it. you can look like a star shadow boxing and fool yourself...only in the ring do you find out how far you've fallen
No way. I can't see SRL ever taking a dive. And if there were a fix, I see a whole lot more impetus to do it the other way. Camacho just bulldozed a shot Leonard.
SRL was closing in on age 41 and rusty as a nail in a haunted house back in 1997 when he was embarrassed by Camacho within 5 rds... SRL did train and was ripped and tight at 159 pounds, but his skills had traveled south by the time he was getting his ass kicked by Camacho... SRL performed horrible on that cool night in March... MR.BILL
I hate to dissagree with you my man. If you're looking for someone to lie and bring comforting words, you won't find it here. It is not that Leonard was so bad but rather that Camacho was soooooo good! Leonard had just never been in with another man with this level of speed (excpet my man Norris who completely thrashed & outclassed him) Had he really been in with another man such as Hector who could bang box and move? :think This had been a question mark begging to be answered. We would soon find out for sure. Hector was but a shadow of a shadow of the man that first emerged in the summer of 1982, a time when anything was possible. As Gil Clancy has said concerning Hector "This guy could out-Ali ALI!" Yes, it wasnt the same Leonard but neither was it the same Camacho and that's what people keep forgetting. Let's all admit, Sugar tried his best to decapitate him in round two with his bread and butter punch, the right lead, the same punch which had been so successful against lesser southpaws such as Larry Bonds in '81. But this wasnt Larry Bonds, but rather the six time World Champion Camacho, all time gr8 and conqueror of legends. Hector used a rough house approach he knew would get to leonard and gave him no rest and no time to think so he use his enormous size and reach advantages to outbox the Macho Man. Ray expected his much smaller foe to be the same man as that who showed up as a passive lamb that actually LOST to 45 year old Roberto Duran and instead, out comes a fighting mad tiger! Ray probably thought "where did he get a punch like that?" Ray wasnt expecting Hector to apply such incredible pressure but then, until he met with Hector, Ray leonard did not know what pressure really was. Either way, Hector could both outbox his larger but slower foe, OR,, he could manhandle him on the inside. THAT'S VERSATILITY! Just before the start of the fifth, you could see the look in Ray Leonard's eyes: he didnt want it anymore and came out head bowed like a man walking to his doom. Hector again used the same illegal tactics on Ray; hitting and holding. But he did it cleverly in a way that the ref couldnt see it, so there was nothing that Ray nor his corner could protest about. Midway, thru the 5th, a double left to the head landed with a sickening thwuck thwuck sound. Hector's lethal assault had reaped rich dividends. Ray was moaning from his mortal wounds and was now ready to give up the ghost. A left straight on the chin dropped leonard who was now more vulnerable than a newly born baby child. He bravely got climbed up on shaky legs, the same legs that carried Ray Charles Leonard to becoming a 5 time champion and Hector once again moved in to finish the job. Left right left right left right. Leonard never had a chance. Thankfully, the ref moved in and prevented a trajedy. It was sad night for SRL fans but in the end, American had come out the winner (or at least I had!)
Ray had the same attitude for this fight in 1997 as for Norris in 1991. Let's see what I have left kind of attitude. In 1991 he had a little left and went 12, with Camacho in 1997 he was totally washed up. Either way his head was not into it anymore. Ray's greatness was 1979-1982, and this was 15 years later. I always saw Ray's fights with Norris and Camacho as experiments which he knew he might lose.
All great stuff posted, I'm no Sugar Ray fan, but If I recall, Leonard had hurt one his ankles or legs before the fight. He was also, going have a quick tune-up fight in California, before taking on the 'Macho Man'. But had to cancel that fight, because of the leg injury. I can't remember who with ???? He took the fight with Camacho, because he honestly believed he could Knock him out within 3 rounds.
if his head wasnt into it, why did he challnge TN & HC? I just think he lost interest once he found he couldnt get an easy win and buckled under the pressure. Both those guys were too much for him
Smooth read & so true:yep so true:yep Hector took great delight in beating the crap out of Leonard for past insults & snide patronising remarks directed towards Hectors performances when SRL was color commentator with HBO during his bogus retirements. I recall once when hector was leaning over the ropes screaming at Leonard calling him a ****in bum, fight me now you muther ****er. Hector crowed about ridding boxing once & for all of this ****ing parasite & he did it in style
This was no fix, Leonard hand picked The Macho Man for his lack of power and wanted to / thought he could KO the much smaller Comacho to out shine Duran, as they had a close fight and wanted to out shine Duran by beating Hector more convisingly. The speed of Hector was to much for an old Leonard, but Hector should of never been able to do what he did, esp' as he was smaller , past his best and known to be feather fisted.
Thank you. The idea for this match first came in the summer of 1987 when Hector easily outsped olympic hero howard Davis. I thought "man, what a blowout! Everyone had been saying that Macho Man is a has been but he looks as dominant as ever" The way he pounded and humiliated Howard made me wonder "why doesnt Ray come out and avenge his buddy?" I think Ray was intimidated by Hector's prowess but Ray himself was no slouch. Hector was in his prime, Ray was in his prime apparantly (he had just come off a big win over Hagler). The fans thought Ray was past it before witnessing the miracle at Caesar's I'm not faulting Ray for failing to fight Hector but you can't help but think that ray was anxious to face him; he might get the same treatment and tho the actual fight came way too late, I for one do not mind just as those who did not mind waiting five years for hagler-Leonard. Do we see anyone objecting?
SRL made 7 mill. against Norris and 4 mill. against Camacho for a grand gross total of 11 million smackers... MR.BILL
I followed Ray from the beginning of his career. I think he set himself up. He knew he could not retire without having a big loss to convince him. I think he set it up to fight Norris and Norris demolished him. Camacho? That was 6 years after the Norris demolition and Ray was 8 years from his last win and 41 years old. Camacho is a joke and not too much for anyone. Norris was good I will give him that, but Camacho lost to Tito,Oscar,Chavez easily. Ray in 1997 was not the Ray of the 1980's.
Does anybody know who 'Sugar ray' was supposed to fight, about 4 weeks before the Camacho fight. It was supposed to be in California. A young California or Las Vegas-based Junior Middleweight prospect. If I recall, it was a 'light-hitting' white kid with a record of 15-0-0 (or maybe one loss), and not too many Knock-outs. It was supposed to be on National Television (Free TV) Yes, a soft-touch tune-up. But Ray Leonard hurt his leg, and cancelled the tune-up fight. Then took on Camacho, and blamed a lack of preparation.
