You need to be more specific and precise in there match-ups. Leonard that night was competing at middleweight while Norris was always a jr middleweight. So your basically asking for a prediction on a middleweight, although not a particularly natural one, against a jr middleweight.
Interesting point, I would guess he means that version of SRL, less shot than the one that actually fought Norris. We know Ray could have made 154 just as easy as 160 in 1987 & if anything it would probably have suited him better & he may have been a tad faster. Leonard UD Norris I dont agree with SRL making a good start then tiring, Ray only slowed v MMH, well, because its was Hagler, a bigger, stronger, more relentless fighter than Norris & even then SRL came back strong in the last couple of rds. MMH was the p4p king of boxing when Leonard beat him & in my personal opinion, Norris wouldnt have beat Leonard in this time frame.
Bill, Hagler was PERCEIVED to be the pound for pound king at the time. In fact, as the fight showed, that was clearly no longer the case, and even a couple of the up and coming middles at that time would have been to young and quick for MMH. The thing that got Leonard through the fight with Hagler was motivation. He wouldn't have had the same motivation for Norris. Norris UD, but close.
Agreed. The problem for Leonard was reflexes. He's not the youthful guy w/ reflexes fighting the old guy. The roles are reversed. And everything Leonard did was based on those quick reflexes & now all of a sudden, it's the other guy w/ faster hands & legs & that youthful energy level. Those reflexes are okay for an ancient Duran and a shopworn Hagler, but not a 22 year old pedigreed fighter in his prime.
