Sugar Ray Leonard-Pipino Cuevas 1979-Who Wins?

that's something they'd rather not answer yet they still want to insist that he'd win. These guys got their heads on backwards reading to many boxing mags and letting others do their thinking for them. Their brains get like mush after a while and stay that way

 

it basically works like this: someone here will pretend they've seen Cuevas and then based on their "observation" will make their prediction when in reality they simply go with the bigger name in order to give them more credibility.

 

Ray fought with Wilfred, but with Pipino he could not have gone to war with him, he would have had to outbox him. For Ray post 1980 this is an easy fight, but Ray in 1979 could have trouble with Cuevas. Hearns beat Cuevas because of this right hand and fast jab.

 

shorter guys like Duran & Cuevas had problems with Tommy's hieght and reach. Against Leonard the difference is not as great.

The problem I see is for someone like Leonard getting past someone of Pipino's freakish power. Cuevas broke bones consistently. Hell, he broke speedbags the way only George Foreman did.

Ray leonard had problems fighting someone like Camacho with a sprained calf he's going to have a lot worse problem lasting with Pipino with a broken face

 

Well, not if he avoids the punches, or beats Pipino to the punch. The speed differential is enormous in this fight, and by the middle part of 79 Leonard had seemed to turn a corner and was becoming a more complete boxer-puncher (as evidenced by the way he blew out Chivairini, Ranzany, and Price in quick succession before facing Benitez).

And though it wasn't immediately apparent, Cuevas was beginning to slide a bit by this point. Shields lasted the distance and ran him close. Espada (who had been previously blasted out in two) lasted till the tenth, and Volbrecht was giving him problems till he got caught in the fifth. Leonard was coming up, and Cuevas was going down.

Not saying that if Leonard faces Cuevas instead of Benitez that evening,he produces a simialr demolition job to the one Hearns produces. But he still gets the W in the same fashion that he did against El Radar...With a few problems, maybe, but utimately with an impressive performace.

 

I don't even envision one scary moment here, I think Ray outboxes Cuevas comfortably and then takes him out late. As has already been said, Ray was a different level of fighter.

 

It's more like this. Some of us don't have complete hatred for either guy so we make predictions based on footage of both men and how we think their styles would clash.

By your own admission, you cannot stand Leonard...and therefore you allow that to factor in when making your prediction. You have zero credibility here.

...You know this.

 

Chiaverini? Price? Ranzany?

Cuevas took out Pete in half the time Ray did. In fact, he softened him up for Ray. trust me, Ray picked Benitez for a reason; he was safe, Cuevas was not. he knew he'd get beat and didnt want to take a chance with his career. Had he felt his chances of beating him were good, he wouldve taken the fight. It's that simple

 

I'm right, you're wrong, that's all there is to this

 

I have 10+ Cuevas fights that I've watched. Very good fighter, maybe even a great, but Leonard was at a different level. If Leonard chose to go "Duran 2" on Cuevas, then Cuevas wouldn't touch him. If Leonard chose to cautiously stalk Cuevas ala Hearns 1, he'd stop Cuevas in the later rounds. If Leonard was aggressive, Cuevas could possibly rattle Leonard, at which point Leonard would get angry and take Cuevas out brutally. Leonard ain't no Espada, Gray, Shields, Ranzany. Good fighters, but Leonard was a couple levels above. There's a theory that Cuevas suddenly got old at around 24 or so, but I just think he started fighting guys (Hearns, Duran) who were just a higher level, and Leonard was the same (at least).

 

I'd like to join in on this thread, if you guys don't object...

I'm as big of a Pipino Cuevas fan as there is on this board. I've seen every available fight on film that exists numerous times and I think he gets pigeon-holed as much more "one dimensional" than what the evidence actually supports. I think he has better defense and stamina than what some of you believe and that the 1979 Cuevas was a different fighter altogether than even just two years later.

That being said, I'd also like to think I'm a realist. Sugar Ray Leonard was an absolute artist in the ring with once in a lifetime talent. I personally dislike him for a number of reasons, but I can't deny that he was a superior talent who is an ATG.

His refusal to take the fight in 1979 is worthy of curiosity. It appears his braintrust wasn't eager to take the chance against a bonecrusher like Cuevas and probably did like the matchup stylewise against WB. Before that fight was even made, I knew Leonard had no shot at losing. He wasn't going to get stopped or outboxed. Period. With Cuevas, there is that magic moment of uncertaintly

Most of you guys are better historians than me and can break down matchups better than me, so I say this with the humility of a novice.
I see the issue here being that Leonard would never be intimidated into "one way traffic" in complete apprehension of Cuevas' power as many of his opponents did and would keep enough offense going to get through the rounds without getting overwhelmed. I suspect Cuevas would be more competitive in the scoring and would be able to impose his will at points in the fight, but that Leonard's incredible chin and reflexes would allow him to avoid being pushed off the cliff. I keep envisoning a Vargas/DLH type of fight where eventually SRL either finishes a close fight off altogether or outscores Cuevas by clearing the last four or five rounds. The chance would always be there, however, that Leonard could lose his footing and slide off the edge, which is what would make it a great fight IMHO.

It's a great thread with good give and take, BTW.

 

I like the 79 Cuevas,Leonard was somewhat untested right here,he didnt want to fight Cuevas,thats why he took Duran,and Benitez was safe,although Duran suprised him,but had he would have fought Pipino like he fought Duran in Montreal lights out,in 1979 i'll take Cuevas by KO by 4th round.

 

Cuavas by 2nd round brutal KO , **** happens in boxing

 

Where to begin...

In half the time spent in the ring against Cuevas, he landed twice as many punches as he did against Leonard. When asked who he thought was better, he said Pipino was the harder puncher, but that Leonard was the better fighter.

If you want to play the game of who took out whom quicker, it could easily be said that Benitez was more dangerous than Cuevas because he took him out in half the time that Pipino did. Hell, if you want to do that, I think it's only fair to point out that Leoanrd in 1979 took out Price in a single round, and that Andy decisioned Pipino in the fight before he won the WBA title.

If this were made in 1978, when Pipino was still at his peak, and Leonard was only starting to break into the rankings, then I might well be inclined to think that Pipino might find a way to land something that would break the then-novice out of his rythym and jump on him to force a stoppage. Wouldn't be certain of it even then, but I could see that happening. But not by 1979. The polish had been added and trajectories of the two were going in different directions by that point in their career.

 

Welcome aboard, and a good objective view of how this might go. For the record, I don't see Cuevas being beaten into submission as quickly or thouroughly against Leonard as he was against Hearns. I think he would have some moments, but not enough to turn the fight his way.

Very good post, though.:good