Sugar Ray Leonard Resume

You can look at this two ways too. Leonard was undoubtably still developing as a fighter when they first met and this fight was an incredible learning experience for him. Their second meeting is tossed aside by Duran fans (and others) because of the numerous excuses and claims, many just say Duran wasn't Duran etc etc. This is a common theme whenever he's outclassed (SRL II, Benitez, Hearns) and will hold whatever weight people personally give it.

But say they had a great second fight, with SRL playing the matador to Duran's bull and winning a close but just decision i reckon plenty would say THAT was their most important meeting. Because of Duran's poor effort and quitting many throw it out however.

If Duran had that much hatred for SRL and what he represented he really should have been able to get "up" for a rematch. I mean think about it, a loss instantly tarnishes his incredible effort in the initial encounter.

Benitez would have been close to his absolute peak.

I think it was Dundee who made an offical complaint about the scoring at the time of the stoppage. I believe it was acknowledged too.

If the fight was 12 rounds the complete dynamics would have changed and SRL would have launched earlier. Whether he succeeded with Hearns fresher we will never know. I would have liked to have seen a rematch at 147.

That would be my answer to some of the hypothetical negatives.

 

The guy's resume is incredible. I mean I'm a much bigger fan of Duran than Leonard but never understood why people make so many excuses for Duran in the second fight.