Your wasting your time with Red. He see's only what he chooses. And has some of the most asinine opinions on this site. Anyone who believes China chin Norris is one of the best he's seen obviously has very limited knowledge of boxing. Or conveniently uses Norris' win over a way past prime Leonard to support his Leonard hate. He conveniently refuses to accept the fact Leonard, like 100's of other fighters through history stayed around to long. And esp in Leonard's case the long layoff, and partying than just jumping back in the ring when he got the urge. In Reds Opnion, Leonard's loss to Norris should overshadow everything he did in his prime 10 yrs earlier. If that's the case we should do that with J Louis, R.Robinson,M.Ali,L.Holmes,R.Duran,A.Arguello, A.Pryor, and 100's others of great fighters who were beaten by fighters they would've destroyed in their primes. Red doesn't seem to get that all those fighters I listed were beaten by the only undeafeated fighter in history before they lost to the 2nd rate fighter we saw them actually lose too. That would be Father Time. Time will win against the universe.
IIRC correctly the surgery was in its infancy at the time SRL had it and the thinking was it could repair the retina but it wasn’t sure that it would stand up to boxing again, and it certainly wasn’t advised. Athletic commissions would not license a fighter who was known to have a torn/detached retina. Seales, I believe, admitted that he hid it from commissions so he could keep fighting and ending up getting both retinas detached.
That is hard to say. Ray wanted to fight the guys he knew at the end of his career like Duran and Hearns, and a lesser weakened Lalonde. But the guys he knew who were legends Duran 3rd fight Hearns rematch were safe for him. Nunn was a little too big and southpaw.
I just feel that RoyJones is so much more accomplished, ducking no one and there was no need to whereas Leonard nowhere as formidable, needing edges over aged, depleted fighters, retiring, then unretiring the Lalonde fight was a spectacle and really embarassing, trying to pass it off as a legit title fight, with two titles at stake what a joke I knew the fate that awaited Leonard when he signed to fight norris. I was thinking "young guy with a lot of speed, a lot of movement. his management failed to protect him this time. NOW HE'S GOING TO GET IT!"
I actually think the opposite a talented fighter with few limitations, but an even BETTER commentator. He was superb at the mike but no, he was not a POS. If you listen to his commentary durning the Cooney- Norton fight you can clearly hear him say he felt the ref took too long to step in between Cooney and Nortons unprotected head I also think his managment had a lot to do with his cherry picking later on. they just felt he wasnt good enough or durable enough to meet up with the more demanding fighters
There are 3-5 great boxers that need to be in the Texas Hall of Fame...that I am doing my best to accomplish.
Roy ducked everyone. As a matter of fact he was accused of not fighting the best like Eubank,Benn, etc Talk about changing the facts now . Roy handpicked a lot of his fights which was the going theme, and he never was in a real give and take fight really. Only later in his career. I do think the Lalonde fight was a joke for 2 titles, but Roy picking Ruiz to fight to win a title was a joke also.
But, bear in mind that this surgery wasn't terribly common 30 years ago. Up until then, having a detatched retina meant the death of your career.
I like all those guys . Nunn,Norris and Jones. Saying when they were prime could they beat Ray? Sure 1991 Norris. Nunn 1990 probably, Jones 1994? But could those guys beat the level Ray did. But a Duran and a Hearns and a Hagler and Benitez near them prime and how would they do? I don't think those guys would beat them all. I don't think Norris would. Nunn would not. Jones would have the closest chance, but he never wanted that sort of challenge.
