What was the reaction to Leonard fighting Donny Lalonde?

All the belts weren't vacant from heavyweight to super middleweight. Mike Tyson was the WBC heavyweight champion. Leonard couldn't fight for the WBC Heavyweight title and every title in between unless Mike Tyson made 168 pounds and wanted to win the super middlweight title too.

You have to come in UNDER the limit to win a title. That example of yours was never going to happen. Mike Tyson weighed 200 pounds in grade school. I have no idea why you made up this example.

Seriously, stop being stupid (which you are being). You're arguing just to argue.

I followed boxing in the 1980s and recorded everything I could. There was no internet in 1988. Boxing magazines lagged months behind. Every newspaper didn't report on boxing. PPV boxing cards weren't listed in the weekly TV schedule listings. You often didn't even know who was fighting until you turned on the card. If you followed boxing back then, you'd know that.

Hell, I ordered the Morrison-Hide/Bruno-Mercer PPV in 1994 and nobody knew the fight was cancelled until the PPV began with a screen saying the fight was cancelled.

The WBO had never sanctioned any fights in any division ever (they didn't even exist a couple months earlier) before Hearns-Kinchen. I have TV news reports that weekend, because ESPN was covering the build-up to Leonard-Lalonde. That's where I heard about Hearns barely surviving against Kinchen. I never actually saw the Hearns-Kinchen fight until I traded VHS tapes with someone in the early 90s because it wasn't widely seen. I had to get it from someone who actually bought the PPV. And there weren't many.

I don't even know what you're arguing about anymore. So I'm done.

 

I am not arguing just to argue. I have stated this opinion about Ray and his titles for years. I think Ray is a great fighter and one of the greatest ever. But, this fight with Lalonde was a situation where Ray was taking advantage of his status and doing something which was not logical. THIS is why I brought up Tyson and weighing in at 168. And he was the champion at heavyweight at this time when Ray fought Lalonde. To win two titles at two different weights was ridiculous and not fair to guys who weigh in and make weights. And my scenario of winning 4 on the same night was to prove a point. It is the exact same thing, just more titles to win. And you saying I was being stupid demonstrates that you somehow think Ray winning two titles in one night was stupid. Those 4 titles I talked about. Had they been vacant then Ray could have won 4 titles had he done the same kind of scenario. And yes so if they come in under 168 , any title up to heavyweight would be on the line, they could could fight for all those titles? And that is what Ray and Lalonde did with these two titles. I don't think it should have been allowed.

I followed boxing back then as much as anyone could. I bought all the magazines and looked up news in the paper, and the newspapers had een small print where they had small items they would have news on fights or anything small. Like sports briefings. Very small things. I remember reading after Hearns beat Roldan that Hagler and Hearns might have a rematch. It never happened. Yes I found little postings about boxing.. And the ESPN clip I saw was on Hearns birthday in 1988, since they mentioned his birthday in regards to Obelmejias. I forget where I got Hearns vs. Kinchen. But I got it years ago. I saw it live in scrambled mode on UHF channel 22. It was hard to watch it, but I could see them boxing and I would hear in between rounds reports. I still have all my magazines from that time in my old car. I would even call different gyms relating to fighters to get fight possibilities. I knew who Hearns was going to fight sometimes before anyone else did. I would call Kronk and Escot boxing in Detroit and a lady there who was very nice would tell me who they were negotiating with.

I do not follow the sport now like I used to. Not even close. If I followed the sport at a level 10 then, now it would be about a 3. I loved that era and I was young and when you are young you get into things with all your passion. I am still into it, just not as young and energized by it, and boxing is not as good . I don't think.

 

At first I was intrigued and thought Ray was pushing it to try for a 175 lb title but when I read he was making LaLonde agree to 168 lbs I knew hed win. I can see why Lalonde did it because rhe $$ was huge. Leonard getting the WBC to recognize it as both a 168 and 175 lb title fight while making the Champion come in at 168 was genius. At least Donny got paid.

 

Very informative thread.