What were Sugar Ray Leonard’s flaws as a boxer?

Mustafa Hamsho Frank Fletcher and Bazooka Limon were perfect just as they were.

 

I agree with those who have said he could telegraph his punches a tad like Shields said, I think it was one of the things that gave Duran an edge in Montreal - that he could read some of Ray 's punches coming and slip them. Against most other mortals though, it mattered **** all because he was so fast, accurate and balanced.

I wouldn't say he was average defensively though, I think he was very good when it was his sole focus. Against Hagler, the Duran rematch, stretches against Benitez. More that he carried the habit from the amateurs of not being the best at incorporating it into the offensive side of his game. Again, the first Duran fight where he stalked in usual manner to get off first with his speed and combos but sacrificed the defensive side and paid for it. Against Kalule too, he was taking a punch to land one or two of his own but his chin and power won out. Like rough says, he used excessive movement at times but had great late rounds stamina and legs, so it didn't really matter.

They're teensy criticisms though in the scheme of things, he was so good that it rarely mattered.

 

I always felt that he was just a little on the chinny side.

 

Leonard was very very very far from chinny side.

 

As already mentioned, he would sometimes loop his punches or wind up to the point where it could be read what he was doing.

 

I think he could be very defensive and a master when he moved and when the other guy was leading, but at times he could be hit cleanly when he was trying to land his punches and he was flatfooted, he would be thinking offense and be hit. Yet he didn't pay too much in those situations for too long because his hands were so fast he countered well. But in some fights he was hit when he was younger. Duran 1, Kalule, Hearns 1, Finch, Howard.. The best thing about Ray was moving on his legs, which to me were his best assets, then everything worked off his movement. He had the ability to move back or sideways or front,which is more rare than people think. Hearns had great legs, but he did not have the lateral movement of Ray. Tommy could go inside and out and pivot and work off his jab, but Ray had more fluid legs.. So I think defensively Ray was great when he fought the right style, but when he went for knockouts he could get hit.

 

The fact that a light-heavy champion didn't floor him is more than significant too imo.

 

Yes, and did we really see anyone who could move laterally like Ray? Not many. Guys can box and go in and out and jab and counter, but he could go any direction. Camacho could do this also, but not as fluid as Ray.

 

Donny Lalonde knocked Leonard down.

 

Hearns knocked him down twice in their rematch in 89 and got robbed, and Duran didn't have the same power at 147 that he did at 135.