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

Although I can't stand Leonard, I completely agree with this post. I'm 58 btw, right behind ya.

 

Thinking Eder Jofre

 

Sorry to nitpick but that fight was at 168

 

Hagler's my 2nd favorite ever but he was robotic, couldn't adapt on the fly and didn't have the highest boxing IQ ever. But none of that means he wasn't great.

 

None.he was the closest thing to a perfect fighting machine.

 

I'd hate to have to nominate even 5 more complete boxers that's for sure.

 

Just loading up on his right for a spectacular KO .. Ray was exceptional.

 

Exceptional for sure. He could loop up a bit looking for extra power and at times when a bit overexcited. He loaded up a bit too much at times in Duran 1 from memory.

 

The only real flaws he had were mental. Before each fight he would look in the mirror and if he saw plain Ray Leonard he thought he would lose. If he saw sugar Ray he believed he would win. (Read more in his own bio). He tried to out macho Duran which shows tremendous insecurities. The list goes on and on but all mental.

 

The flaw I saw in Ray was what made his fights harder when he came back after Hagler in 1987.. He became flatfooted more and was hit more. Well when he was younger like I stated in an earlier post he would at times stand flat footed and he would be hit. He moved his head less when he was stalking guys. Benitez,Duran 1, Kalule, Hearns 1, Finch.. Howard (1984). In all those fights he took some punches. So defensively he was great if he was moving and dictating the pace by making the opponent miss, but if he set down and punched he was in range and he could be tagged.

He could have been like Floyd and moved his head, but he liked to punch more than Floyd and take chances and be impressive. I always thought that retirement he made in 1982 was for the eye, but also I think he was burned out a little on boxing and he knew he could not keep up his success if he kept fighting actively. It seemed to take a lot out of him mentally to box and get up for each fight compared to Duran or Hearns who seemed to be more natural boxers than Ray as far as having fun with it. And doing it. Ray had more options than those guys anyway.

Hagler? Marvin motivated himself with the thought that he was not getting respect. And that worked. When he got respect after Hearns, he seemed to lose a little motivation and then he became inactive. And guess who comes in then to take advantage of an aging and inactive great? Sugar Ray Leonard.. Who needed that fight and he could get up for it

 

I don't think so. I think Virgil Hill had a 77 inch reach.. Hagler said Hearns jab was the best he saw.