Much as I love how Whitaker perfomed against Chavez I wonder if Leonard wasn't even more impressive against Benitez. Leonard's perfomance wasn't the same kind of schooling, but it was more predatory and destructive. What do you think?
Not too sure they are all that similar really.Different styles at different stages of career's etc.. The Leonard and Benitez of htat bout were better fighters at more comfortable weights than whitaker and chavez were by the time of their fight imo.I could see whitaker beating benitez however.
Disagree, Benitez was an undefeated Welterweight champ. Different styles but Benetiz has the better skills and would beat Chavez at 140 or 147 in a similar way to Whitaker
Leonard's win was better. Benitez was still youthful and closer to his prime than Chavez was against Whitaker. Chavez is greater than Benitez 'pound for pound' and looks better on paper, thats it. Chavez never done anything significant at welterweight after Whitaker. Although he was going downhill rapidly after that fight. Randall defeated him at 140lbs the year after, then De La Hoya tore him apart at the same weight in 96.
It's not the win as much as the perfomance that I'm after. Whom of Leonard and Whitaker showed most skill/ability in their respective wins?
I don't really think so. I've often heard of Leonard/Benitez as a close, supremely skilled technical affair. It was definitely a great display of technical ability, but I didn't see the bout as close at all. I'd have had Leonard winning by about 11 points were it not stopped, though the stoppage makes even more of a mark. It was fought at the pace of both fighters, Leonard simply out-classed him at his own game, which was very impressive and brings Leonard's immense technical ability into light.
I didn't think it was close either. I scored it much like Whitaker-Chavez. Just like Whitaker, Leonard won every round accept a handful where he was coasting IMO. But, unlike Whitaker, Leonard had a KD and had his opponent several times, and, of course, ultimately stopped him. I do agree that Whitaker controlled the tempo somewhat better, though. But I feel that that was harder to do against Benitez, but it's hard to say really.
