Who's GREATER: Floyd Mayweather Jr or Ray Leonard?

Did he duck him?

 

Don’t be silly.

We’re not just competing the stats.

Floyd never fought or beat the calibre of guys that Ray did.

He has the longevity and the deeper resume and unbeaten record, but he never tested himself or garnered the wins that Ray did.

 

You go away. Leonard is not as good as Mayweather, deal with it.

 

Some people are hung up on stats and that's understandable, there are good arguments to be made based on impressive numbers. Having said that, the problem is when context is ignored. Stats without context are useless.

Leonard beat an infinitely higher quality of opposition, in their primes. Therein lies the context. If someone does not acknowledge that the fighters Ray beat are prime ATGs, then I don't think much of their argument.

 

It’s much easier to adjust to lesser fighters.

It’s okay saying that Leonard fought the wrong fight against a prime Duran, but Floyd never saw a prime Duran.

He never found himself in the positions that Ray did.

Ray had to switch tactics mid fight to take out Hearns.

Floyd never saw a Hearns.

Context.

 

You’re utterly delusional.


Did Floyd ever beat a guy as great as a prime Leonard? No.

Did Floyd ever fight a guy as great as a prime Leonard? No.

Did he have the offense to have beaten Leonard? No.


So there is no evidence that Floyd could have beaten Leonard, and the stylistic match up would greatly have favoured Leonard.

 

Hearns also wasn’t as good as Floyd.

So what?

He wasn’t beating Hearns.


Styles.


Although Floyd had more overall skill than Leonard, he didn’t have the offensive arsenal or the style needed in order to have beaten him.

 

The footage we have of both clearly shows Mayweather is the superior boxer.

 

Brilliant.

The footage that we have of Hearns, clearly shows us that he was the superior boxer to Iran Barkley.

 

Sugar Ray…
And this is coming from someone who hated him for not fighting Hagler when they were both in their primes…

 

Agreed. Adjusting to Duran mid fight is different from adjusting to Zab Judah.

 

Maidana gave Floyd fits. Yes Floyd was past it but the consensus was that Floyd was going to 12-0 the slow, crude Maidana. He was still quite capable at the time. Just someone being a better boxer doesn't mean victory.

 

It's not about who you fight but about who you are as a fighter and Floyd was a much better tactician than Ray Leonard. It Floyd would have fought in that era, he would have adjusted to the fighters of that era and been just as effective.

 

He was a better tactician against lesser fighters.

Whatever you think of his abilities, he was completely unproven against a prime ATG.

He never fought or beat a prime ATG in his career.

We then have to look at Floyd’s character, as well as his actions and decision making in his own career.

The evidence is there to suggest that he’d never have fought some of the guys that Ray did, had he have been around in that era.

Then if you look at some of the stylistic challenges that he’d have been faced with, we know that he couldn’t have just adjusted and being as effective as what he was in his actual career.

He’d have been at a huge disadvantage fighting some of Ray’s best opponents.

You have to apply the relevant context.

There’s a world of difference between fighting Hatton and Hearns.

 

Mayweather wouldn't be able to adjust and trouble Hearns. He didn't have the necessary reach, power, or offence.

That's not a massive knock on Mayweather btw. Duran, who was a superior boxer to Mayweather, didn't trouble Hearns either.