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

I agree with your first statement because Mayweather was not a big welterweight. I don't think that Hearns would have stopped him because his defensive skills would have kept him in the game. I disagree with your second statement because Floyd is a far superior boxer than Duran. That's why Ray beat him twice after the first fight. He boxed.

 

Floyd's only disadvantage in Ray's era would have been his size. It's easy to say that Ray fought the better competition but if you take their five best opponents and compare their accomplishments you will find that that's not the case. Floyd started at super featherweight and fought as high as light middleweight, never losing. Ray started at welterweight and fought as high as light heavyweight, losing along the way. You can't take away from Mayweather because he managed his career better than Ray. On his way up to the top, he called out and challenged every fighter in his way up. He was ducked and that right there speaks volumes about his skill level. He has fought more hall of fame and eventual hall of fame fighters than Ray. Hall of fame fighters ain't bums. Hell, even though Ray stopped Sr., Sr. gave him a good fight and Floyd is five or six times better than his daddy ever was. Like I said, his only disadvantage in Ray's era would have been his size but his skills is superior to Ray's and there is no doubt in my mind. His arsenal of punches was superior to Ray's and his defense is better. You can say he fought lesser opponents but I disagree with that.

 

It’s impossible for any one of this or last gen champs to dethrone any of the 4 kings.

 

Floyd by a mile.

 

Mayweather is not a far superior boxer to Duran.

Mayweather would not be capable of doing what Duran did to Leonard in Canada. That fight was more about Duran's greatness than Leonard's shortcomings.

Put Mayweather, Pac, etc in Duran's shoes that night and they wouldn't have come away with the W.

 

That's simply a matter of opinion on your part but the fact is that when Leonard boxed Duran in that second and third fight, he beat him convincingly. As for fighters, they are both great fighters so the greatness of both fighters were on display. My contention is that Mayweather's boxing skills were better than Leonard's and Duran's. Bottom line. Duran had a savage offense, above average chin, and power. Leonard had tremendous speed, excellent power, great chin, and above average boxing skills. Mayweather had great boxing skills, a defense second to none and very respectable power. However, what Mayweather had that was superior to both Leonard and Duran was ring IQ. He was a far better thinker in the ring and outside the ring.

 

Ray did fight the better competition.

I respect Floyd for his unbeaten record, his professionalism and his longevity. But I stand by my point. Yes, he retired undefeated, but he fought lesser guys.

No, his arsenal of punches weren’t better than Ray’s.

Ray threw rapid fire combinations to the head and body, with uppercuts. He threw power punches.

Floyd had a great offense when he was prime, but it was more limited in the second half of his career. But even in his prime, Ray’s offense was more dynamic. It was more varied. Floyd had the better defence though.

Yes, Floyd beat plenty of hall of fame fighters. He has a very deep resume, which Ray can’t match.

I’m baffled as to what you’re disagreeing with though.

Floyd did not fight or beat a prime ATG in his career.

The best guys who Ray fought, were better than the best guys who Floyd fought.

Who did Floyd fight better than the Montreal Duran?

Who did Floyd fight better than a prime Benitez?

Who did Floyd fight who was as great and as dangerous as Hagler and Hearns?

Tell me what you don’t agree with.

Ray took on challenges that Floyd would never have taken.

Ray came off of a 3 lay off to fight Hagler. Whereas Floyd came off of an 18 month lay off where he deliberately cheated Marquez on the scales.

Ray came out of retirement to fight a prime Terry Norris. Whereas Floyd ended his career with a safe fight against Berto, before retiring against an MMA fighter who’d literally never fought a pro fight.

Floyd also ducked a prime Manny and pulled out of a fight with Winky at the last minute, after running his mouth off. So sure, Floyd’s stats are very impressive. But if he’d have fought the calibre of guys who Ray did, where he’d have taken on the same kind of challenges, then those stats could very well look different today.

 

How can it be?

 

Duran could both box and fight. He had great technical skills, but he could also cut off the ring and fight guys on the inside. He could do everything offensively.

Ray had above average boxing skills? Haha! Are for you real?

Floyd was a far better thinker?

Yeah, he thought about not taking on the most dangerous fights.

 

LoL

 

@Manfred You can say that Floyd is a lot slicker than Duran but a FAR superior boxer? I don't about know that. Seems like Floyd fans think being slick is what being a good boxer is all about. Being slick is useful but there's more to boxing than that.

 

You keep asking me what I disagree with although I have told you several times. I disagree with your contention that Sugar Ray Leonard was a better and more rounded fighter than Floyd Mayweather.

Like I said, Take the five best fighters that Leonard fought, then take the five best fighters that Floyd fought and compare thier resumes. There is not much difference in the win/ loss ratio between them. The best fighters that Leonard fought had more fights but that don't meain that they had better fights. My contention is that Floyd was a better skilled fighter than Ray Leonard and this is why I say that. Floyd had a better offensive arsenal and was more defensively sound than Ray. Floyd designed punches to fit certain boxing situations. He had four different ways he used his right hand. Leonard only had three. Floyd was thinking three moves ahead and Leonard was thinking at times, two. That's why he lost to Duran the first time. We could get into a whole other debate about who ducked who and who didn't fight who but this conversation is about skills and who had the better skills. Mayweather's skills were outside the box, Ray's were not.

 

You didn't read anywhere in my statement the word slick.

 

Hearns definitly ko'ing Floyd. Thats about the worst match up ever for him.
In reality he would duck him like hell.

Aside from that I have to say in general though that Hearns boxing is underrated. He was never outboxed. I dont think anyone at 147/154 outboxes Thomas Hearns either.