Was Leonard the complete fighter?

[The Old LefHook]

Leonard was a game player like Mayweather. Instead of fighting people when they were good he waited for some kind of advantage to appear, then signed. Guys like that never get the legacy they think they deserve. But the one they get is indeed the one they deserve. History sets their antics under a spotlight. Both Leonard and Mayweather were two of the best fighters ever, but they were not two of the best champions ever. They were lousy champions. That shows up in the legacies the public will allow them to have.

MW can blab all he wants, but the public already awarded him his rightful legacy, which he does not like at all. Hence, he still keeps trying to grab limelight to repair a busted legacy worth only his deeds. Words do not count toward legacies.

[Rusty Tromboni]

- -He fought better in the first because Dran forced him into a firefight for his very life and soul.

The 2nd he knew Duran had spent his entire camp dropping 50lbs in a division he never fought in again, so he was able to shoeshine a bellyaching Duran who'd inhaled two whole as in WHOLE g****fruits and two full steak dinners hours before after the weigh in.

Btw, it was Cosell making up the bogus No Mas comment dutifully copycatted by the vacuous media.

What Duran said was "I ain't fighting this clown" in Spanish as he dismissed him on the way to his dressing room bathroom to salve the savage uproar of bowels.

It was not a topic the press could talk about except to relabel as esoteric "stomach cramps."

Duran died by his own sword either way. I used to read my kids Casey Goes to Bat. Spoiler alert: it's about a baseball star whose hubris causes him to strike out because he doesn't like any of the balls being pitched to him, and turns up his nose at the idea of swinging at anything that's not a gifted home run pitch.

Duran thought he was taking a victory lap. Leonard wanted redemption.

It's highly improbable that Leonard could ever beat the Duran of Montreal. But he refused to accept his fate, and in turn made his own.

No one should put Leonard any where near Duran in the rankings. And that's exactly why that rematch is such a wonderful life lesson about not what you have, but what you make of it.

[The plunger man]

With Duran he fought the wrong fight. Not that thats an excuse, but Duran was never as good again. IMO that was Duran at his best post lightweight. And who else could of fought with Duran for 15 rounds non-stop like Leonard did?
Not too many.

I dont see how the Hearns victory was 'dicey'. He was outboxed but hurt him more than once and finished him off when he had to. Hearns was at his best and unbeaten. He is an all time great welter, and Leonard stopped him. Credit where credits due.

Against Hagler he came out of retirement to face the larger stronger fighter, who although slower and past his best was still a big favourite to win. Again, he deserves credit.
He was beaten by Duran who was smaller, but beat both Hagler and Hearns who were not only much bigger but were prolific KO fighters.

you cannot argue with what sugar ray did in his prime and the style of fighters he beat , legendary defensive fighter in Benitez and out boxed him , out punched the puncher Thomas Hearns and when his boxing was not working he turned Hunter to finish him , beat the best switch hitter and arguably the greatest middleweight of all time by out boxing the stronger and more active fighter even after only having one fight in 5 years and made one the hardest boxers ever quit mid fight.
Leonard was as close to a complete fighter as you could find and just look at the fighters styles he managed to beat.

[The plunger man]

2 out of three duran didnt prepare phyically of mentally for the second fight and the result speaks for itself, listen to how ****** its sounds duran beats leanord then in the rematch duran quits in the 8th duran threw the fight he just gave everything he has phyically and mentally to beat leanord, he let himself loose got involved in ******* and took the money and ran, max kellerman had duran leanord 1 as his most suggnificent fight of the past 30 years, dont beleive what i say check the leanord bio on coxs corner about a great a boxing site youll find


duran leanord 2 eas an embarrsment cause duran was heavily involed in ******* duran beat leanrd on his best night, leanord knew this and forced an immediate rematch, and duran threw the fight

the third fight was meanigless, duran jsut had his last great fight with barkley, neihter duran nor leanord won a a important fight after duran leanord three it tells you how important it was, the next fight leanord got crushed by terry norris

Duran knew in mid July 1980 that he would be fighting Leonard immediately and actually came in to fight according to ray arcel in shape ....Duran was always a bad trainer and often ray arcel would drag Him out of bed to train.
Leonard decided to lay on the ropes and fight fire with fire with Duran and lost a close decision by 1 or 2 points in the 1st fight and bear in mind leonard was an inexperienced champion who got out psyched in the lead up to the fight.
As compete fighters go leonard was it.

[The plunger man]

Leonard was a game player like Mayweather. Instead of fighting people when they were good he waited for some kind of advantage to appear, then signed. Guys like that never get the legacy they think they deserve. But the one they get is indeed the one they deserve. History sets their antics under a spotlight. Both Leonard and Mayweather were two of the best fighters ever, but they were not two of the best champions ever. They were lousy champions. That shows up in the legacies the public will allow them to have.

MW can blab all he wants, but the public already awarded him his rightful legacy, which he does not like at all. Hence, he still keeps trying to grab limelight to repair a busted legacy worth only his deeds. Words do not count toward legacies.

was Benitez past it ? Was hearns past it ? Was Duran not in absolute prime when facing leonard in 1980 ? Was not hagler 2 weights above him and had defended his title 12 Times and was considered the best P4P fighter in 1987 ?
Leonard never ducked a challenge when he was at his absolute best.

[The plunger man]

Agreed. But head to head at their best the smaller, less physically gifted man won. That's big to me.


Maybe I overstate the case and I certainly don't take credit away from Leonard. It was only "dicey" in the sense that Hearns had pretty much beaten SRL in every way and only needed to stay away in the last few rounds. He failed to do so and lost. I tend to think that had they done it again, Hearns wouldn't have made the same mistake and submit that may be why the rematch never happened until Hearns was no longer a real danger.



Again, I don't take away credit from Leonard. He always did what he had to do to win. But compare how Leonard fought Hearns with how Hagler did. Smarter? Definitely. But subjectively I prefer Hagler.

let’s not forget that Leonard almost had him out of there in round 6,7 and hearns showed tremendous guts in pulling himself together , let’s also not forget hearns physical size was also an issue who was just under 6ft 2 with a reach of 78 inches.
Even Emanuel steward was very close to stopping it at the end of the 7th round.
Hearns might have won more rounds but Leonard inflicted the most damage and the rounds he won were huge compared with hearns who boxed and tried to stay away after the 8th round.
Emanuel steward said the left hand that Leonard landed to hearns body in rounds 6 took everything out of him and he knew hearns was a beaten man right there and then.
Great fighters find a way to win even when the chips are down and bring it up from there gut.
That kind of adds even more to him as a complete fighter because of stamina , heart , hunger and the ability to adapt mid fight from a boxer to a puncher

[TonyGe]

I was thinking that there was not much he couldnt do.

Obviously he had great speed and amazing footwork. Great chin, and very good power. He did get hit too much either.

Seeing as he fought and beat some of the greatest fighters of the modern era, why is he never mentioned as one of the best p4p fighters ever?

Duran seems to get more of a mention than Leonard. As does Armstrong and many others who although great, didnt have near the skills and overall talent as Sugar Ray Leonard.

Can't agree with the last paragraph.
Those guys Armstrong and Duran in were some of the best fighters to ever lace them up. Were they as talented as Leonard. I think they were in their own way.

[Rick Taylor]

Can't agree with the last paragraph.
Those guys Armstrong and Duran in were some of the best fighters to ever lace them up. Were they as talented as Leonard. I think they were in their own way.

leonard as a cherrypicker tbh

[Rusty Tromboni]

Duran knew in mid July 1980 that he would be fighting Leonard immediately and actually came in to fight according to ray arcel in shape ....Duran was always a bad trainer and often ray arcel would drag Him out of bed to train.
Leonard decided to lay on the ropes and fight fire with fire with Duran and lost a close decision by 1 or 2 points in the 1st fight and bear in mind leonard was an inexperienced champion who got out psyched in the lead up to the fight.
As compete fighters go leonard was it.

It's funny the crazy ass sh'it people can get away with on the internet. You'd never say that in real life. You'd be confronted by people laughing in your face.


No one believes Duran was in any way a reflection of his normal self in the rematch with Leonard. He certainly wasn't in any way close to the fighter who put Leonard through the wood-chipper back in Montreal. I haven't met a single person who's ever suggested Duran was anywhere close to that level.

Even still, Duran made the early rounds Hell. The scorecards were pretty close when he quit.


Duran was a faaaaar superior fighter to Leonard. Only a shameless nut-hugger would suggest otherwise.

[The plunger man]

It's funny the crazy ass sh'it people can get away with on the internet. You'd never say that in real life. You'd be confronted by people laughing in your face.


No one believes Duran was in any way a reflection of his normal self in the rematch with Leonard. He certainly wasn't in any way close to the fighter who put Leonard through the wood-chipper back in Montreal. I haven't met a single person who's ever suggested Duran was anywhere close to that level.

Even still, Duran made the early rounds Hell. The scorecards were pretty close when he quit.


Duran was a faaaaar superior fighter to Leonard. Only a shameless nut-hugger would suggest otherwise.

gumbo leonard lost 4 out of the first 5 rounds against Duran in the first fight and in the rematch he was ahead by at least 2 rounds when Duran turned his back..big difference you no nothing weirdo lol
In fact in the 8th round your guy turned his back and quit and Leonard was also winning the 8th....the fight was set And Duran knew it and it was big points defeat heading his way.
Leonard turned master boxer and Duran had no answer and that’s the facts weirdo.
Speed speed speed