It's easy to say that Leonard was so much better than Oscar because he was faster, more athletic, and overall more talented, and all those things are true. But what really separates the two is ring intelligence. I've said it a million times before and so have many others, for an elite fighter DLH didn't have very high ring IQ. So Leonard being physically faster than Oscar is compounded by the fact that he was WAAYY mentally faster and could "see" and analyze things in the ring that De La Diva was never able to see or analyze.
Leonard wins of course but Oscar gives him a good fight. Reading the MMs it sounds like Ray treats everybody like they were Pete Ranzany
Wrong. There's a slight possibility Oscar lands a jab in the first round but other than that it's completely one sided beatdown similar to Roy Jones vs Richard Hall.
'Good fight' might be over egging it but I certainly don't think Oscar would get the Dave boy green treatment. He'd take a few rounds and make a whole bunch more lively before leonard finally completely takes over. Most likely outcome: a late stoppage down the stretch with Oscar on his feet, imo
Nobody EVER suggested Oscar would get treated like Green or Ranzany. But at the same time, I don't think Oscar's a struggle for Leonard. There's a lot welterweights in history who I feel would be more problematic for Leonard than Oscar would be.
I think it's competitive within the first half of the fight. I can see Oscar with his jab taking some rounds and making Leonard cautious with his own hand speed. But by the midway portion, Leonard will adjust, and will start dictating the pace, and his power will start to affect Oscar as the championship rounds come along and as Oscar tires, Leonard will hunt him down like prey. In a 15 rounder, I have no doubt Leonard gets a stoppage.
