I was just joking, but Leonard wouldn't Dave Green him. Spence is a shit load better than Green. Obviously, Ray wins big, but Spence is too good to get the Dave Green treatment.
Leonard gets him outta there late. But Spence has dog in him so he wouldn't lay down. He'll defiantly get his shots in and try like hell to win but he's out gunned.
Leonard couldn't get that blown up past prime Lightweight outta there in Montreal. What makes you think he'd stop that large, prime, hard hitting skill southpaw Spence? Gimme some logic.....please!!!!
Duran also had that livewire unpredictability to his attack as well, and that also played a big role in throwing off Leonard. Spence is fundamentally sound, but his more straightforward approach plays into Leonard's hands.
I could see Leonard overwhelming Spence and stopping him in the middle rounds. After that it would probably be a decision.
I intended this thread as a joke, but to seriously answer it, I agree with PR's prediction of Leonard by late stoppage. I think Spence is quality enough to not get taken out in the mid rounds, yet at the same time, too hittable to last the distance. Your boy Thurman is the one who Leonard would take out in the mid rounds. Easily, I may add.
Spence seems really strong and durable. If he hasn't got stopped by getting outclassed by the middle rounds Leonard would probably ease up and take decision.
So: Leonard beats Spence big....Spence beats Mayweather Jr...therefore Leonard beats Mayweather Jr. I can see why Sly hates all this,
I don't see Leonard as this knockout specialist that he's being portrayed as on this forum. Duran could have taken Leonard's punches for 100 rounds. Hearns proved later on that he was somewhat fragile compared to other great fighters, Leonard hit him with every punch in the book and Hearns was stopped on his feet in the 14th (and looked like he could have continued to be honest). Leonard must have tattooed Floyd senior from the opening bell and Floyd was there in the 10th....again stopped on his feet from accumulation. Benitez wasn't flat out KO'd like people try to pretend...arguably a silly stoppage. Dave Green was an average fighter. However people have Leonard now as puncher. How many people has Leonard even dropped with single punches....let alone knocked them out?
Not so sure Hearns could have continued. He was exhausted from the pressure and body assault that Leonard was putting on him. His legs looked gone. Benitez could have gone on but he accepted the stoppage and my guess is because he knew he was hurt and was taking some punishment.
Clearly in control all the way and a late round stoppage against the #2 ranked fighter of the division is what Spence accomplished. Sounds pretty much what Leonard usually did. Though in this era it is seen as a weakness
Lmao at Spence being "clearly in control all the way". The most impressive thing to me was the way he stayed cool while Brook was kicking his ass in the middle rounds. It's Spencemania on here. Or Spencylvania. Knocking out high rated contenders is a weakness in modern boxing?
In this era it's damned if you do and damned if you don't. If you struggle with a guy, you have vulnerabilities which a guy like Leonard would have exposed. If you beat a guy easily, then that guy was a bum, and you haven't yet fought anyone. Only in the sport of boxing do fans malign their contemporary greats or potential greats.
I've re-watched the fight TWICE today. At NO FUCKING POINT was Brook "kicking his ass". That's an absurd exaggeration, Terp. Brook landed some good shots, and a few of them Spence felt, but considering Brook has good pop, Spence took them well. The shots Spence took would have had Thurman on Queer Street. You would think by the way people describe this fight that Brook DOMINATED the mid rounds, but it's bullshit. I also scored the rounds, I had it dead even after 6... 3 rounds a piece. From round 7 on, it was ALLLLLL Spence. So while Brook wasn't an easy fight for Errol, saying Spence "struggled" is far from the truth, re-watch the fight for Christ Sake!
Spence stayed cool becomes he's confident in his ability and in his stamina, and he KNEW Brook's only chance was to stop him before the mid rounds. He knew that Brook isn't a better technical boxer, and he knew that Brook couldn't outfight him late. At one point, Brook nailed him with a VERY GOOD left uppercut that stopped Spence in his tracks for a moment. But once Spence took that, and kept coming, kept going to the body, I knew 100% that Brook was gonna be fucked in the late going.
I know exactly the moment you're talking about and I thought the smae thing. But that was an important moment because it showed Spence still had his strength and was looking for a place to use it. It looked like he might be falling apart a bit until then.
Not really. As someone who was rooting for Spence I was hoping he was maintaining his strength and staying steady but it seemed like time was going by, he wasn't getting clean work done and he was putting himself in a position where he'd have to make something happen. When Brook seemed to knock him off balance and tried to follow up Spence said "what you talkin bout Willis?" and unloaded and Brook had to duck and dodge and run away. That showed Spence was still dangerous and being methodical but he was having trouble tracking Brook down, getting hit and losing rounds. That he could do that and still win with room to spare is what was impressive about it. He beat Brook in the same way I pick Trinidad to win a lot of proposed fights. The strength and danger and eventuality of his approach. But he's not Tito and he hasn't proven he that inevitable yet.
I never got the impression Spence was falling apart. At about the halfway point, I thought he was a bit behind. But I never had the feeling he was going to lose. I didn't have Brook sweeping the first half of the fight or anything.
Leonard would stop any version of Spence, but yeah, he would blitz last night's Spence inside of 5. Leonard was far less patient a finisher than Bud. Crawford is calculating when he smells blood. When Leonard smelled blood, he was all over you immediately.
Yeah Leonard was just another level. His hand speed was scary along with his timing and accuracy. Spence has always gotten by on his solid basics/fundamentals and his strength. I don’t think a basic fighter can beat a prime Leonard. You have to have a sort of dynamic quality. Duran for example had exceptional footwork, cat like reflexes, stamina for days, and an unpredictability that threw Leonard off his game. Errol is just a very good fighter who’s solid. Leonard would find the range with his combinations and get him out mid to late rounds, depending on how quickly he chooses to shift into that higher gear.
