Any chance Sweet Pea can replicate what Duran managed and take a decision over Ray at 147? I have to say for me it's a 'no', I think Ray wins this comfortably.
Whitaker would frustrate Leonard at times, but he didn't have the firepower to win. Leonard by a comfortable decision.
this is an interesting matchup for the simple fact that both of these chaps are borderline unbeatable in this forum. just out of curiosity what welterweight(s) would any of you prognosticators pick to defeat ray leonard?
Not too many other than Robinson. There are a few that have a shot especially if it's "there night". Gavilan Napoles Griffith Armstrong Rodriguez Again i'm not favoring them, but i don't think it would be out of the realm of possibility. Guys like Curry, De La Hoya, Quartey and Basilio among others would be more than simply competitive, although i think Leonard beats them all and i doubt anybody would disagree.
I don't like it, but I have to go with the flow on this one & abandon one of my favourite fighters. Leonard, competitive but clear decision.
We all know he was one of the greatest Lightweights who ever drew breath, but if you gents were composing an all-time list of Welters, what do you think of Whitaker's credentials? Not just his 147lb. achievements, but just how good he was at the weight. I have seen plenty of people pick both De La Hoya & Trinidad, for instance, as top-twenty all-timers for the division, & I think a prime Whitaker (for the weight, that is --- around 1992-94) would've certainly beaten both. Considerations?
I have to be honest, as time goes Floyd's adaptability and completeness strategically impresses me more & more & the idea of him beating somebody like Ray seems less ridiculous. Fighting backwards, forwards, inside, outside, off the ropes, leading, countering, rough housing or chess matches, southpaws, converted southpaws, identifying & strategically neutralizing every key punch in the book. There has't been a modern fighter since Ray Leonard with such a complete strategic arsenal, IMO, and no matter who he's fighting, he's gonna have some funny shaped, bastarding wee nozzle on that swiss army knife of his to make your night difficult. I think at welterweight Leonard beats him clearly but with difficulty (like he beat Benitez). The match up isn't laughable though and the only reason I clearly favour Ray is his size & power advantages. Long time foaming mouthed Floyd hater, Hut*Hut.
Mayweather has the talent to beat Leonard, so it's not laughable. I'd pick Leonard to win...but not easily...and only because of his natural size advantage.
Funny, Leonard didn't even beat all of the the fighters he faced easily or comfortably, even the fighters that were supposed to be lesser than him. Now he's supposed to easily wash a fighter just as good as him. When's the last Floyd lost to a natural lightwight? Oh yeah, Floyd's undefeated.
I think this fight is close, but the difference is Leonard's size and power... Leonard by decision as for Welterweights who could beat Leonard? Robinson I would favor ... like Whiskey said, there are others who could get a few out of him if they fought ten times... I hate Leonard's guts but he was a legendary fighter at 147, few men could conceivably seen as consistently beating him... even Robinson wouldnt win 10 out of 10 to me
as for Whitaker's place among the Welterweights, I think he beats most... there are certain guys that I think combine size, speed and skill to a degree that the size disadvantage (Pete was a SMALL welterweight) becomes simply too much for him to overcome... Im thinking Leonard, Robinson, Hearns... but even those guys dont beat with him consumate ease, because his skills and his toughness, but they do beat him every time out to me... the rest? Whitaker is a favorite or at worst a live underdog against any other Welters you'd care to mention
That's your opinion. Floyd's fought plenty of Hall of Famers. And looked better doing so. Leonard has as many losses as Floyd has had close fights.
Leonard had one loss (to an all-timer in Duran) before he retired more or less for FIVE YEARS and even that fight was absolutely close... other than that he didnt lose officially until Terry Norris when he was an old shot fighter Leonard comprehensively outboxed and stopped Wilfred Benitez, who if nothing else, was one of the greatest pure boxers the sport has ever known... he went toe-to-toe at close quarters for 15 rounds against maybe the greatest inside fighter ever to live in Roberto Duran and BARELY lost (he sure turned the tables in the rematch) ... he walked through the bombs of Thomas Hearns and stopped him in an epic struggle later, he comes out of retirement, with one fight in 5 years against a nobody, and he decisions (rightly or wrongly, it was a close fight) one of the two or three best Middleweights of all time again, I ask, what fighter has Floyd Mayweather beaten who could mentioned in the same breath as ANY of those guys???
you honestly believe that those fighters list favorably alongside: DURAN, HEARNS, BENITEZ, HAGLER you CAN NOT be serious!!!!
