If it's a 12 rounder, Leonard via clear UD. 15 rounds, I have no doubt Ray's body punishment and pressure would force a referee stoppage in 14 rounds. He wouldn't straight up KO Oscar, though. He'd beat him up and break his spirit.
Leonard by clear decision but a stoppage is not out of the question if Oscar tires and Ray goes for the finish. Ray was one of boxing' great finishers. Oscar had a number of fights in which he faded late. He closed strong against Quartey, but that was likely because he spent most of rounds 7 through 11 standing there and not punching. If it is scheduled for 15, I think Leonard stops him. You can say "oh Oscar would train for 15 rounds", but he trained for 12 and faded numerous times. I don't think this is a matter of training. He just wasn't blessed with the best gas tank and also was fairly tense in the ring.
Never said he was. Just that Leonard isn't the one to do it. Hearns was fragile and yet was stopped on his feet after getting hit with everything including the kitchen sink and looked to me like he could have continued. Smaller Duran walked through Leonard's punches like they were nothing but got knocked cool cold by Hearns in just two. Benitez stoppage was bullshit. Oscar is no dave boy green. Leonard was no knockout artist
If Oscar is gonna survive Leonard the full distance, his stamina better be on point. Because if he fades like he consistently did (Particularly against Trinidad and Mosley), Ray ain't letting him off the hook.
Big difference between fading relative to how you started and getting knocked out. It's not like Oscar was blowing and panting and stumbling like Fres Oquendo was known to (or a young George foreman).
True but if we are talking about a 15 rounder, then it is unchartered territory for a guy who has been known to fade in the championship rounds of fights where he's had to fight at a pretty high pace... Leonard is not gonna sit back and just let Oscar cruise in these rounds the way Quartey did. And we are presuming that he won't be the weight drained Tito that Oscar still wasn't able to beat. All I'm saying is that if Oscar slips up and gives Ray any chance to exploit him in the late rounds of a proposed fight between the two, I don't see him surviving come these championship rounds with Leonard coming forward and looking to put him away. And even if he runs the way he did against Trinidad, Leonard would be able to catch up to him as he tires and slows down.
