Norris had far faster reflexes yes. That was the difference. Rays hands were still faster than Norris but when u watch the fight its taking ray an age to react and when he lets his hands go Norris has moved on. Leonards injured ankle killed his mobility and balance and again speed was affected. He couldn't set right or pivot or balance. The second knockdown is a case in point.Kalan wrote:Terry Norris was too fast for Sugar Ray Leonard... People have a million and 5 excuses as to why Leonard was completely routed in that fight, and knocked down a couple times... If Leonard thought he could do better in a rematch.. or thought he could do better fighting other guys other than Norris...he wouldn't have retired for 6 years.. I didn't understand his thinking quitting after that fight - because Norris was a good fighter.Syntax Error wrote:Good points.Bricks wrote:
That would explain a lot. Benn didn't look brilliant against Dewitt and had gone ten rounds with Amparo and Williams where he seemed to develop a dancing moving style with occasional outbursts of patent violence. Against Barkley he was just a caged animal.
Ray in 1991 still had hand speed but his legs, balance and reflexes were off based on the Norris fight.
Until I read your post I woulda probably still had the view Rays fast hands and movement would be enough to outbox Benn the way he did Duran III,with benn obviously far faster cutting off the ring and much faster hands but thinking about your viewpoint I accept there is a chance Benns crude lunges would surely catch ray early and floor him and he would be overwhelmelmed in a painful 6-7 rounds in the follow up but than I think a shot but still formidable Hearns couldn't do that 18 months earlier............
I still cant get over how poor Ray looked with Norris. I buy Rays excuses that his ankle was bust and it was too late to cancel and the weight killed him, the divorce and partying and taking Norris too light.
I think Ray would train properly and outbox benn.
Don't get me wrong Benn was even in 1990 a good boxer/puncher...he could box as well as punch but it was only around 93-95 when he become the full package....a formidable world champion with much improved stamina and defensive skills.
I still take Ray in 1991
I too was surprised at how much Ray had declined.
In '87, he wasn't vintage, but he still had a lot left.
Likewise, in '89, he clearly was not the Sugar Ray of 1981, but he was still fairly formidable, but in '91, he looked like poo.
He looked so bad, like you, I am willing to believe his excuses, but we will never really know.
I based my assumption on how he looked against Norris, but if he was anywhere near to what he was in '89, he should have had enough to squeak past Benn.
Leonard was so famous he could have made tons of money in those 6 years - even if he lost a few.. He would have kept his form up instead of rusting out.. Look how many fights Duran lost. He kept going win or lose -- because he was Duran and the fans kept showing up.. When Leonard finally came back after 6 years I cringed.. Didn't want to watch.. But he needed that fight somehow. He had to get it out of his system.. Like Ali after the Holmes fight. He had to do 1 more fight for reasons only Ali knows.. For about 30 years I would dream that I was making a comeback. I'd be running and sprinting and hitting the bags and the mitts, and pounding sparring partners. Then fight night would come and they'd say "you're on in 5 minutes" I'd wake up right then. I'd rarely get the fight done.
SRL retired because he was 34 and had done it all. He had only been a part time fighter for the best part of a decade. Six years later it was pure ego and missing the limelight tied in with a midlife crisis. SRL was not a Duran he wasn't that much in love with training and fighting he would continue like a duran did. Plus all importantly he had $50-60 million in the bank, Duran was always poor, always had some tax bill, some woman who hadn't been paid.He always had a huge entourage that needed money to leach off.
FYI Ali also came back for the $5 mill against Holmes. It was about money. Ray didn't have the need for it Ali and Duran did