Controversial wrote: ↑25 Dec 2018, 19:04
There was a recent post from someone who has interviewed several fighters, he wasn't impressed with SRL
writehooks wrote: ↑12 Nov 2018, 23:13
Sugar Ray Leonard was a total a-hole every time we spoke ... and not just to me. The man's ego knows no bounds, and he simply can't fathom not being the center of attention. Case in point: At the final press conference for his 1988 fight with Donnie Lalonde, Sugar Ray didn't like the fact that a reporter wanted to ask an undercard fighter a couple of questions. Instead of just letting it slide, Leonard grabbed the microphone on the podium and said something to effect of: "Nobody cares about the prelims. The people are here for me." Total jerk. Apparently he hasn't mellowed with age, either. Unlike Hagler, Hearns and Duran -- all of whom are very accommodating with fans -- Leonard has earned a reputation for being notoriously surly when the cameras aren't on him at functions like the annual Hall of Fame weekend.
That is exactly how I always perceived him. Thanks for the validation.
I always liked him. Always seemed like a nice guy. Fought clean. Didn't make excuses. Gave his opponents credit. Never quit. Went out of his way to fight tough competition. For the life of me, I don't understand what people have against him.
Ambling Alp II wrote: ↑26 Dec 2018, 17:50
I always liked him. Always seemed like a nice guy. Fought clean. Didn't make excuses. Gave his opponents credit. Never quit. Went out of his way to fight tough competition. For the life of me, I don't understand what people have against him.
In the ring he was great. Outside the ring, I thought he was an arrogant selfish arse.
Where does this come from? Have seen him in a zillions interviews, talk shows etc. Never saw anything at all like this. Ever. Always came off as likable.
His image was fake. Doesn't mean you have to dislike him, but filming 7up commercials with a son who barely saw you can rub people the wrong way. Heck, srr was despicable.
You can't fake that over and over for decades. Maybe he wasn't a good dad, I don't know and you don't either. Doubt many of these guys were. He is a human being, so of course he isn't perfect. Some of these guys were terrible people and yet always seem get a free pass. Leonard's name pops up and almost immediately someone will have something bad to say about him and/or his boxing career.
Ambling Alp II wrote: ↑27 Dec 2018, 12:16
You can't fake that over and over for decades. Maybe he wasn't a good dad, I don't know and you don't either. Doubt many of these guys were. He is a human being, so of course he isn't perfect. Some of these guys were terrible people and yet always seem get a free pass. Leonard's name pops up and almost immediately someone will have something bad to say about him and/or his boxing career.
After 1982, he pulled some ridiculous stuff. Especially the 2 title thing against Lalonde.
I can't believe people would not like him because of that. He moved way up in weight to fight Lalonde. Yes having two WBS titles in two weight classes is obviously a farce. That was done to create more interest in the fight. Who cares?
Ambling Alp II wrote: ↑27 Dec 2018, 16:47
I can't believe people would not like him because of that. He moved way up in weight to fight Lalonde. Yes having two WBS titles in two weight classes is obviously a farce. That was done to create more interest in the fight. Who cares?
I have heard some Duran fans complain that the rematch was too soon.
It usually goes something like this:
Duran was partying after the first fight. He didn't have enough time to train for the rematch. (The 2nd fight was five months after the first.)
Therefore Leonard realized Duran was "partying" and apparently put a gun to Duran's head and made him sign for the rematch so soon. Because five months is just too soon.
This is the kind of crap that people that don't like Leonard complain about. Come on.
It just a lot of the things he did post-Finch was wrong. And that's not counting the out of the ring crap he has supposedly done, which borders beyong ridiculous.
The great Sugar Ray Leonard was one of my favorite fighters. A complete boxer that his primary asset was predicated on speed. His second great asset was ring intelligence and strategy inside and outside the ring. Nobody did it better. His 2 most underrated assets were a great chin and punching power. He could really take a punch. And he could really hit. He was a devastating finisher. Let's give him credit for that.
First, What people didn't like about him was that he could call the shots because he had the pool and leeway that the other fighters like Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Marvelous Marvin didn't had. In many fans' viewing, he was making too much money for a Welterweight in such a little time in boxing, meanwhile guys like Duran and Hagler had to fight over 70 fights to get that type of money. Those guys didn't had the marketing that Ray had. I know it wasn't Sugar Ray's fault, but many fans saw it as something that was not fair. A Welterweight with only 25 fights making heavyweight money? That was unheard of at the time. He even made $10 million for the first Duran fight, while Duran only made $2 million. And many people asked, including Duran, why? You see the disparity folks? Plus, he was portrayed as a tv media creation after winning the gold medal. The successor of the great Muhammad Ali. And America fell in love with him. They didn't mind the nickname Sugar Ray and to top it off, he was handsome and was a married man with a child. He knew what to sell, and the media bought it. He was the boxing favorite for the American dream. It was about selling a product. It was entertainment and Leonard knew it. But, beneath all that, he was a fierce competitor. A warrior. Was he a real fighter? It depends how you view him. Why? A real fighter gives rematches. He never gave Wilfred Benitez, Duran nor Hearns an immediate rematch. A rematch that were well deserved. He was the cash cow, so he was able to dictate who and when to fight. It was on his terms always. That's why a lot of people didn't like him in that aspect. He manipulated the fight game. Something that you see the great Floyd Mayweather, Jr is doing now. It's the same manipulation, but in different times. Muhammad Ali nor Sugar Ray Robinson did not manipulated the game Leonard or Pretty Boy Floyd did.
Second, since he had the boxing game in his pockets, he retires and unretires like if it wasn't a thing you can do about that. His picking and choosing of opponents irritated fans. To irritate Hearns, he won two world titles in one night against someone named Donny Lalonde? Really? Donny Lalonde? A pretty boy that looked more like a movie star than a boxer. And to top it off, Lalonde had to drop 7 pounds for the catch weight fight? Hearns had won 4 world titles in 4 weight classes. And Leonard wanted to surpass him with 5 titles in 5 weight classes, Fighting for two in one night at Lalonde's expense? That was not right with the fans? Was it? His fight with Marvelous, his fans called it a great achievement, which it really wasn't. That he only had a fight in 5 years. That he was going up in weight to fight Marvelous. The other side of the coin was that Marvelous was not in his prime. The fight was 5 years too late, albeit a great scrap. But 5 years earlier would have been the real deal. Not to mention how he lured Duran in such a short notice for the rematch with a purse that Duran's management couldn't refuse. Duran got paid $8 million dollars for the rematch! The biggest purse in his career! He beats Duran in No Mas, and no third fight? Why don't you give the man the rematch that he deserves to prove who is the better fighter in the rubber match? But, no. He didn't. He called the shots, and 9 years later, it happened?
And the REAL TRUTH he gave The Hitman a rematch was because he thought Hearns was washed up after the Iran Barkley fight. Hearns put him down on the floor twice was enough for him to win the fight. But, we're in Vegas, right? A draw was unacceptable!
To rank him in the top ten all time pound per pound is hilarious. Just because you beat 4 great boxers does not qualify you as top ten. Many boxers had longer careers, much more fights and went through the blood, ropes and pain as a professional fighter. Example, Archie Moore. Whoever ranks Leonard on top of Moore gotta be crazy, uninformed or biased.
And to talk about his personal life. I don't get into that. Every person got skeletons in the closet. Everybody got different circumstances. You cannot live in other people's lives but yours. That he smoked cocaine and beat his wife, is irrelevant inside the ring for me. It's what he did inside of it. Leonard to me was a special talent. Was he helped more than a lot of the boxers of his era? Yes! Did he manipulated the fight game? Yes! Did he abused the fight game? Yes! Is he a top ten pound per pound all time boxer according to his accomplishments? No! There are other boxers that we're more deserving than he: Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong, Duran, Sam Langford, Willie Pep, Carlos Monzon, Muhammad Ali, Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, Benny Leonard, Tony Canzoneri, Mickey Walker, Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Bob Fitzsimmons, etc, etc, etc and we could go on and on and on.
If he would have had at least 70 fights and never retired and unretired, he would have been probably a top 10 pound per pound boxer of all time.
Probably would have just taken less time in a rematch.
He would have got one if wanted one. At the most he would he would have had to wait a year and then Leonard would have had to fight him if he was the #1 contender.
Ambling Alp II wrote: ↑28 Dec 2018, 17:03
Still waiting to hear what the case against him is.
I just never liked him. Haven't you ever just not liked someone?
Not if they didn't do or say something I didn't like. Nobody can ever come up with any real reasons why they didn't like Leonard. Which leads me to believe they don't like him for superficial reasons. And many people tend to vastly underrate fighters they don't like.
Ambling Alp II wrote: ↑28 Dec 2018, 17:03
Still waiting to hear what the case against him is.
I just never liked him. Haven't you ever just not liked someone?
Not if they didn't do or say something I didn't like. Nobody can ever come up with any real reasons why they didn't like Leonard. Which leads me to believe they don't like him for superficial reasons. And many people tend to vastly underrate fighters they don't like.
It was his arrogance really. KD a guy and immediately raise his hands; showboating; sounded contrived during interviews. That sort of stuff. not sure why you really GAF...
I just never liked him. Haven't you ever just not liked someone?
Not if they didn't do or say something I didn't like. Nobody can ever come up with any real reasons why they didn't like Leonard. Which leads me to believe they don't like him for superficial reasons. And many people tend to vastly underrate fighters they don't like.
It was his arrogance really. KD a guy and immediately raise his hands; showboating; sounded contrived during interviews. That sort of stuff. not sure why you really GAF...
PS: One of the best fighters I've ever seen. Just don't like the guy.
