Sugar Ray Leonard's Most Extraordinary Performance at Welterweight

[Caractacus]

[elmersalsa]

Sounds like you watched the fight when you were a kid.

Yes, I was. I was only 11 years old.

[elmersalsa]

The Benitez fight for me. Completely outboxed the master boxer at his own game. Never understood the close cards.

It was a close fight. I scored it close. What do I remember of that fight vividly that I was crying of why Sugar Ray ain't putting this guy out quick like he did Andy Price? A friend of my father's was rooting for the great Wilfred Benitez. I was crying in the middle of the fight rounds, around the 7th and 8th. It was like to me that Benitez was winning the fight the way my father's friend was rooting for him. If Sugar Ray didn't knock him out but win by decision, it would have been nice to me, but not satisfying. I had to give props to Benitez that night. He really fought well.

Also when Ray dropped Benitez in the third round with the jab, I thought that the fight was going to be over right there and then. But, it didn't. It took 12 more rounds.

It was more like a cross between a jab and a left hook,also Benitez was squared up and off balance when he was hit with it.
You seem to under-estimate Wilfred Benitez defensive skills.He was a master at slipping punches.

Yes, I underestimated Benitez that night. I thought that Sugar Ray was going to blow him away like he did Andy Price. At the third round, I thought that it was going to be over when Leonard dropped him with a jab. But, Benitez wasn't hurt, but embarrassed. I thought Sugar Ray was going for the kill. But it took 12 more rounds for that. I was crying in the middle of the fight. Why Sugar Ray ain't putting this guy away? But, after the fight, I had to give The Radar his props. He made Leonard miss a lot and the fight was close. I had Leonard winning by one point by the 14th round when I scored it recently.

[Ambling Alp II]

The Benitez fight for me. Completely outboxed the master boxer at his own game. Never understood the close cards.

Agreed. The scorecards didn't make a lot of sense; two of them anyway. Several rounds were scored even. Leonard won handily.
As for the original post, it's hard to say. There were several to pick from. How do you compare a win over a great fighter (Benitez, Duran, and Hearns) to several dominating wins against mere good fighters?
In these cases, I usually go with the big wins because you don't have to answer as many questions against the non-great fighters.

[Onetimeonly]

I was 10 years old but I had Leonard winning 10 or 11 rounds and I was cheering for benitez..

[Caractacus]

check out the "Sugar Ray look" at 7:54 of this clip because the eyes don't lie.
He was definately in "The Zone" for this fight.
( he even comes out again for another menacing look at his opponent before the bell rings)

[elmersalsa]

Oh! Those were some vicious and fast combinations! Sugar Ray was awesome!

[Caractacus]

Sugar Ray Leonards idol was Bruce Lee ( he says so in his autobiography)
but did he surpass the Master puncher himself ?One tends to doubt it.

[SenorPipino]

Oh! Those were some vicious and fast combinations! Sugar Ray was awesome!

And to think that Leonard was still derided by many at that time as a "made for television" fighter.

Not a real fighter, they said. Just matched correctly to look good on television.

What were they watching? What did they miss?

[elmersalsa]

And to think that Leonard was still derided by many at that time as a "made for television" fighter.

Not a real fighter, they said. Just matched correctly to look good on television.

What were they watching? What did they miss?

I don't know. I knew he had the goods AFTER watching him dismantling Andy "Hawk" Price. It was unbelievable how he destroyed Price so quickly. Sugar Ray Leonard was vicious. Something that I have never seen before in boxing. A very complete fighter.

[Caractacus]

I think a lot of the bad attitude towards Sugar Ray Leonard back then was that it was felt that he was being made
(TV manufacured) to be a sort of Muhammad Ali 'light".
He had Howard Cossell on his side beginning with his second pro fight(Cossel also called Leonards fights in the 1976 Olympics and interviewed him) when they signed a multl-ifight contract with ABC -TV
also they hired Angelo Dundee to be his "trainer" when he turned pro
( but if you read his autobiography it sounds like it was more for Dundee's name(via Muhammad Ali) value for the Sugar Ray Leonard Team "Brand",doesn't sound like they took his advice too much up until "Your'e Blowing it Son !" for the Hearns fight.

[Caractacus]

Sugar Ray Leonard's first title defense.
He hit Green with what Angelo Dundee called "The Hardest punch he ever landed"
Sugar Ray Leonard refered to it as "The most beautiful punch that he ever landed".
(He thought he may have actually killed Davey Green with that punch).

[Caractacus]

yeah,I think some of the early resentent was beause of Howard Cossel fawning over him.
( how many times does he have to say the words "Sugar Ray" in one of his fights anyway ?)

[SenorPipino]

I don't know. I knew he had the goods AFTER watching him dismantling Andy "Hawk" Price. It was unbelievable how he destroyed Price so quickly. Sugar Ray Leonard was vicious. Something that I have never seen before in boxing. A very complete fighter.

His jab was impressive. A power jab.

Not just there as a range finder or to keep Price off balance.

He threw it to hurt you.

[Caractacus]

I think Sugar Ray Leonard admited in his 2011 autobiography that he focused a lot of the anger and shame he had inside him into boxing from when he was sxually abused by an Olympic Boxing Coach and some old dude from the Country Club
who also tried to do it to him just around the time before the 1976 Olympics happened.

[Nile4000]

Amazing no one ever adresses that.

[oogiebe]

Amazing no one ever adresses that.

Oh I remember it being discussed on various threads here. Do a search. I'm sure you'll be able to find them.

[Onetimeonly]

I think Sugar Ray Leonard admited in his 2011 autobiography that he focused a lot of the anger and shame he had inside him into boxing from when he was sxually abused by an Olympic Boxing Coach and some old dude from the Country Club
who also tried to do it to him just around the time before the 1976 Olympics happened.

A lot of guilt was associated with gay love then. Ray couldn't deal with his urges.

[Ambling Alp II]

OK, knock it off Saad.

[oogiebe]

OK, knock it off Saad.

LMAO!

[Caractacus]

Sugar Ray Leonard also said in his autobiography that he and Angelo Dundee almost had a Falling Out during this fight
(13th professional fight) due to some "Verbal Abuse" when Dundee yelled out him when he got back to the corner because apparently because Sugar Ray did not show up for this fight just plain "Ray" did.

[Onetimeonly]

OK, knock it off Saad.

It's likely the truth. No way a 70 year old man forced ray into his mouth.

[Ambling Alp II]

Yes obviously Leonard as a teenager was turned on by the 70 year old man. I know you hate Leonard, but get a grip.

[SenorPipino]

I'd have reread that portion of Leonard's autobio.

But Leonard was 20 and one of the finest amateur fighters on the planet in 1976.

He wasn't a little kid. Seems a bit unlikely that a coach is going to force himself on Leonard at that point.

Very hard to swallow.

[oogiebe]

I'd have reread that portion of Leonard's autobio.

But Leonard was 20 and one of the finest amateur fighters on the planet in 1976.

He wasn't a little kid. Seems a bit unlikely that a coach is going to force himself on Leonard at that point.

Very hard to swallow.

We don't know the truth. These things don't happen suddenly. It's usually a time of manipulation and 'grooming.' Now, while saying that, I don't believe a word of it!