Ambling Alp II wrote:Oh please. You got to be the only person outside of Jackson's immediate family who thinks he would have beaten Leonard.
Leonard had not fought in what 27 months when he went against Howard. He still dominated the fight outside of a knockdown.
Leonard could fight at 154. He beat top 10 contenders at 154 before he even won the title at 147. In case you forgot, even while welterweight champion, he took won the title at 154. He was great at 147, beat Hagler at 160 but he would have been not have been good at 154? As usual, you make no sense.
I think my favorite part about all of this regards Thomas Hearns. You say over and over that a fighter is not as good when he moves up in weight. Yet you say that Hearns was so awesome at 154. Guess what? Hearns fought at 147 and moved up to 154. Your own theory says he could not have done this. Can you really not figure this out?
First, I said that the majority of champs cannot dominate another class like their former one. That's what I have said. The great Thomas Hearns didn't cleaned up the welters. Sugar Ray did.
Second, Tommy at 154lbs was not only a good weight for him, but a PERFECT ONE. He was a freaking monster. This guy at 154lbs looked like a light-heavyweight compared to the other 154 pounders. Do you forgot what he did to the great Roberto Duran at 154lbs? Do you forgot what The Hitman did to Fred Hutchins? How could Leonard survive that devastating barrage? He would be too devastating for Sugar Ray at this weight and beyond. THE BIGGER THE WEIGHT, THE BETTER FOR HEARNS. He would ELIMINATE Sugar Ray....QUICK!
Third, Leonard STRUGGLED BIG TIME at 154lbs, even in his prime. Let's look back at the fights:
vs Marcos Geraldo: Leonard won by decision. Did we forgot that at one time in the fight, Geraldo put him in QUEER STREET? Do you believe that Julian Jackson would be in queer street with that guy? Oh, wait a minute! This same Geraldo was quickly dispatched by Tommy Hearns! Did we forgot that?
vs Kevin Howard: Sugar Ray is dancing around and he got EMBARRASSED by a knockdown to a third-rated fighter. Put Hearns, or Mike McCallum or Julian in that same ring, same night AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN A DISASTER! Leonard would've get KTFO!
vs Ayub Kalule: That guy with Jackson, Hearns nor McCallum has a chance. How could he? Do you think McCallum or Hearns or Jackson struggle with a fighter like that? READ THIS: I DON'T THINK SO!
vs Terry Norris: Nuff said. Norris smacked him around all over the ring. Well, I admit, I admit, it was Leonard time to go.
Fourth, of all things said, Sugar Ray above 147lbs was not dominant. Most of his fights above 147 were MEDIOCRE. Hearns, Mike and The Hawk would've put him looking for the retina all over the ring.
It would be too much.[/quote]
1. No, Hearns did not dominate the welters. By your own theory, he should have been worse at 154. You said a fighter loses speed etc. Now you are flipflopping.
2. Now it's THE BIGGER THE WEIGHT, THE BETTER FOR HEARNS? Are you figgin kidding me? Completely goes against your theory about fighters moving up in weight.
Not to mention it;'s not true at all.
3. Marcus Geraldo? Leonard was still getting better at this stage in his career. Besides Geraldo was a very inconsistent fighter. He gave Hagler a tough fight and got knocked out by Caveman Lee in the first round. I guess you don't think Hagler would last long against Lee or Hearns for that matter. How did those fights turn out. .
Kevin Howard? You really counting this fight? 27 months out of the ring? He got knocked down. He won the fight easily. It happens. Did Hearns or Jackson ever get knocked down? Yes I believe that anyone that could punch at all could hurt Jackson or Hearns if they nailed either with a good shot.
Ayub Kalue? Not a great fighter but a good one. Leonard beat him convincingly. Very good performance by Leonard at 154.
4. The fights Leonard had at 154 were when he was clearly past his prime. Of course he was not that great against Terry Norris. Stop bring up these fights. I'm talking about Leonard in his prime.
Hearns-Leonard II. Using your own theory of Hearns being better the heavier the weight, then why could he not simply blow him away in this fight?
(Btw-the first knockdown was not a legitimate knockdown. It was a rabbit punch followed by a push.)
If Hearns was so much better at 154, how did he do against Benitez? Fight went 15 rounds, Hearns couldn't stop him. Benitez gave him a competitive fight. Guess what? Benitez was just (according to you) was just a Junior welterweight. Benitez should have been much easier to blow out than Leonard. Why couldn't Hearns just blow Benitez away?
Earnie Singletary went the distance with him. Mark Medal lasted 8 rounds. It's not like Hearns blew everyone away.
As usual, you don't know what you are talking about and you are now contradicting yourself.[/quote]
First of all, I am not contradicting myself. I have said once, and said it again, "The majority of champions that dominated their class cannot dominate other weight classes going up". And that's is A NORMAL LOGIC. Everybody that knows boxing, could see it. It's been a fact, it's been seen, and it is very REALISTIC.
A good or great small boxer, IN THE MAJORITY OF TIMES, loses to the great and bigger boxer. Am I saying something unusual here?
Now, if you want to rebottle the facts of the great Sugar Ray Leonard fighting at 154lbs, and what happened, fine. He looked most of the time, above welterweight, MEDIOCRE....THAT IS A FACT. NOT AN ILUSION.
Kevin Howard embarrassed Sugar Ray. Marcos Geraldo put him in queer street. Ayub Kalule gave him a struggle. That's. come to show that in that particular weight, Leonard has NO BUSINESS with The Hitman, the Body Snatcher nor the Hawk. They would have blown him away. Why? Because the simple rule in boxing: Bigger man beats little man.
Hearns vs Leonard going up in weight, was the better for Hearns. Am I right? Who looked better at 154lbs? Hearns or Leonard? If you say Leonard, then, I finish this conversation right now. I will live with my head on high. I am REALISTIC. You are UNREALISTIC. How could Sugar Ray win this fight? Well, he cannot outbox Tommy. He is not stronger than Tommy at this weight. He does not punch harder than Tommy. Tommy would be ALL WRONG for Ray above welterweight, especially in a weight class that was PERFECT for the Hitman.
Now, you made a BIG MISTAKE in bringing the Hearns vs Benitez fight. As I could recall, ain't Tommy broke his right hand in that fight? And with all that, HE DOMINATED WITH HIS JAB and did it much better than Leonard. Why? because the fight was at 154lbs, not at welter. That's is ANOTHER EXAMPLE of a big and great boxer beating a small great one.
I don't see Ray beating McCallum. McCallum was too strong and a complete fighter. Ray would not be able to hurt him
As for Julian Jackson? He must be the easiest of the three, and STILL, STILL, I can't envision a Sugar Ray win. This is like Gene Fullmer vs Benny "Kid" Paret, or Rubin "Hurricane" Carter vs Emile Griffith. It would be the same scenario of Cuevas vs Pryor. The same scenario. I don't see Leonard hurting him. He won't have the same speed like in welterweight. One shot by the Hawk, BOOM!, IT'S ALL OVER, THE WINNER BY A NASTY KNOCKOUT: Julian Jackson.
When I think of punchers in my lifetime watching boxers, there were many. But the ones that come to my mind are Jackson, Hearns, and the greats Mike Tyson and George Foreman. This guy Jackson can hit. He stopped 22 boxers in a row before getting stopped by McCallum. Then, he won 12 straight more by knockout. Boy, this guy can hit. Jackson by a devastating and nasty knockout. That's how I see it, folks.