BoxRec

Sorry, in my mind it is very clear who's the bigger puncher but my know it all mate reckons its Mr Leonard

please vote even if you think its a silly question

It's not even close; it's Mr Hearns, although Dave Green might disagree with me.

Leonard was a decent puncher, but not a concussive one like Hearns.

Leonard did have good physical strength as Hagler found out, but his style was not conducive to knocking out opponents cheaply.

Hearns, on the other hand, maximised his attributes to become one of the most fearsome punchers ever, although he could box your socks off if he wanted.

Hitman by a country mile

Leonard was a bigger puncher than people often give him credit for, just as he was tougher, and had more heart than people gave him credit for. He was a far bigger puncher than, say, Mayweather, who is similarly skilled.

But Hearns is Hearns: at Welterweight and Light Middle, a contender for biggest P4P puncher of all time. Hell, he had pop at 175, and punch is something that doesn't often (not saying never, as we've seen with Pacquiao, but just not very often) stay as potent as you travel up the weights.

His KO punch of Roberto Duran is probably the single hardest P4P punch I've ever seen. And then there was that one he caught Pipeno Cuevas with. I mean these were tough, tough men, famed for their chins and unyielding hardness, and Hearns had the first falling board-stiff, head-first onto the canvass, and turned the other into a lolling wreck, swaying on his feet like a part cooked stick of spaghetti trying to stand on its end.

In short, Hearns, without a doubt, but the answer would be Hearns, probably, no matter which welterweight you chose against him.

why ask 'silly' question.

funso banjo baby wrote:why ask 'silly' question.

berealman wrote:Sorry, in my mind it is very clear who's the bigger puncher but my know it all mate reckons its Mr Leonard

All about levels, as usual, because in their first fight, to everyone's surprise ( and I picked Hearns ) Leonard was the puncher - that's because he held a better shot than Tommy.

But SRL was a HELL of a puncher himself - as Syntax says, the Green KO was frightening, as brutal a KO as any of Hearns. Funny, because you think of the Hearns/Duran KO, but in their two fights ( forget both the 2nd fights ) it was Duran who managed to hurt Leonard, rather than Hearns.

MightyWarrior wrote:All about levels, as usual, because in their first fight, to everyone's surprise ( and I picked Hearns ) Leonard was the puncher - that's because he held a better shot than Tommy..

Leonard was the puncher not just because he could hold Tommy's shots better than Tommy could hold his, but because of the tactical situation of the fight. Tommy, for all his punching power, was also a wonderful boxer who could, when the mood took him, get the most out of those seven-league long arms and fast hands. He also had excellent, light footwork. And that's what happened on the night. Tommy actually moved away from Leonard, dancing and circling and tattooing Leonard with a fast, accurate jab. Sugar Ray couldn't box him from a distance, because of that combination of speed and reach, so he realized he had to turn Joe Frazier, and bob and weave right into Hearns's kill zone, draw the punch, slip it and counter.

But, then, that's all part of the diamond genius of Ray Leonard.

Carbo wrote:But, then, that's all part of the diamond genius of Ray Leonard.

Absolutely right... and that's why Mayweather Jr, as good as he is, will always be behind Leonard in any all-time rankings.

Chambers2 wrote:

funso banjo baby wrote:why ask 'silly' question.

berealman wrote:Sorry, in my mind it is very clear who's the bigger puncher but my know it all mate reckons its Mr Leonard

just show him the vids of both v Hagler

Hearns for me. He had genuine one punch KO power. Leonard scored some great knockouts but usually because he was a vicious finisher and through volumes of shots.

Two of my all-time favourite fighters.

doubler

thanks guys, I will smugly show him your comments and the poll results and tell him to stick to rugby

Both men could really hit, and took their power up through the weights with them, but for one punch power The Hitman wins hands down.

King Geedorah wrote:
Hearns caught Ray clean with that short right at the end of the first and after a few rounds realised he wasn't tucking him away so switched to his boxing. Sure, Duran hurt Leonard, Ray didn't really hurt Roberto and Hearns left Duran flat on his face. See what you're saying but the fact that Tommy didn't put a dent in Ray during fight one is not an indication of a shortage in power, just that Tommy was an underrated boxer and matched skills with Leonard.

As for the original poster, your mate is about as wrong as you can get.

Yeah of course Hearns wins hands down as the puncher, rightly a legendary one, and SRL goes down as one of the greatest of all time - no wonder, he'd have to be to beat Hearns that night.
I was just making the point that Ray was an underrated & awesome hitter as well.
H

And how would Tommy have handled a really motivated Duran, like the one who took on SRL the first time ? I think at that time, Duran would have been favorite to maybe stop Hearns late on.

MightyWarrior wrote:And how would Tommy have handled a really motivated Duran, like the one who took on SRL the first time ? I think at that time, Duran would have been favorite to maybe stop Hearns late on.

I don't think Duran got knocked spark out by Hearns due to lack of motivation. I see it as more of a styles issue, the combination of power and reach is always going to be tragic for Duran.

Love both guys, but Hearns had that rare one shot power, at whatever weight he was at.

Leonard, when he wanted to, could punch very, very hard too, but not in the same league tbh.

MightyWarrior wrote: And how would Tommy have handled a really motivated Duran, like the one who took on SRL the first time ? I think at that time, Duran would have been favorite to maybe stop Hearns late on.

I think that styles make fights and that Hearns, throughout his career up to 154, always did well against shorter, squat fighters who came forward. If you notice, he always seemed so comfortable stalking them and unloading, and was generally irresistible against those fighters.

Duran was definitely past his peak when Hearns fought him, and he may have been showing some after-effects of a bruising 15 round encounter with Hagler, but, really, even against the Duran that fought Leonard, I think Hearns would have won by KO.

Personally, I think Duran was clearly the greater fighter of the two, but that, in this head to head, it's a clear styles make fights situation.

I actually go the other way on this one. Duran had an off night against Hearns. That was a fight that h2h he could, and should have won. great win by Tommy but that seemed an absolute shocker in hindsight. I think he got stunned by an early right and it was all down hill from there. I wouldn't have put money on him achieveing that result again if they fought 4 more times.

Carbo wrote:

MightyWarrior wrote: And how would Tommy have handled a really motivated Duran, like the one who took on SRL the first time ? I think at that time, Duran would have been favorite to maybe stop Hearns late on.

I think that styles make fights and that Hearns, throughout his career up to 154, always did well against shorter, squat fighters who came forward. If you notice, he always seemed so comfortable stalking them and unloading, and was generally irresistible against those fighters.

Duran was definitely past his peak when Hearns fought him, and he may have been showing some after-effects of a bruising 15 round encounter with Hagler, but, really, even against the Duran that fought Leonard, I think Hearns would have won by KO.

Personally, I think Duran was clearly the greater fighter of the two, but that, in this head to head, it's a clear styles make fights situation.

Generally agree, though I don't think a fired up near peak Duran would have allowed Hearns to do much stalking, but would have been inside that reach and all over him, it might have turned out like the Hagler/Hearns fight.