BoxRec

Is it still in effect? Win the gold medal, charisma in the ring, and boyish good looks.

Oscar De La Hoya tried to immitate that, but came short in terms of greatness. Will this formula will ever be done again? Or is it time for America to look and commercialize someone else? The sport of boxing needs a Sugar Ray or Mike Tyson right now.

Also the Benitez, Durans, Haglers and Hearns helped Leonard's star to be where he at right now.

De La Hoya probably made more money than Leonard. So I'd say if another pretty boy comes along and wins a Gold medal, and then is willing to fight the best as a Professional...and is able to beat his share of those guys. It'll be repeated again in most of our lifetimes I'm sure. After all, it was already being repeated only 16 years after Leonard.

The strange thing, the last Gold Medalist Andre Ward is already having a superb career as a professional, and is certainly proving himself among the most elite in the sport. He won't enjoy near the success of DLH or Leonard though because he's about as un-charismatic as they get, and his fights are often dull and one sided.

Leonard was extremely fortunate IMO.

There's no doubt he was magnificently talented, but he was lucky to share his era with Benitez, Duran, Hearns & Hagler.

It was freakish to have all those top line ATGs all around the same weight classes & all around at the same time.

Something like that may never happen again.

Syntax Error wrote:Leonard was extremely fortunate IMO.

There's no doubt he was magnificently talented, but he was lucky to share his era with Benitez, Duran, Hearns & Hagler.

It was freakish to have all those top line ATGs all around the same weight classes & all around at the same time.

Something like tht may never happen again.

i have often wondered the legacy of the fab 4 if they did not come around at
the same time.
would they have been considered as great if they did not have each other
on their resume?

Leonard made those fights happen though…

There could have easily have been a Toney-Nunn-Jones-Hopkins-Benn-Eubank-Calzaghe era… So much overlap but most of those fights and the rematches never happened.

We just had Pac-Marquez-Morales-Barerra…

No it won't happen again. At the time an icon of boxing in Ali was basically on his last legs and the media needed someone to replace him. Leonard was it. Bear in mind that Ali at the time was the most recognisable sportsman on planet earth

Nile4000 wrote:Amazingly, I wonder if Oscar was molested too by an Olympic coach.

Being molested and getting a blow job when your Damn near an adult are two different things.

The End wrote:

Nile4000 wrote:Amazingly, I wonder if Oscar was molested too by an Olympic coach.

Being molested and getting a blow job when your Damn near an adult are two different things.

Damn straight, I actually felt sorry for my most hated athlete when the story broke. Then when I found out that one of the best boxers in the world was physically overpowered into getting a blow job from an old man I realized it was more of the same bullshit that made me hate him in the first place.

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:

The End wrote:

Nile4000 wrote:Amazingly, I wonder if Oscar was molested too by an Olympic coach.

Being molested and getting a blow job when your Damn near an adult are two different things.

Damn straight, I actually felt sorry for my most hated athlete when the story broke. Then when I found out that one of the best boxers in the world was physically overpowered into getting a blow job from an old man I realized it was more of the same bullshit that made me hate him in the first place.

I'm assuming you two don't believe Ray.I have my doubts also.

Nile4000 wrote:

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:

The End wrote: Being molested and getting a blow job when your Damn near an adult are two different things.

Damn straight, I actually felt sorry for my most hated athlete when the story broke. Then when I found out that one of the best boxers in the world was physically overpowered into getting a blow job from an old man I realized it was more of the same bullshit that made me hate him in the first place.

I'm assuming you two don't believe Ray.I have my doubts also.

I believe him, that just isn't molestation. It's consensual sex. Granted at 16 or 17, he's a minor, but Ray obviously loved it.

I have no idea why Ray would come out and admit something like that, and then claim he was molested. At that age, if anybody tried forcing themselves on me, I'd have killed them. Pretty pathetic that a fighter was "forced" into getting a BJ. I agree with Saad though, it was obviously consensual and he's ashamed of it, so he tried to act as if it was forced on him. Either that, or he hadn't gotten any attention in a while so he just made up some shit. I wouldn't doubt that either.

gilgamesh wrote:I have no idea why Ray would come out and admit something like that, and then claim he was molested. At that age, if anybody tried forcing themselves on me, I'd have killed them. Pretty pathetic that a fighter was "forced" into getting a BJ. I agree with Saad though, it was obviously consensual and he's ashamed of it, so he tried to act as if it was forced on him. Either that, or he hadn't gotten any attention in a while so he just made up some shit. I wouldn't doubt that either.

He did claim that other boxers suffered the same treatment.Don't know what tangent he's on.

gilgamesh wrote:I have no idea why Ray would come out and admit something like that, and then claim he was molested. At that age, if anybody tried forcing themselves on me, I'd have killed them. Pretty pathetic that a fighter was "forced" into getting a BJ. I agree with Saad though, it was obviously consensual and he's ashamed of it, so he tried to act as if it was forced on him. Either that, or he hadn't gotten any attention in a while so he just made up some shit. I wouldn't doubt that either.

I just assumed that the guy, or someone with knowledge, had been extorting cash out of him. As far as I know, leonard didn't name anyone.

gilgamesh wrote:The strange thing, the last Gold Medalist Andre Ward is already having a superb career as a professional, and is certainly proving himself among the most elite in the sport. He won't enjoy near the success of DLH or Leonard though because he's about as un-charismatic as they get, and his fights are often dull and one sided.

We never know what can happen to a persons career. Look at Floyd , nobody in thier right mind wouldve predicted he would be anyplace near as big as he is now.Ward would have to move up heavy imo to get really noticed

I think the sport is way past the point where one big superstar can bring it back to anywhere near where it once was. Most people have absolutely no idea who Mayweather or Pac is.

Ambling Alp II wrote:I think the sport is way past the point where one big superstar can bring it back to anywhere near where it once was. Most people have absolutely no idea who Mayweather or Pac is.

A vicious Heavyweight Champion in the vein of a Mike Tyson would bring the fans back around. As long as he was from the States. For the most part the sport is doing fine though, it has a relatively small fanbase compared to other sports, but a very passionate one.

It would help a little, but not that much. Ther sport is not doing fine at all. The fanbase is not just small, it is miniscule. Most people just don't care anymore about boxing and one really good heavyweight is not going to change their minds. I think sometimes that some of us don't realize the extent of decline the sport has been in since we talk about it on the Forum all the time. However, ask 10 random people who Floyd Mayweather is. You may be surprised how little recognition there is.

so i guess to be the next leonard
you must cave into oral sex from old assed men
do lines of cocaine and smile pretty for the cameras

i think i'll pass

MEISINGER wrote:so i guess to be the next leonard
you must cave into oral sex from old assed men
do lines of cocaine and smile pretty for the cameras

i think i'll pass

Don't forget to neglect your kids and beat your wife.

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:

MEISINGER wrote:so i guess to be the next leonard
you must cave into oral sex from old assed men
do lines of cocaine and smile pretty for the cameras

i think i'll pass

Don't forget to neglect your kids and beat your wife.

my appologies i missed the obvious

We live in poorer times… If Ray were around today he’d have to beat up his wife in front of his kids, avoid any real challenges in his career, mouth off to old bloke commentators and racially abuse his biggest rival in order to be as commercially successful…

If he did all that he could fight in many of the weakest spectacles in boxing history and still make shit loads…

Ray might have liked things his way. And the favouritism stuck in my throat later in his career. but he fought in a crowd-pleasing style and took on everyone, in the end. He was foie gras compared to the eyeballs and testicles they put in the burgers today…

gilgamesh wrote:

Ambling Alp II wrote:I think the sport is way past the point where one big superstar can bring it back to anywhere near where it once was. Most people have absolutely no idea who Mayweather or Pac is.

A vicious Heavyweight Champion in the vein of a Mike Tyson would bring the fans back around. As long as he was from the States. For the most part the sport is doing fine though, it has a relatively small fanbase compared to other sports, but a very passionate one.

At this point we just need a Very good big man from the states imo he dosent have to be a monster like Tyson. If we could get a Riddic Bowe type with much better defense The Fans , interest would peak again