Hello my friend, I'd have to say hands down Robinson, the Only Sugar when discussing these two fighters. in my opinion. Leonard was talented but Robinson was a whole lot better. Robinson's record alone swells over Leonard's, hell Robinson has more knockouts than Leonard had fights almost double. In my opinion Pancho, Robinson hit the harder of the two. Their ring generalship is about the only thing that they are close to being equal.
Leonard had a hard time fighting going backwards and let fighters like Duran get into his head. Robinson while training for Jake in all six of their fights, Ray ran six miles backwards to train for the tremendous pressure the Bronx Bull was going to apply. Worked always off the Jab and almost always ended a hook with a hook.
Sugar Ray beats Leonard 10 out of 15 rounds often hurting a very outgunned, but very game Leonard.
Robinson, hands down. There is only one aspect where Leonard could have matched Robinson, and that was hand speed. Robinson was clearly better in every other department.
That is taking nothing away of Sugar Ray Leonard.
Robinson and quite easily. While a great fighter, Leonard could be intimidated, apprehensive, and suckered into fighting the other guy's fight. Instead of moving in on the chinny Benitez or making Wilfred come to him, Leonard stood right in front of him and offered little movement, the dumbest thing one could do against someone with Benitez's "radar".
Leonard was also suckered into fighting Duran's type of fight the first time around (a smart fighter wd have changed his/her strategy after a round or two) and sat on his hands for five rounds after having Tommy Hearns badly hurt in the 6th and 7th rounds of their first bout, allowing a befogged "Hitman" back into the bout.
Although his defensive skills have been overrated, Robinson was an awesome offensive machine who was a much busier and more powerful puncher than Leonard and was much more determined and "classy". The original Sugar Ray by clearcut decision.
The only welter who would have given Robby great difficulty was Charley Burley, whom Robinson, LaMotta, and even Billy Conn ducked.
Sugar Ray Robinson beats Sugar Ray Leonard. Maybe even by knockout. Robinson is the greatest ever and 147 is his greatest weight. the one advantage i would give SRR over SRL is power. He could hit. He was everything offense defense speed finesse you nameit. I would say Leonard is definetly top 3 or 4 at 147 but Robinson is the greatest ever.
Not even close, Robinson was completely superior to Leonard in every respect. There is great, and then there is Sugar Ray Robinson, the others just borrowed the name, Robinson invented it.
Sugar Ray Leonard was one of the all time greats for his ring accomplishments. Sugar Ray Robinson is also an all time great, maybe the greatest middleweight champion in history. Robinson fought the very best welterweights early in his career, before moving up to middleweight where he won the title, a record 5 times. He was extremely fast, had terrific footwork, and he could punch with deadly accuracy. He out boxed the punchers and could out slug the sluggers. Robinson could adapt to his opponents style. He was trained through his whole career by George Gainford. Sugar Ray Leonard fought the best welterweights of his era, Wilfred Benitez, Robero Duran, and Thomas Hit Man Hearns. Leonard was trained by Angelo Dundee through his whole career. I see the bout starting out as very tactical through the first five rounds, then Robinson discovers a weakness in Leonard that was proven in the past by Roberto Duran, in 1980. Leonard does not like to be forced into a phone booth type of war fare, and Robinson begins to exploit this weakness. Given that Robinson is much faster than Duran was, Ray Robinson begins to fire powerful right hand counters at an alarming rate and back off. This tactic confuses Ray Leonard, he attacks as he had with Benitez, but misses a large amount of punches. A huge swelling develops on Leonard's right eye lid, in round 9. In round 11 with Leonard unable to see Robinson's swift combinations, the referee has the ring physician look at the egg shaped Hematoma on Leonard's right eye lid and advises the referee to halt the bout. Sugar Ray Robinson wins by a TKO 11. Ray Robinson would later remark at the post fight conference:" I have never fought another fighter with that kind of hand speed before."
I would say robinson...He has the power,technique to beat leonard...
The Sugar man vs the Sugar man! Both fighters were so gifted and blessed with talent. I know most people would probably pick Ray Robinson but I really think Leonard would have given him a tough go. Leonard in his prime was a great fighter, as was Robinson.
Your thoughts?
