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If you consider Duran's general aptitude at Welterweight; how would you think he fairs against the Welterweight versions of:
- Jose Napoles?
- Donald Curry?
- Miguel Cotto?
I think these are all very close fights either way but just keep to see if anyone here has considered these potential match up's before and if not, how do you see them going?
He stops all 3 inside the distance.
Duran in prime condition beats all 3 , god was that man a great fighter do I miss him
imagine him today fighting this lot that's about, he would just frighten them to death.
Roberto had a great defence, exceedingly good at slipping punches, only guy that put
him to sleep was Tommy, something Marvin could not do.
I loved the 80s watching all them great fighters, I was in my prime(if I had one);D it
was a great decade.:)
Duran was a great fighter at lightweight, he fought a great fight at welterweight against Leonard but he was not a great welterweight.
At his best on that night maybe he beats these fighters but if it was the one that showed up against Kirkland Lang?
Curry would outbox him.
He was a person who really did enjoy his work. I think he stops them in one way or another, he was born to fight.Quote:
Originally Posted by Master
He did stick around too long, like a lot of them do, but I think loved it too much to stop.
I think Napoles beats him. In my mind Napoles is the second best welter of all time and I think he'd give Robinson all he could handle. Curry, at his peak, was very good and Duran was only a very good welter on one night. I think Duran would beat Cotto more times than not.
I remember a few years back I went on a bit of a Carlos Monzon fixation (I do this from time to time with different fighters... I think Ken Norton was the latest one :X ;D) but anyway, I ended up getting completely aside tracked after seeing the Napoles fight (even thigh he lost) you could see he washe was incredibly talented.
One fight I remember at the time, was Duran V Palomino that is one of the best fights IQuote:
Originally Posted by greynotsoold
have seen, at welterweight, Carlos was no bum he was a excellent fighter.
Duran V Moore he ripped that title away from Moore, that night a young hunger Champ
gets schooled , by a washed up DURAN or so people were thinking.
I like Cotto and think he is a good, solid fighter. I also think that he has had some great match making to get to the level he is at and the prestige he enjoys. I don't view Cotto at WW anywhere near the level of fighter that Duran was. I hate to say that about Cotto, because he is a solid and likeable guy who works hard and always shows up to fight, but again, he just doesn't have the durability or overall athleticism to compete with Duran.
Napoles was a great WW, and it would have been fascinating to see if Duran could have solved a smooth boxing stylist like that at WW. Duran had slow feet, even at lightweight, which I think puts him at a disadvantage against fast, mobile boxers like Napoles, Whitaker, Leonard...etc.
The last time we saw the truly great Roberto Duran was in Leonard 1, he was an outstanding Lightweight, arguably the greatest LW of all time, certainly top 3. As a Welterweight we only have that one fight to judge him by, he was never the same after 'no mas'. Everything post Leonard 1 shows Duran as half the fighter he once was. People forget that by the time Duran fought Leonard he was 71-1 and not quite 30 years old. Think about that for a minute and begin to imagine any of today's fighters having 72 fights before they turn 30!! He was already a well worn veteran, the Leonard fight was the pinnacle for him, there was only one way he could go after that. Fights against Napoles and Cervantes were talked about, and no doubt Duran would've been trouble for both of them. The one fight i would've loved to have seen was Duran V Pryor.
He wins against Cotto and Curry, Napoles goes either way as he was a great Welterweight champion.
Whitaker is the one who would drive him crazy....
Quote:
Originally Posted by greynotsoold
I picked Napoles also and immediately. I think Duran beats Cotto and Curry but that's if I were to freeze frame the Duran that fought Ray the first time. Btw it amazes me just how fast Duran out grew 147 given how long he stayed at 135. Ray knew that and its why he pushed and got the rematch 6 months later.
Richie the Moore fight was at LMW , not welter.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dia bandoOne fight I remember at the time, was Duran V Palomino that is one of the best fights IQuote:
Originally Posted by greynotsoold
have seen, at welterweight, Carlos was no bum he was a excellent fighter.
Duran V Moore he ripped that title away from Moore, that night a young hunger Champ
gets schooled , by a washed up DURAN or so people were thinking.
He is the only fighter that people will forgive him for quitting agagainst Leonard and still put some great victories well past his bes against Moore and Barclay.Quote:
Originally Posted by THE THIRD MAN
I no but I could not help myself.;DQuote:
Originally Posted by Dark Lord AlRichie the Moore fight was at LMW , not welter.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dia bandoOne fight I remember at the time, was Duran V Palomino that is one of the best fights IQuote:
Originally Posted by greynotsoold
have seen, at welterweight, Carlos was no bum he was a excellent fighter.
Duran V Moore he ripped that title away from Moore, that night a young hunger Champ
gets schooled , by a washed up DURAN or so people were thinking.
I think Napoles works all 3 out by fights ends and takes them. Welter wasn't a transition point for him it was his career and was as complete a thinking boxer with pop as there was.
'No Mas' is still the strangest thing i have seen in boxing and i can only put it down to lack of preparation and poor conditioning. Duran should not have fought a rematch with Leonard for at least a year. In retrospect it might've been a better thing if Duran had lost the first fight, but would Leonard have given him a rematch? Duran had some good wins in the 80's beating Moore and Cuevas, but he was beaten by all the elite fighters of the time in Benitez, Hearns and Hagler. He was still a good fighter post 'No Mas', no longer a great one. If you look closely at Duran in Leonard 1 as the ref gives his centre ring instructions you see a man possesed by boxing, the intimidation factor alone already had Leonard beaten, you can see Leonard looking uncomfortable at the stare down as he glanced towards the floor, he was wondering what in the hell am i a doing here? That intimidation all vanished after 'No Mas' as the boxing world discovered Duran's lack of discipline outside the ring with regards to training and looking after himself. I suspect that Duran thought he had already reached the mountain top, saying to himself " i have nothing else to prove?" He follows up his loss to Wilfred Benitez at 152lbs to average pug Kirkland Laing. Duran had lost control of his body.Quote:
Originally Posted by MasterHe is the only fighter that people will forgive him for quitting agagainst Leonard and still put some great victories well past his bes against Moore and Barclay.Quote:
Originally Posted by THE THIRD MAN
Duran really should've finished after being destroyed by the 7 years younger and hungrier Thomas Hearns in a fight that really signaled the end of Roberto Duran. I still don't know how a 38 year old Duran beat Iran Barkley years later, that was a truly remarkable effort.....