Quote Originally Posted by rjj tszyu View Post
Surprised no one has mentioned the "no mas" fight. SRL was brilliant and was out there to box Duran rather than fight his fight as he had done the first time around, and it worked. I really am struggling to think of any other fighter in history who could make Roberto Duran quit.
I think it was more to do with Duran than Leonard honestly. Duran balooned up in weight between most fights but had especially after the first fight with Leonard. Sugar Ray and his promoters offered Duran's people a sum they couldn't turn down at exactly the right time. Duran didn't have long to train and spent most of his camp just shedding weight, wheras Leonard had been preparing for the rematch since their first fight. I reckon a number of people that Duran fought before and after could have made him quit on that night, certainly Hagler Hearns or Benetiz etc. Not to take away from Leonard but I think he was really just as impressive in the fist fight given Durans form. And Duran certainly didn't have any quit in him after that, I think he just made a huge error in taking the fight and realized it very early on.