Duran vs Whitaker, prime vs prime at LW

[greynotsoold]

Better question, round robin between Duran, Sweet Pea, Shane Mosley and Armstrong.

Whitaker loses every fight. Mosley only beats Whitaker. Duran and Armstrong go to war.

[Beanflicker]

Whitaker is the greatest lightweight of all time!

[Beanflicker]

Duran beat a bunch of slobs and second rate fighters at LW... and you know this!

[THE THIRD MAN]

Duran beat a bunch of slobs and second rate fighters at LW... and you know this!

So Duran fought 40 times from 1972 -1978 as Lightweight Champion of the world with a 39-1 record in that time and all of them were slobs? Boxing must've been in a recession in the 70's?

[Master]

Duran beat a bunch of slobs and second rate fighters at LW... and you know this!

So Duran fought 40 times from 1972 -1978 as Lightweight Champion of the world with a 39-1 record in that time and all of them were slobs? Boxing must've been in a recession in the 70's?

Beanflicker you must be deliberately being a pain because have you seen some of his fights at lightweight. Duran was a wrecking machine, he beat Ken Buchanan and Esteban De Jesus and they were brilliant fighters. They would easily be champions now if they were fighting today.

[Beanflicker]

Beanflicker you must be deliberately being a pain because have you seen some of his fights at lightweight. Duran was a wrecking machine, he beat Ken Buchanan and Esteban De Jesus and they were brilliant fighters. They would easily be champions now if they were fighting today.

Ken Buchanan, Esteban De Jesus.... and... who else?

And who did Esteban beat (besides Duran) that makes him so great? Cervantes beat the holy shit out of him.

Ken Buchanan, ok, he's a guy who's best known for getting eaten alive by a young Duran. Why was he so great?

And for everyone who thinks Duran KO's Pernell... I want to strangle you for underrating a true ring legend like Pernell so badly. That's absolute insanity.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Because Pernell Whitaker beat the shit out of who exactly...?

[El Kabong]

Duran is considered the best lightweight ever for a reason. I think he would stalk Pernell down and do work on him in spurts. Pernell would fight too negative to get a decision vs Duran.

[Beanflicker]

Duran is considered the best lightweight ever for a reason. I think he would stalk Pernell down and do work on him in spurts. Pernell would fight too negative to get a decision vs Duran.

Hmmmm... it's possible for sure!

[El Kabong]

Duran is considered the best lightweight ever for a reason. I think he would stalk Pernell down and do work on him in spurts. Pernell would fight too negative to get a decision vs Duran.

Hmmmm... it's possible for sure!

I think with Duran being as solid of a boxer as he was he would connect more and defend better than most.

I think Pernell would make a guy like Mosley look foolish though.

[Beanflicker]

I think Pernell would make a guy like Mosley look foolish though.

Agreed! I think Mosley was an ATG lightweight, but I don't fancy his chances against Whitaker!

[El Kabong]

I think Pernell would make a guy like Mosley look foolish though.

Agreed! I think Mosley was an ATG lightweight, but I don't fancy his chances against Whitaker!

Yeah nothing against Shane, but his style would be something that played to Whittaker's best attributes. I think the more you load up on punches then the more you play into Whittaker's hands.

[BIG H]

One of the most intriguing, theoretical match ups in any division in history for me!!

Gun to the head I pick Duran, but he wouldn't have liked having the piss taken out him a la Leonard II, so who knows!

[DavilaJones]

As for myself regarding these hypthetical matchups I would have to say:

*]JMM over armstrong because if an older JMM could eventually breakdown Diaz over 8 rounds a fresher marquez could do it equally to Armstrong.

* Duran would beat benny because infighters with boxing skill are the damn nightmare of pure boxers.

*Ugh...See I honestly think Mosley is perhaps the hardest hitting lightweight, he KO'd people at 154, so his power carried from 135 to 154 and thats a big jump too. Sweet Pea had beed KD'd before but never really hurt and damn damn damn I hate picking a winner in this one but gun to my head and knife to my balls I would pick Shane due to his sheer blinding handspeed, pop and tenacity at 135.

* I'd pick Mayweather over Ike ala Chico Corrales.



As for the losers bracket:

Armstrong vs Sweet Pete Hammering Hank is gonna eat that right handed jab all night long.

Ike vs Benny I dont see Ike landing that right enough to win the fight.

[greynotsoold]

Armstrong beats Marquez. At 135 Armstrong was still young, if not at his peak then almost there, while, at that weight, Marquez had slowed a bit. It would be a good fight, but Armstrong knows how to bring pressure and maintain it. A guy like Diaz just comes and throws punches, but because he gets his weight up on his left foot, he doesn't punch too hard and he eats uppercuts. Armstrong didn't do it that way. Wide UD with late round domination by Armstrong, or he stops Marquez late.
Ike Williams was a really really good fighter and he could do it all. Box real good, every punch in the book, fight inside or outside. He's going to beat Mayweather.
Mosley was something at LW; he fought like an old time fighter. By that I mean, he didn't slip and then punch, or bob/weave, then punch. He punched on the move, and you don't see that any more. He was fast and hit hard, and it wouldn't suprise me if he stopped Whitaker.
Benny Leonard vs Duran should probably be the finals (unless Armstrong or Williams beat Duran). Leonard hit hard, but not as hard as Duran, and he was faster, better defensively, and he was smarter than Duran, especially Duran at LW. (Not that Duran was stupid, he just got smarter later) Leonard could hold his own inside, too. After all, he was 5'5", so it isn't like he was an outside fighter. He moved back and forth realk well.