The reason why Roberto Duran quit

[awdleyfuturehalloffamer]

Leonard ran most of the fight.

[Greig]

If anybody is interested in reading more about that era I can thoroughly recommend the book 'Four Kings: Leonard, Duran, Hearns, Hagler and the Last Great Era of Boxing' by George Kimball.

Kimball was a writer for a Massachusetts newspaper so he was affiliated with the Hagler camp, but he was ringside for all the fights between those guys, was good friends with Michael Katz and has some great inside stories.

Really can't recommend that book enough - very well researched and a great read.

[Dean Duke]

Thanks for posting that, this is one of my favourite Duran fights he was ment to loose but took it to the younger bigger guy awsome

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lM9ivIVyhEE

[TeleTuff]

Yeah Duran was great,no doubt about it,Leonard was greater IMO,another thing that was not covered in the youtube piece,is that Duran had done the same thing(blowing-up)in alot of his previous bouts,and as we all know,Boxing is not the type of sport that will tolerate that type of unprofessionalism.Also like Manny Steward,I though Ray won the first fight with Duran.(a

[DaxxKahn]

Without a doubt it was frustrtion...everyone who watched ot that night new that....Duran was a warrior and no one can deny that there are many fighters that have quit on their stool and you questioned there heart....Duran is not one of them for sure

[THE THIRD MAN]

These reasons make sense that an overweight and obviously distracted Duran was not ready both mentally and physically for Leonard 2.
The rematch should never have happened so quickly, well planned by the Leonard camp. The point is Duran was in a close fight at the time of him quitting, it's not as if he was getting well beaten such as Tyson against Holyfield and frustration got the better of him. His conditioning gave out and along with Leonards game plan of clowning about and running for the entire fight Duran simply gave up. A strange decision on his part, but so is blowing up to more than 200lbs between fights in less than 6 months.
The first fight was Duran's finest hour and Leonard had no answer to him in that fight, the scorecard flattered Leonard IMO.
Why was there no rubber match in 1981?

[TeleTuff]

I disagree on 2 fronts.

1)leonard fought Durans fight the first fight,throughout the entirety of the first fight,and IMO,and the opinion of some observers Ray won A close fight.
2)Leonard did not run from Duran in the second fight,he simply boxed his ears off.

On A side note,I for one I`am the last person to get on A fighter for quiting in A fight,when A man is beat,he`s beat,Like Hoya when he fought Pac A few weeks ago,but in Duran`s case,And I truly believe he is A all-time great,but I think he deserved all of the flack that he got for quiting in that fight with Leonard,Duran had not taken much punishment,he was`nt beat-up,he simply did not train hard,and perhaps thought Leonard was just gonna fight his fight again,when he found out that that night was`nt gonna go like that.He quit!

I dont care what happened in between fight`s,how Duran partied,etc.

Bottom line, you take the fight,you make the weight,you cash the check,save all the other stuff for the excuse file`s.

[kingfrnk]

Leonard ran most of the fight.

u mean outboxed right

[awdleyfuturehalloffamer]

Leonard ran most of the fight.

u mean outboxed right

No i mean ran. Outboxing would include hitting the person once or twice.

[Boom Boom]

Yeah SRL was on his bicycle. He was doing more showboating than fighting. I think he had a good gameplan though and it worked. He wasnt physically outboxing him so much, he was mentally punishing him.

[Master]

One theory was he had stomach cramps another theory was he wanted a shit

Either way he is the only fighter people would allow him to get away with his actions, cannot think of another fighter that would be allowed.

[THE THIRD MAN]

Well, you can get some mighty big stomach cramps if you hang onto that shit to long!

[KananKrus]

Can a boxer really just quit fighting the middle of a round, just because he did not feel right? This is OK? This is acceptable? And boxing fans who felt cheated out of an honest and sporting outcome, from that unusual fight stoppage, is a hypocrite?

Poor Joe Public, a victim of the end result to an irresponsible, and exaggeratedly prolonged holding of excretal function.