Whitaker vs Duran @ lightweight

[ICB]

Well, I'll first let the people who do not know I am the #1 Duran fan on here read this and move on...

Duran had a way of muscling his opponents into a different kind of fight than they were ready for (at LW). It's like they watch the tapes, they heard about the game, but it made fighters break down their game plan in short time. Duran stalks, yes, but he also hit you in the arms, chest, neck, and if you were lucky enough he'd hit you on the chin. He kissed the canvas quite a few times in his career at lightweight, too.

Whittaker had lightning fast reflexes. My favorite was when he would squat almost to the canvas articulate his head like it's a bobble head and *BAM*. He didn't exactly have a punch, but he had an arsenal, and he was in the best shape humanly possible.

Duran takes the fight to Whittaker and takes control by the 3rd round. Whittaker would surely make a mid-fight surge, but Duran puts the pedal back to the floor to take the decision. It's one thing to back up and win a fight, but Whittaker wouldn't be able to keep Duran honest. Whittaker would SURELY have his moments, and maybe even a KD early.

115-112 Duran

or

144-141 Duran... for those who remembered this would be a 15-rd fight

Pernell Whitaker could actually punch, its just he often boxed on the backfoot. And you obviously can't get full power when your on the backfoot. Watch his KO of Disobelys Hurtado when he had to come forward, and tell me he can't punch.

He also stunned JCC a few times, and watch his single shot knockdown of Wilfredo Rivera. There's many other examples but i don't feel like going into all of them.

Im not saying he was a devastating puncher, but his KO record is misleading. Because as i said he often just wanted to box on the backfoot and cruise to an easy UD victory.

You also have to take into account the opposition, i mean its hard to stop fighters like.

Wilfredo Rivera
Felix Trinidad
ODLH
Julio Cesar Chavez
Azumah Nelson
Greg Haugen
Rafael Pineda
Jorge Paez
Jose Luis Ramirez
Buddy McGirt
Julio Cesar Vasquez

And most of these fighters were at there peak when Pernell Whitaker fought them, i mean atleast 6 fighters on that list had great chins. Whilst the others were also pretty tough customers, its hard to have a high KO record when you face opposition like that.

[Dark Lord Al]

Well, I'll first let the people who do not know I am the #1 Duran fan on here read this and move on...

Duran had a way of muscling his opponents into a different kind of fight than they were ready for (at LW). It's like they watch the tapes, they heard about the game, but it made fighters break down their game plan in short time. Duran stalks, yes, but he also hit you in the arms, chest, neck, and if you were lucky enough he'd hit you on the chin. He kissed the canvas quite a few times in his career at lightweight, too.

Whittaker had lightning fast reflexes. My favorite was when he would squat almost to the canvas articulate his head like it's a bobble head and *BAM*. He didn't exactly have a punch, but he had an arsenal, and he was in the best shape humanly possible.

Duran takes the fight to Whittaker and takes control by the 3rd round. Whittaker would surely make a mid-fight surge, but Duran puts the pedal back to the floor to take the decision. It's one thing to back up and win a fight, but Whittaker wouldn't be able to keep Duran honest. Whittaker would SURELY have his moments, and maybe even a KD early.

115-112 Duran

or

144-141 Duran... for those who remembered this would be a 15-rd fight

Pernell Whitaker could actually punch, its just he often boxed on the backfoot. And you obviously can't get full power when your on the backfoot. Watch his KO of Disobelys Hurtado when he had to come forward, and tell me he can't punch.

He also stunned JCC a few times, and watch his single shot knockdown of Wilfredo Rivera. There's many other examples but i don't feel like going into all of them.

Im not saying he was a devastating puncher, but his KO record is misleading. Because as i said he often just wanted to box on the backfoot and cruise to an easy UD victory.

You also have to take into account the opposition, i mean its hard to stop fighters like.

Wilfredo Rivera
Felix Trinidad
ODLH
Julio Cesar Chavez
Azumah Nelson
Greg Haugen
Rafael Pineda
Jorge Paez
Jose Luis Ramirez
Buddy McGirt
Julio Cesar Vasquez

And most of these fighters were at there peak when Pernell Whitaker fought them, i mean atleast 6 fighters on that list had great chins. Whilst the others were also pretty tough customers, its hard to have a high KO record when you face opposition like that.

You know i have to agree 100% , Whitaker was a master boxer , he could stand inside and make u miss , he wasnt a runner as such.
As for his power he had a sharp dig on him , he also fought some top guys , for me SWEATPEA wins on points for sure.

[johnsebastianmiran]

There is no question as to who would win that fight, Roberto Duran. I watched him hunt down Vilomar Fernandez for fourteen rounds while Fernandez used every trick in boxing to keep Duran from hitting him and suddenly Duran came out of nowhere and splat, down went Fernandez. People in boxing also forget that Duran was a bomber but he had superior boxing skills as Dejesus found out in bout number two with Duran. Ken Buchanan was a speedy fighter and Duran mugged him in the late rounds skill and power. I saw that one too. Pernell is a great boxer but Duran had all the skills and a punch to go with it at lightweight, Duran was also a Welterweight , Jr. middleweight and middleweight champ, no question as to who would win.

[generalbulldog]

Whitaker takes it for what should be a UD but gets robbed and loses. Whitaker has never lost a fight in his prime at 135-147. And no, the farce of a decision in the 1st Ramirez fight doesn't count nor the supposed "draw" with Chavez. Even a past his prime Whitaker still won comfortably against Oscar imo. In fact I challenge anyone here to find me a clip of Whitaker's fights in his prime that he legitimately lost. You can't.

[johnsebastianmiran]

Ramirez and Chavez are not Duran Duran's training regimen alone indicated his endurance and the fact that when he moved in on his opponents, he ws not easy to hit. At lightweight most experts agree that he was awesome and he had many quality opponents throughout his career. True Whitaker was robbed in those two fights and I agree but films tell the story. I thought Buchanan was really fast because he beat another lightweight great Ismael Laguna who was the Panamanian version of Whitaker at lightweight and then cme twenty one year old Duran who evolved with every fight at lightweight and fought Esteban Dejesus in three wars of boxing slugging and technics that revealed those boxing skills he used on Leonard too.

[generalbulldog]

Ramirez and Chavez are not Duran Duran's training regimen alone indicated his endurance and the fact that when he moved in on his opponents, he ws not easy to hit. At lightweight most experts agree that he was awesome and he had many quality opponents throughout his career. True Whitaker was robbed in those two fights and I agree but films tell the story. I thought Buchanan was really fast because he beat another lightweight great Ismael Laguna who was the Panamanian version of Whitaker at lightweight and then cme twenty one year old Duran who evolved with every fight at lightweight and fought Esteban Dejesus in three wars of boxing slugging and technics that revealed those boxing skills he used on Leonard too.

You're right Duran isn't a Chavez or Ramirez, but on the other hand Whitaker is no Dejesus, Buchanan, Vilomar Fernandez, or any of the other lw opponents he faced.

Duran decisively lost to Dejesus, while Whitaker did not decisively lose to Ramirez.
Whitaker's style, defensive abilities, and movement would pose serious challenges to Duran's aggressive style. Whitaker was a master at fighting off the backfoot and making his opponents miss. Therefore I take Whitaker over Duran in a mythical matchup.

Again who beat Whitaker decisively at LW or in his prime for that matter? The answer is no one did.

[Beanflicker]

Coincidentally, I watched Duran/Buchanan again last night and during the fight I pictured Pernell instead of Buchanan, and what he would do in those situations.

Obviously Pernell would end up taking a lot more punches than he usually does, but I still see him out-slicking Duran.

I don't think Duran had a chance in hell of KO'ing Pernell. Duran hit like a horse but I don't feel he had the one-punch power to put Pernell down for good, and I also don't think he'd be able to land his regular accumulation on punches on Pernell to wear him down and stop him.

I just think people underrate Pernell. He wasn't feather fisted like people say he was. He was no Tommy Hearns obviously, but he wasn't a Willie Pep either.

I bet if JCC/Sweet Pea never happened, a minority of people here would pick Pernell to win, much less embarrass him like he did.

[THE THIRD MAN]

Ramirez and Chavez are not Duran Duran's training regimen alone indicated his endurance and the fact that when he moved in on his opponents, he ws not easy to hit. At lightweight most experts agree that he was awesome and he had many quality opponents throughout his career. True Whitaker was robbed in those two fights and I agree but films tell the story. I thought Buchanan was really fast because he beat another lightweight great Ismael Laguna who was the Panamanian version of Whitaker at lightweight and then cme twenty one year old Duran who evolved with every fight at lightweight and fought Esteban Dejesus in three wars of boxing slugging and technics that revealed those boxing skills he used on Leonard too.

You're right Duran isn't a Chavez or Ramirez, but on the other hand Whitaker is no Dejesus, Buchanan, Vilomar Fernandez, or any of the other lw opponents he faced.

Duran decisively lost to Dejesus, while Whitaker did not decisively lose to Ramirez.
Whitaker's style, defensive abilities, and movement would pose serious challenges to Duran's aggressive style. Whitaker was a master at fighting off the backfoot and making his opponents miss. Therefore I take Whitaker over Duran in a mythical matchup.

Again who beat Whitaker decisively at LW or in his prime for that matter? The answer is no one did.

I wouldn't sell Esteban De Jesus short, in any other era he would be regarded as a great Lightweight champion of the world. De Jesus would have given Whitaker a hard fight too.

[ICB]

Ramirez and Chavez are not Duran Duran's training regimen alone indicated his endurance and the fact that when he moved in on his opponents, he ws not easy to hit. At lightweight most experts agree that he was awesome and he had many quality opponents throughout his career. True Whitaker was robbed in those two fights and I agree but films tell the story. I thought Buchanan was really fast because he beat another lightweight great Ismael Laguna who was the Panamanian version of Whitaker at lightweight and then cme twenty one year old Duran who evolved with every fight at lightweight and fought Esteban Dejesus in three wars of boxing slugging and technics that revealed those boxing skills he used on Leonard too.

Ismael Laguna was shot when he lost to Ken Buchanan, that was right at the end of his career.

[rjj tszyu]

In a 15 round title bout I think Duran would eventually cut off the ring and pummel Sweet pea and take the KO. Good matchup here though and one I've never really considered before.

[Master]

Duran on points but very close fight. If Duran was losing he would punch him in the balls. He would not be denied.