Why do ppl always say Duran moved up 2 weightclasses to beat Leonard?

[richie leon]

I've heard people mention this over and over, and it's just not true. Duran moved up to WW about 2 years before the first Leonard fight and had 8 fights in that time, including a notable decision win over Palomino. Also, even when he was reigning as LW champ, he was fighting non-title fights at 140 all the time.

I'm not bringing this up to diminish Duran's legacy in any way, he's one of the best ever. But he was barely the 'smaller man' when he fought Sugar Ray, and people don't generally acknowledge that.

And it especially irks me when certain people compare Juan Manuel Marquez moving up to fight Floyd Mayweather to the Leonard-Duran situation, when in truth there is absolutely no comparison.

[dyna]

Leonard had 8 inches more reach, and was 3 inches taller.
He was naturally a bigger guy and I think Duran fighting at 140 while still being a lw champion has more do to with his work ethic outside the ring.

[McGrain]

One was a natural lightweight, one was a natural welterweight. This is the point which people are trying to make to you.

[LittleRed]

Originally Posted by McGrain

One was a natural lightweight, one was a natural welterweight. This is the point which people are trying to make to you.

McGrain, you're a smart guy but how can you say that. Duran was at 150 before either Hearns or Leonard, chronologically speaking, and was therefore the bigger man. Everyone knows this.

[AlFrancis]

Originally Posted by LittleRed

McGrain, you're a smart guy but how can you say that. Duran was at 150 before either Hearns or Leonard, chronologically speaking, and was therefore the bigger man. Everyone knows this.

Yes, but he was older than them and he'd had a long career. He was a lightweight, just that was good enough to carry the weight at the higher poundage. He was never as great at any weight than lightweight.

[Seamus]

Originally Posted by LittleRed

McGrain, you're a smart guy but how can you say that. Duran was at 150 before either Hearns or Leonard, chronologically speaking, and was therefore the bigger man. Everyone knows this.

Duran was 5 and 7 years older than those two. Naturally, he was putting on more pounds. He was almost 30 when he fought Leonard and 33 with 15 years as a pro under his belt when he fought Hearns. The partying didn't exactly help matters either.

[LittleRed]

Really? No one saw the sarcasm. Should I have mentioned that Virgil Hill is a great fighter that defended his belt life 25 times?

[Seamus]

Originally Posted by LittleRed

Really? No one saw the sarcasm. Should I have mentioned that Virgil Hill is a great fighter that defended his belt life 25 times?

I caught a whiff of it but it didn't really register. Kinda hard to pick-up on with the written word.

[LittleRed]

My fault. Should have been spoofier.

[the cobra]

I got it right away.

[lufcrazy]

the post was so sarcastic i can't even remember what this thread is about but surely Duran deserves a mention.

[Hands of Iron]

Originally Posted by LittleRed

McGrain, you're a smart guy but how can you say that. Duran was at 150 before either Hearns or Leonard, chronologically speaking, and was therefore the bigger man. Everyone knows this.

MAG is an endless source of entertainment.

[AlFrancis]

Originally Posted by lufcrazy

the post was so sarcastic i can't even remember what this thread is about but surely Duran deserves a mention.

[MAG1965]

Originally Posted by dyna

Leonard had 8 inches more reach, and was 3 inches taller.
He was naturally a bigger guy and I think Duran fighting at 140 while still being a lw champion has more do to with his work ethic outside the ring.

7 inches more reach and 2 inches more height. And he fought at 154 in 1978 before Ray ever did.

[MAG1965]

Originally Posted by McGrain

One was a natural lightweight, one was a natural welterweight. This is the point which people are trying to make to you.

which makes Hearns accomplishment of beating Hill when he was a natural welterweight pretty amazing.