Rewatched Duran v Buchanan last night...

[Bill Butcher]

The picture in my avater gave me the idea actually, I have owned the fight on video for years & have seen it numerous times... but last night was the first in about 2+ years I`ve sat & watched it from first to last bell.

I used to think that Duran was extremely ragged in this fight & lacked technique... but after having seen more of Ken (as well as more of Duran) & just in general watched & learned more about boxing, I have to say that this was a terrific performance from a 20/21 year old kid vs (I hope I`m not getting carried away here but) a brilliant boxer in Ken Buchanan.

Buchanan had his moments but the sheer relentlessness, determination & stamina of Duran had Ken beat by about the 11th round (on my card).... this fight is a prime example of a young hungry kid that made his mind up before he was in that ring that nothing or no-one was going to stop him from achieving his dream.

This was the start of the legend that would become Roberto Duran......


[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

[Robbi]

Originally Posted by Bill Butcher

The picture in my avater gave me the idea actually, I have owned the fight on video for years & have seen it numerous times... but last night was the first in about 2+ years I`ve sat & watched it from first to last bell.

I used to think that Duran was extremely ragged in this fight & lacked technique... but after having seen more of Ken (as well as more of Duran) & just in general watched & learned more about boxing, I have to say that this was a terrific performance from a 20/21 year old kid vs (I hope I`m not getting carried away here but) a brilliant boxer in Ken Buchanan.

Buchanan had his moments but the sheer relentlessness, determination & stamina of Duran had Ken beat by about the 11th round (on my card).... this fight is a prime example of a young hungry kid that made his mind up before he was in that ring that nothing or no-one was going to stop him from achieving his dream.

This was the start of the legend that would become Roberto Duran......


[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I feel Buchanan won about 3 or 4 rounds. You?

[lora]

Duran's footspeed in this was ridiculous.Buchanan himself having some of the quickest feet and best perimeter movement of any lightweight, but despite that and his educated straight punching he couldn't control the distance.

Duran never fought with this consistent pace and intensity again though.You would need a good punch and a helluva workrate to keep this version from storming in and making it an ugly fight.

[Bill Butcher]

Originally Posted by Robbi

I feel Buchanan won about 3 or 4 rounds. You?

Anywhere from 2-4 is fair I would say
.... he was one tough bastard Buchanan, he wasn`t allowed to show how good a boxer he truly was in this fight due to Duran`s relentlessness but he showed just how well he could take a punch & his champions heart.

Ken definitely deserved a rematch, its a shame it never happened... I believe Duran even said years later that Buchanan was his toughest fight... not sure if he meant most difficult or toughest as in could take his best shots, probably the latter I would guess.

[Bill Butcher]

Originally Posted by lora

Duran's footspeed in this was ridiculous.Buchanan himself having some of the quickest feet and best perimeter movement of any lightweight, but despite that and his educated straight punching he couldn't control the distance.

Duran never fought with this consistent pace and intensity again though.You would need a good punch and a helluva workrate to keep this version from storming in and making it an ugly fight.

He showed shades of this relentlessness in the Dejesus 2 fight but not from beginning to end, he at least tried to box from range at times vs Dejesus... vs Ken he just made it a war of attrition from the get-go.

[LittleRed]

A great coming out party for a great fighter. If there had been p4p ratings back then Buchanan probably would have been top 10.

[Lester1583]

Originally Posted by lora

Duran never fought with this consistent pace and intensity again though.

Personally Buchanan fight impressed me a lot more than the somewhat methodical beatings of Dejesus or lethargic Viruet fights.

Similar to Azumah Nelson situation - he certainly improved after Sanchez fight but probably never fought with the same intensity again.

[Senor Pepe']

The New York Press had Roberto Duran as a 2-1 Underdog.

'New York Daily News'

'This now spoiled Panamanian is all brawn, and no style. The well-schooled Scot
will box from a distance, and keep this wild-child away from him for several rounds.
But by Round 6, Ken Buchanan will show this rough mauling street fighter from
El Chorillo, Panama what technical boxing is all about.


'The WBA Lightweight Champion will jab with his pin-point left hand, which will
set-up his piston-like right hand. This combination will be landed at ease over the
second-half of the bout, and should direct Ken Buchanan to a stoppage victory
by a TKO in 12.'

[lora]

Originally Posted by Lester1583

Personally Buchanan fight impressed me a lot more than the somewhat methodical beatings of Dejesus or lethargic Viruet fights.

Similar to Azumah Nelson situation - he certainly improved after Sanchez fight but probably never fought with the same intensity again.

True, Nelson was a maniac that night.The problem for him fighting like that though, was he lacked the defensive awareness Duran had naturally when fighting with that pace and aggression...not that Duran's defensive skills didn't improve technically from circa the BUchanan fight, but he always had that great spacial awareness.Nelson on the other hand was nearly as open as Morales in that fight.

Still probably could have had a really good career had he stayed as a high-tempo aggressor.It might not have worked as well against someone like Villasana as his eventual style did though.

Duran would have been as much of a beast as he ever was at lightweight, had he kept that approach going.Probably annihilates the likes of Viruet, Fernandez etc without the boring rounds of coasting and measuring.He wouldn't have been as successful above 135 though, especially into the 80s.

[lora]

All that being said

Buchanan KO6 had he been able to wield the check hook

[Bill Butcher]

I think Buchanan might have did better vs the more controlled versions of Duran, it would have given him a chance to use his boxing skills more... I`d obviously still fancy Duran to win but it would have likely been a closer fight.

[McGrain]

Originally Posted by lora

.You would need a good punch and a helluva workrate to keep this version from storming in and making it an ugly fight.

Who are you thinking?

[turbotime]

Originally Posted by McGrain

Who are you thinking?

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHoTb_oXgvE[/ame]

[Bill Butcher]

Originally Posted by turbotime

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Mosely wouldn`t beat Duran.

This version of Duran would outwork him & the more mature version would outbox him, he`s too good overall for Mosely who while a great fighter himself is a level below Duran.

[turbotime]

Originally Posted by Bill Butcher

Mosely wouldn`t beat Duran.

This version of Duran would outwork him & the more mature version would outbox him, he`s too good overall for Mosely who while a great fighter himself is a level below Duran.

Not at Lightweight he wasn't "a level below" at all. Shane was Faster, more powerful IMO.

Duran had better fundamentals if we're nitpicking but Duran would make it a fire fight and that would play right into Shane's hands.