Which fighters would Chavez do better against than Duran would?

Good points: Chavez's pressure was inexorable and constant. Duran's involved moving his head and attacking while avoiding being hit solidly himself. Although both men enjoyed imbibing between fights, I don't recall Chavez ballooning up and down in weight. He was probably more consistent in his preparations and showing up in peak shape than Duran. Duran got up for big fights. If he watched film and didn't think much of the opponent he often would become lax in his training. His natural talent would carry him through most times.

 

Duran was the harder puncher and better defensively, but I think with a guy like Leonard or Mayweather, Chavez might cut the ring off better and make them closer fights than Duran did and would. I still think someone like Benitez beats Chavez, but Chavez makes it very interesting. Wilfred was solid at 154 and Chavez was not. 147 Benitez would still beat Chavez, and at 140 I still pick Benitez but closer.

 

Not sure there's any type Chavez does better against than Duran.

The only thing Chavez might have the slightest edge in is chin, so you could argue he might stand up a little better to the likes of Ike Williams, Alexis Arguello or a lightweight version of a Tommy Hearns (if one existed).

That said, I think Duran handles them sort of fighters regardless and probably in some ways easier than Chavez due to his greater level of skill....

 

Lampkin

 

Duran was like a Flash-Flood liable to torrant away most opponents with his sudden bursts, but if you had that Liferaft of superb mobility, you might be able to Ride the Currents, Chavez by comparison was like the Tide coming in..constant.. inexorable...again with that superb mobility you might be able to surf the rising tide to dry ground, different applications, bith could be destructive, I suspect Chavez's constant and increasing approach would acheive better results against Viruet, Bizzaro, And Lampkin, it might be that Chavez would have a harder time in drowning Dejusus, than Duran did in his Latter two encounters, Er..Pardon the Pun.....Both were Swell !

 

Yeah exactly what I'm thinking. That said though, I never saw Duran hurt fighting against guys his own natural size. His chin was pretty darn good, if only a tad behind Julio's.

Even when DeJesus dropped him a couple of times it was more flash knockdowns than anything else.

 

That, on top of Esteban being a damn good fighter with an especially good left hook. :good

 

Those shots would have hurt a LOT of good lightweights. No shame in Duran getting knock downed from them.

 

The KD in the first fight seem to hurt him a little...in the 2nd he barely showed any reaction, not much was going to halt him that night.

 

Or evening.

 

I think I'm of the position of Sweet-Scientist here. I want to say that Chavez is more constant, more a grinding down type. And he is but I'm not sure that it suggests Chavez does anything better. Duran was like a tiger with a extraordinary boxing instincts and skills. His pressure was quicker, and if he fought more in spurts it only looked that way because he sprang to fight his aggressive fight more quickly. Only the aged Duran that fought at MW and beyond seemed to fight more in spurts, and that was a huge testimony to his boxing skills and versatility to begin with.

I wonder if Chavez is a more damaging, thudding puncher. If I match up the fighters I think Duran does better with all of him. If he doesn't its for external reasons that go beyond witnessing the best of Duran. If he is, maybe Chavez is a little tougher, durable, and perhaps more suited for a more physical fight. Maybe he matched up better with Basilio.

I'm not sure I agree that Chavez does better against Arguello. I can accept the Hearns proposition for the reasons already mentioned.