The Brawl in Montreal - who would defeat Duran on that night?

This thread is just two freaking weird for me.

 

Honestly think Robinson could've gone about it any which way he wanted and still came out on top, including fighting the same way Leonard was determined to win going into it. For all his grace and boxing ability, Robinson wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. I think the blunt trauma force (and the speed at which they were delivered) of his shots is his #1 asset as a fighter and that the 'Puncher' of the term boxer-puncher should come first in relation to generalizing what he was. Factoring in defensive capabilities, infighting and his absolute mastery of feints, I might even call Duran the more skilled man here, but Robinson's natural attributes are enough to carry the day against any fighter at 147, ever. On his best night, probably at 160 as well imo.

 

Robinson is the obvious pick, yeah. Take punishment on the way in, force an infight, and be unhappy when he makes room for his shots. Robinson at welterweight hits hard, picks punches well, and has a mean strike a mile long.

 

Robinson
Leonard of the rematch
Hearns
Benitez
Whitaker
Maybe Mayweather
Maybe Cory Spinks
Maybe Quartey
Maybe Galivan
Maybe Curry
Maybe Starling
Maybe Napoles
Maybe Rodriguez
Maybe Griffith

Those maybes some he'd be favourite for me, some not, he wouldn't beat them all though

 

He'd beat most on your list PP... Sans Robinson for sure. I guess I'm just not as convinced on the Hearns pick. As I stated... He tried to go toe to toe with Duran.. A bad bad idea for this beasts. If SRL can hurt Hearns... Duran certainly could and would. I disagree with Benitez as well agsints this version.

 

the problem with the scenario on Hearns is that Hearns was faster than Duran at welt and super welt . Also, SRL cannot really hurt Duran ,but Hearns can. As Hearns said onetime " I punch much harder than Hagler and Leonard. I knew if I hit Duran clean I could knock him out" He said it and he did it. That is not an insult on Roberto, but Hearns does anyone doubt Hearns punches harder than Hagler and Leonard or Benite? Duran could not get out of the way of his right hand at welt or at jr middleweight or at middleweight had they fought there. Hearns did try and go toe to toe with Duran at first and then settled down, and Duran did land a couple of nice right hands and some body punches, but he was always reaching and standing straight up. Hearns was too fast and had too much arm length.. Duran was being hit clean. Tommy didn't have to do much to land leveraged punches.

 

Just like Frazier was a total beast the first time he fought Ali, Duran that night was a fighting machine. I watched that fight live from local PPV and I still say it was one of the best, skillful boxing performances I have ever seen. I doubt many at welterweight could overcome Durans intensity, skill and conditioning that night. Arcel had trained Duran well for this fight even teaching him the Fitzsimmons shift which Duran used to good effect.

 

Lest we forget the "forgotten" Ted Kid Lewis who was a GREAT Welterweight with Greb-like stamina...Looks great on film also...

 

Robinson and Basilio come to mind. I don't say Hearns because he had not physically matured yet at 147.

 

So much wrestling and clinching in that fight. As much as alexander does

 

Pep was a bit past prime vs. the bigger Saddler.

I don't consider Greb better than Tunney and neither do a lot of people.

Hearns almost stopped Barkley prior to getting stopped in their first fight. The rematch was a SD win for Barkley that I felt Hearns should have won.

Bowe got away with a million low blows vs. Holyfield and never lost a point in their first fight. Also, the 11th round knockdown was B.S. (punched in the back of the head/top of neck... still really wasn't down). Figure in those few points and things could have been different (even if it wouldn't have seemd right to some). Holyfield schooled Bowe in their 2nd fight and may have went on to stop him had "Fan Man" not showed up. Holyfield had Bowe almost out in the 6th round of their 3rd fight but had nothing left and was stopped in the 8th (Bowe hadn't really done much to Holyfield for him to be that spent... no way Holyfield was 100%).

Leonard got even better after his fight with Duran. He fought a certain way and did not change his fight plan, he should have... it's not that he couldn't have. No big deal, he lost, but it was close. He schooled Duran in the next 2... could Duran have fought better? Yes... but IMO it wouldn't have mattered. This is why I consider Leonard that better fighter overall... not just because he went 2-1 (1) vs. Duran.

 

One things for sure, its not Leonard