Wtf, is this? You know nothing about Duran at all. Go watch him Duran, a natural lightweight, fight the best middleweight ever for 15 rounds. Never gave an inch, and it was never going his way, and that is against somebody who unlike SRL, could actually hurt him.
He had stomach cramps is his story. He's stuck to it all these years though he admitted early on in the docomentary that he had to lose alot of weight so fast to make weight. The most interesting part of the documentray to me was Duran commenting that after New Orleans he thought he'd have a chance at Leoonard soon after. "Why did he wait 10 years to grant me a rematch", said Duran. Leonard's remark to the interviewer was "It was psychological warfare, and because I just could Leonard said with a cheap smile." atsch Leonard though he admits he put Duran in a situation where he would'nt be in the best of shape, insists that his gameplan to box and move is what made Duran quit. If thats the case and he thought he was so much better, why wait 10 years to grant the man a rematch? It bothered Leonard all those years that alot of people did'nt give him the credit for beating Duran and bought Duran's excuses. If thats the case, why did'nt he fight Duran sooner to prove he was the better fighter? ........the answer is because he was'nt going to fight Duran while Leonard believed he was still a real threat. Its the same reason why Leonard waited just as long to grant Hearns a rematch, and never gave Hagler a rematch despite that fight being one of the most controversial decisions in boxing history.
SRL my fav fighter of all time Lost the first fight in my opinion. I think he waited a little to long to start trading with Duran. He allowed Duran to Dictate the terms of the fight for the first 8 rounds. Second fight SR had the plan right. Keepin him at the end of his punches. As much as a Duran fan as i was, quitting is the ultimate sin of boxing. Lost all respect for one of the all time greats in the sport. You just cannot do that.
im glad leanard toyed with him in the second fight, i only a few years ago watched the 1st fight and what a twat duran was when it finished, shoving and mouthing of to srl before and after the decision, he acted like a classless *****, then the rematch comes he accepts it then the excuses for no mas come in stomach cramps weight issues frustation truth is if any boxer in this day and age did that they would be crufuied by all and probably be laughed out of boxing, abit like how ali(someone i love) mixed with some very dubious carachters in his time but its almost never brought up by fans because they love him so much
You have no idea of the negative backlash that Duran went through for quitting against Leonard. Panamanians in his own country turned their back on him. Called him a sellout. Panamanians thought Duran threw the fight purposely. Nobody was harder on Duran than his own countrymen. You have no idea. As for Duran's antics? That was Duran, and more so against America's apple pie that was Leonard and Duran wanted to break him in half for it. Duran has admitted to having true hate for Leonard during those times. During those times the working man was for Duran, the white educated richer folks were for Leonard and the entitlements that come with an American Olympic Gold medal I never liked Duran's verbal antics outside the ring and I still dont, but I much rather root for someone like Duran than a fighter like Leonard who's mindset was that the world revolved around him.
to be honest i dnt know enough of the backstory to know what kind of backlash he got then, my point was really how alot of todays fans still try to defend the indefensible, yes he showed heart and toughness in later fights but thats not the point, he quit and he quit not because he was taking a battering(ortiz, alvarado etc) but because he knew he couldnt win a fight
That's the thing though. Leonard was never a stick n' move fighter before New Orleans. He was a boxer-puncher who moved in and out, throwing explosive combinations and was absolutely merciless when he had his opponent hurt. He changed his style completely for the rematch.
Duran would have stuck it out against any other opponent but Ray Leonard, which he hated with a passion. He was'nt going to give Ray Leonard that satisfaction, and to this day, Leonard is bothered by it as the documentary showed. Btw, for those that dont know......Duran has always said and he said it again in the documentary that he never said, "no mas," that was something that Howard Cosell said in describing Duran quitting. Duran just signaled to the ref he was through with Leonard and turned his back.
What a pathetic documentary. SRL flying in from Hollywood, cruising in on a convertible to ask a bewildered, humbled, likely-brain-damaged-from-all-the-cocaine Duran to admit that he was a coward 33 years ago. F%ck off, Ray.
But the fact that Duran blew up in weight makes the fight uninteresting and meaningless, because it's a prime fighter vs an out-of-shape opponent.
Lol, just watched documentary for first time. Funny clowning by ray First fight looked a war Didnt no he turned his back and said no mas, ***** move Thanks for sharin