Marvin Hagler vs Roberto Duran compared to Bernard Hopkins vs Oscar De La Hoya

I said if he were in the same shape as he was against Barkley, not if he had the same skills. Both Clancy and Bernstein were amazed that the bodyshots Duran took in the fight didn't slow he down and Clancy even remarked that Duran seemed to have found a 3rd wind, to last the fight at that pace and absorb that amount of punishment. Had he had that level of endurance against Hagler, I think he would have won the fight.

 

Actually it was fatigue in the last 2 rounds which cost him the fight, as opposed to Hagler upping his game. He ( Roberto ) had nothing left in the tank.

 

It's weird but I don't think Hagler went all out against Duran and showed him too much respect in there.

 

Hagler v Duran was a much better win, in my opinion. Duran was coming off a couple of impressive performances, had just looked terrific in beating Davey Moore.

Oscar DLH was coming off a gift decision over Felix Sturm.

 

Duran must be one of the very few fighters in history who apparently saved is poorest shape for his biggest fights.

 

Which was essentially what I was trying to say.

 

Not when he was younger and fighting a lw, but it was hit and miss as he aged and fought at the higher divisions, and generally speaking he wasn't just fighting at the higher divisions, rather in some cases he was fighting some of the best fighters there ever was in those divisions.

But he did tell Gil Clancy that he just tired out in the last couple of rounds against Hagler and just couldn't keep up his pace. Pretty hard to fight extremely elite fighters who are bigger than you and younger than you, when you enjoy partying, that's for damn sure.

Truth is I think everyone was surprised at how close that fight was leading up to the final couple of rounds. Judges actually had Duran ahead.

But all that aside, one could certainly argue that these are just all excuses.

 

That tends to happen when fighting a bigger man, pushing that extra weight takes it's toll.

 

I have to agree, for whatever reason it seemed like Hagler was expecting some kind of onslaught that simply never materialized.

 

Of course he was past his prime and fighting way above his best weight. No argument there.

But the frequent claims that he also came in in poor shape into the big fights past Montreal are a bit curious. For some reason he'd get into shape for Cuevas and Moore, but as soon as he stepped up for the really big fights against the top class opponents he'd apparently all of a sudden skip training. Even though he had clearly trained hard for Benitez and never would have lasted 15 against Hagler if he wasn't in tip top shape.

 

Haven't watched the Sturm fight in ages, but perhaps he was out of shape for that one as Lora said. Anyhow, he looked fine - not ripped, but certainly not fat - at 154 and probably wasn't below 160 in the ring for any of the fights at that weight.

 

Depends on which fights you're talking about. It's 100% certain that he wasn't in shape for the rematch against Leonard, in fact Leonard himself knew that and has repeated it numerous times. Against Benitez he was in shape, but he wasn't throwing combinations for whatever reason, but he was in shape. Laing was a fiasco and Bernstein remarked during the fight that this is likely the last we'd see of Duran and that we should remember the younger Duran and not this version. Then against Cuevas the loser of that fight was basically done in terms of every receiving a big payday again.

King had dropped Duran because of the 'no mas' fight and Bob Arum didn't really want to sign Duran either, especially after the Laing fight. (this was easily the worst fight I ever saw Duran in prior to his 40's).

But one of his advisors said that Duran could still fight and that it was all in his head as to whether or not he wanted to.

So then the Cuevas fight was a do or die situation, he won that fight, then went on to fight Moore then Hagler.

But against Hagler, the fact that he was winning the fight going into the final rounds tells you something about his ability, he lost mainly because he ran out of gas. Had he not lost the last 3 rounds he would have won the fight. But as you make this complaint against Duran, you might what to note that he was ahead after 12 round and lost going into the final rounds. Had that fight taken place today, he would have won it, because fighters no long fight 15 round fights. As for the fight, yes he was in shape to go 15 rounds, but he wasn't in good enough shape to step it up when Hagler stepped it up in the final rounds.

 

Sturm got robbed in that fight, as a remember. He clearly should have won.

 

First, he wasn't winning. Stop saying that. No sane card have him ahead after 12, so keeping on repeating the judges' joke scores just makes you out as a fan boy. Duran put in a terrific performance, but at no point was he winning.

Second, that a 33 year old fighting 25 lbs above his best weight fades during the championship distance against one of the greatest MWs ever, famed for his famina, is the very least you'd expect. If he wasn't in top shape he wouldn't even have made it there.

 

Yes indeed, but no surprise, the fight if i remember correctly was in Los Angeles, Oscar's backyard, and Sturm was from Germany so it's obvious the American is going to get the benefit of the doubt...