Best I Faced : Roberto Duran.

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Neebur, Aug 19, 2016.


  1. Neebur

    Neebur Active Member Full Member

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    BEST SKILLS

    Ken Buchanan: Buchanan was one of the great lightweights when it came to tactics and skill. His intelligence made him very difficult to beat even though he wasn’t a very strong opponent. Sugar Ray Leonard was faster and stronger but Buchanan had tremendous skills.

    BEST JAB

    Buchanan: He was tall, boxed well and his lateral movement was extremely good. Buchanan’s jab was difficult to deal with because he threw it on the move.

    BEST DEFENSE

    Buchanan: He was hard to hit cleanly. I was very young, lacked experience, and Buchanan had been world champion for a long time. A lot of people will expect me to say Wilfred Benitez or Leonard when it comes to defense but I wasn’t prepared properly for Benitez or the Leonard rematch. Davey Moore, who I beat easily, knocked Benitez out so there’s no comparison there. I was coming into my prime against Buchanan and he made me miss often.

    BEST CHIN

    Marvelous Marvin Hagler: I hit Hagler with a lot of punches and he just kept coming. I didn’t find him as skillful as some of the opponents I faced but he was the toughest.

    BEST PUNCHER

    Esteban De Jesus: De Jesus was the first opponent to knock me down and he had me down again in the second fight. When I lost to Thomas Hearns I was drained from losing weight too quickly, and that had a bad effect on me. Hearns got me with a great punch but I could have performed far better in a rematch. Marvin Hagler, who is a good friend of mine, told Hearns the only reason he knocked me out is because I wasn’t at my best.

    FASTEST HANDS

    Sugar Ray Leonard: He was the fastest fighter I ever fought but in the first fight I saw everything that was coming at me.

    FASTEST FEET

    Buchanan: At lightweight the opponents were much swifter on their feet and, back then, we were boxing in 15-round fights. Buchanan always kept on the move but I caught up with him eventually. That victory means a lot to me.

    SMARTEST

    Leonard: It’s hard to give you one name but Leonard stands out because he made adjustments during fights.

    STRONGEST

    Hagler: It was an extremely close fight but he got me tired late. Even though I built myself up to middleweight, Hagler was much bigger and used his strength on the inside. After making weight, a fighter rehydrates and there was a big difference there. Still, even when I was tired, Hagler couldn’t get me down. There was no way I was going to get the decision but some fans and reporters thought I’d done enough. Hagler had big American fights pending with Leonard and Hearns so there was a lot of money at stake.

    BEST OVERALL

    Leonard: I have to say Sugar Ray Leonard because look at what he did in his career after he lost to me. It takes a lot to come back from defeat and Leonard did it.
     
  2. janwalshs

    janwalshs Active Member Full Member

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    Very interesting. What is the source for this?
     
  3. Neebur

    Neebur Active Member Full Member

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    http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/431941-best-i-faced-roberto-duran
     
  4. impacted

    impacted Well-Known Member Full Member

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    'The Ring' website do a regular 'Best I faced' feature on-line, the only positive about that once great magazine since it became a PR machine for Golden Boy Promotions.

    For what it's worth, Duran was like 90% of the guys who've taken part; keen to credit guys they beat and down-play opponents they looked awful against.
     
  5. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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  6. mrkoolkevin

    mrkoolkevin Never wrestle with pigs or argue with fools Full Member

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    Yeah, one thing this series makes clear is that you probably shouldn't put too much stock in it when a fighter says that "X" opponent hit harder than "Y" or was faster, etc. Fascinating series though.
     
  7. Neebur

    Neebur Active Member Full Member

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    Because you'll know better eh?

    Tbh some of these best of's will be written with a bit of bitterness but on the other hand a lot of posters won't like what's written because it goes against their opinions and agendas.
     
  8. mrkoolkevin

    mrkoolkevin Never wrestle with pigs or argue with fools Full Member

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    Look. If a fighter says something surprising that seems to be in tension wth a large body of other evidence and doesn't offer a particularly compelling explanation for it, anyone with sense would think about it long and hard before accepting it as Truth. Only a naive sap would change his mind based strictly on the fighter's subjective recollections and comparisons of events from decades past (and sometimes many years apart) in such a situation. Do you agree or disagree?
     
  9. mrkoolkevin

    mrkoolkevin Never wrestle with pigs or argue with fools Full Member

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    And I don't think it's just about fighters being "bitter." Memories fade and distort over time. We forget things and the things we think we remember are actually influenced by other sources of information (things we read and hear about the events, etc.). This is particularly problematic for someone who had a career as long as Duran's. How in the world would we expect him to be able to look back and accurately compare all of his fights from 45 years ago to his fights from 35 years ago to his fights from 25 years ago?
     
  10. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    Thanks for sharing.

    I'm sure Ken wouldn't give two sh*ts for how much respect Duran shows him now.
     
  11. Vince Voltage

    Vince Voltage Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I didn't know that Hagler and Duran had become friends. I'd like to see them chuckling merrily over lunch.
     
  12. Saad54

    Saad54 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Shading Benitez

    Benitez showed awesome defense against Duran

    Saying Moore knocked out Benitez and he knocked out Moore, therefore Benitez could not have had great defense.

    Benitez broke his ankle and still slipped almost all of Moore's followup. It was stopped because of his broken ankle.

    LOL

    Sounds like logic by some on here.
     
  13. Neebur

    Neebur Active Member Full Member

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    Yes I agree but I don't thinks this applies to what Duran has said here. I feel anybody in disagreement are just salty because it goes against their opinion.
     
  14. Neebur

    Neebur Active Member Full Member

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    Good points.
     
  15. Neebur

    Neebur Active Member Full Member

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    Duran was possessed the night he fought Buchanan. I bet Ken still has nightmares lol