fact is Duran still lost to all the greats he fought. Tommy fought Benitez the same year Duran did and beat him compare to Duran losing easily to Wilfred. Tommy wanted the 154 pound title, so he fought Benitez that year after fighting McCracken. Ray announced he would not fight Marvin. Hearns fought a much more motivated Marvin than Duran did, since Marvin always fought better when he felt he had a challenge, and he boxed Duran, yet he won the decision.
But Duran fought them in THEIR prime didn't he? Straight up. And btw, he kicked Leonard ass. Palomino ass. Buchanan ass DeJesus ass Moore ass Cuevas ass Suzuki ass Marcel ass Kobayoshi ass Carlos Mendosa ass Ass ass Cmacho ass that crushed Leonard. Barkley ass that crushed Hearns. Twice. Thompson ass Fernandez ass that beat Arguello Brooks ass Mamby ass Lampkin ass Castro ass as an old man before Castro went life or death w Cruiserweight champ. Knocked out Villa in 9. It took Benitez 15. Head to head pfp primes, not one, Hagler Benitez Leonard Hearns makes it to 15 against a Duran w everything he had at lightweight. But we digress on a tangent. AT LEAST DURAN TRIED FEARLESSLY. Hagler Hearns and Leonard did not. And are given passes. Particularly, whining Marvin Haglers.
I think Hagler knew as did Monzon that a king is a king in his own kingdom....guys like Greb,Fitz, SRR took chances against strong champs moving up, Tiger did it but against another fattened Middleweight Torres.
The difference is Monzon never whined about it and then stopped fighting middleweight s. Napoles went after Carlos, not the other way around. His last fights were against a peak Valdes. All Hagler talked about was money and Leonard and Hearns not fighting him. . So, 15 pounds north in a 1 off, there was a lot of dough to be had. There is NO WAY anyone cannot see this as hypocritical. It's common sense. Like I say, a free ride for the popular fighter.
Why would I be mad about that Gold? I hope all fighters are capable of that. I am just stating facts. A different thread than Cooney of 82 June vs. The best of Red Berman kind of crapola that besieged the Classic
Do your homework: Duran wasn't considered finished. He had earned redemption with the stoppage of Davey Moore and won the WBA 154 lb. title in June, '83. He would never have gotten near Hagler otherwise. He capitalized by getting a huge payday to fight Hagler and then Hearns. No, I don't think Duran would have taken on Spinks. Thank goodness he didn't. That would have been a hideous slaughter. Meanwhile, nobody pushed for Hagler/Spinks. Nobody held it against Hagler at the time for not jumping up to LHW. Hearns didn't really "wait for Marvin to get old." He got his a$$ kicked, almost as badly as he kicked Duran's a$$. Leonard does get some criticism for waiting until '87 to fight Hagler. But, at the same time he was still risking a lot as he had only had one fight in five years. You are di%k ri%ing Duran, that's for sure.
I think Duran is a little overrated. He lost when he stepped up in fighter quality, which makes me wonder how he would do against Floyd or Whitaker at lightweight. My thinking is he loses wide decisions. If you look at his history. it is very clear. Leonard went 15 rounds with Duran and fought his fight and as Ray said I almost beat him at his own game. Then he said, I knew if I fight my fight, I got him easily. And he did. Palomino. He was not a great. A decent west coast fighter, Buchanan was close to Hearns or Benitez? no.. And Duran fought at 154 as early as 1978 before Hearns,Leonard and Benitez did. Benitez won his title at 140 in 1976... He was small enough also. Camacho? That is who you are saying Duran fought? In the 1990s? Who cares if Barkley beat Hearns,Barkley also lost to Nunn, Kalambay and knocked out in one by Benn. But Duran did win a title 5 years after he fought Hearns and a division higher, which means Hearns had a legit win over a good Duran. That is an opinion which does not mean much. Head to head? Those guys were faster than Duran and were great amateurs, Hearns and Leonard, and Benitez beat Duran easily over 15 rounds. Most fighters try fearlessly. He still lost to all the greats he fought, regardless of the excuses. I would have liked to have seen Duran fight Alexis. I think Arguello could have done well. Against the greats he fought, he was always hit with right hands. and Alexis had a good one.
Do my homework ? Dumbass, I was at DURAN-Moore as I've told 100 times. Yeah, dickface, the fight was considered a joke in the serious boxing circles. If you had half a brain, you would be able to read what I said about Hag whining about the little guys not stepping up yet he doesn't do so either. Yeah by the end of 82 Duran was considered finished. By Nov 83, not 1 expert picked Duran. Yes Hearns and Leonard waited for Hag to get old dip****. Spin it anyway you want but THAT is how it was. Even Hagler says this. You're one of those pricks that h as a little knowledge then acts like an expert. I was going to see all those Philly guys live in the 70s and 80s when you were still sucking yr Daddy's dick. Btw, you disgrace Saad's name every time you post. Now go complain to the mod and get me booted *****.
People are rather predictable. They want to believe what they want, or to believe the general opinion without getting opinions of their own, and when someone comes up with some opinions based on facts, it is seen as hate. He lost to Ray easily. he lost to Benitez easily. he lost to Hearns easily.. and they were the best fighters he ever fought. That is not hate, that is significance. That is fact. The guys he fought at lightweight were not that level. and it is too bad he never fought Arguello to prove something. We can say, oh sure Duran beats him easily. fact is he never fought Alexis. he fought Hearns,Benitez and Leonard. Duran had a great career, but the nonsense about him being so great is a little overated. Based on the wins he had. He did not have a win like he did over Moore over Hearns or Benitez or Leonard. Not like that. He couldn't.. Just facts.