What if Leonard had been forced to trade with Duran in the rubber match?

For all Durans talk about wanting Leonard for a third time I don't think he showed up in very good fighting condition here. He made weight but that's about it. Who knows what goes on in these guys heads. You would have thought he would have come in ready for the kill here. My guess is the fire was gone and it was a payday.

 

Both fighters were beyond prime and lackadaisical, just going through the motions by that point. Leonard just had a little fresher legs. I don't think any insult would've made Leonard go to war ... It was a make as much money as possible with as little damage as possible scenario.

 

It would have been a slower sloppy version of the brawl in Montreal, Ray was doing clever stuff in Montreal it`s just that he was finding Duran too hard to hit, that would not be the case here if they went to war because Duran was all over the place, if he could have found the form he had when he beat Barkley then Ray coming forward at that point of his career would have been suicide, Norris proved Ray`s chin was gone and Duran would have knocked him out.

 

Duran would probably win. That is Duran's fight.

 

Its really hard to believe how bad that fight was. U would have thought Duran would have been an animal, no matter what stage of his career he was in. If they went to war, I think Duran would have killed him though, although I'm aware of Rays power too

 

IIRC, it was an outdoor fight and extremely cold the third time they fought. Leonard’s corner wisely brought a blanket to wrap him up in between rounds to keep his muscles warmed up. Duran’s did not.

I believe Duran also opened up in the last round or two and caused one or more deep cuts. Had he done so earlier, if Ray’s skin was fragile, he probably gets a bloody TKO.

 

Leonard would never have fought him like that, Duran at 38 needed a fighter to come to him, like Barkley

 

Leonard faced the same Duran that Barkley did. Duran was never going to deal with speed and movement from a class fighter at this stage of his career at this weight. Leonard took no risks at all and stuck to his gameplan. Boring but effective. Too fast too elusive.

If they had to fight toe to toe Duran obviously would have been far more successful. His age and Leonard's big advantage in handspeed may have kept it more competitive than you'd think tho.

 

Exactly.

Duran did show he still has some pop in those hands late in the fight. He cut Leonard over both eyes with clean punches and even busted up Ray's mouth courtesy of a headbutt.

It was kind of funny because Leonard was able land pretty well the whole fight and I don't think Duran has a scratch on him.

 

Duran wins a slugfest. Leonard was clever enough to realise it.

 

Duran always had that about him. Even today at the age of 67 if you can believe he is 67 now, he could probably still beat up many guys if they fought him on the inside. He is a natural fighter and he hits hard. So if guys beat him they have to use speed and be a little elusive, unless they have the power to bomb him out and only Hearns did that...