Fight of the Week #1: Roberto Duran - Ray Leonard I

Right, and if someone scores just one of those rounds for Leonard, or two of them even, it’s a draw.

 

If someone asked me who was winning after 2, I'd tell them that I had it even so far but that Duran won his round far more convincingly. But I don't have any problem at all with someone scoring Round 1 even and having Duran up by 1 through 2. If I watched it again, I might even agree with you. But I thought that Leonard landed the cleaner, sharper punches that round, even if they didn't accomplish much.

I'd be all for using 10-8 rounds more liberally (except I wish judges would stop the dumb practice of scoring damn near every round with a flash knockdown 10-8).

But FWIW I disagree that round 3 was close to 10-8 under current scoring conventions.

 

I hope McGrain doesn't mind me sharing but I just found his post scoring the fight from 2016. He had it even:

Roberto Duran UD15 Ray Leonard

Duran looks like a ****ing lunatic. Leonard looks so cool entering the ring. Leonard comes out flat-footed, kinda, but showing the shoulder, feinting, maintaining range. When Duran feints, Leoanrd goes out. When he rushes, Leonard gives ground. His priority early is slipping. Duran, crouching, right hand ****ed. Then Leonard throws and Duran leans in and slips. Beautiful cuffing punches inside from Leonard on the counter to Duran's rush. Leonard looks mean. They both look really mean. Leonard slips bodily then counters again; Duran is dominating the space, barely but Leonard is definitely contesting that.

High level squabbling about time and space in the first. This is going to be a long post.

Duran scores a left-right when charging in. He's waiting for Leonard to show a slight commitment to balance on one foot or the other then charging and scoring. He's being forced, by Leonard's excellence, to overcommit but it's kinda working because his instincts are so wonderful. Now Duran jabs and a weird, up-left-hook and Leonard is running for the ropes and holding on. Duran jabbing Leonard back, bodywork, this is ATG boxing. Uppercuts inside, the referee is unsure. Fabulous round of boxing for us geeks, maybe unparalleled.

Duran beats the **** out of Leonard's body in the third. The wonderment of properly captured aggression. Leonard is giving ground before the Duran jab. Why? He is boxing aggressively, supposedly, the wrong plan, but he gives ground before the jab - he should be jabbing with Duran. It's hard, though, when Duran is catching Leonard over the top with punches like the ones he throws in this round. Then, more love for the ribs at the ropes. Leonard is doing work, two-handed, but he can't get on top in there. Duran is too good at timing and finding his man in there although I think Duran was momentarily hurt near the end of this round. Then again in the final seconds. Absurd, brilliant final minute.

Leonard scores with a nice left hook early, Duran looks a bit tired. Leonard takes advantage, pushing and pulling a bit inside, shoe-shining to the body with the occasional dig before opening up with very fast hard shots. I have them even after five.

Important sixth then. Duran diving in, Leonard dipping and giving the shoulder. Leonard might have found range with his left hook, even among the mess, he scores a beauty to the body, his best body punch of the fight. Duran is trying for his full reach then closing the distance quickly, jabbing then coming all the way in on the timed charge. Then they exchange up close. This is where the fight is. I can see why this pan makes fistic sense given each man's best weight but Jesus. It's Leonard though that times his attacks in this round. He's almost as smart as Duran in that regard, in timing his attacks based upon where his opponent is in terms of his transience across the ring. This is a Leonard round, narrowly.

Great counter-left hook Leoanard when Duran comes square across his punch. Duran feints inside with Leonard on the ropes but Leonard looks ready to tie him up. The tide has turned tactically at this point. Can Duran now out-monster him? He is dominating the space, mostly, but in the eighth Leonard lands two sizzling uppercuts inside early. That's concerning for Duran - if Leonard has the left hook in on the outside and the uppercut in close, what's his plan? He's feinting forwards and now Leonard gets caught over the tip with a punch while continuing to slip the Duran right with that little move forwards. Duran hits to the body, Leonard lands punches upstairs, agh, on the bell, Duran lands good punches...i can't split them.

I have them even after eight so 9 and 10 are going to be huge if someone can bag both. Duran has shortened up his punching in the ninth and it's serving him, plus, right hands to the side or uppercuts to the pit are serving him inside. Leonard is being dominated for the first time. In the tenth, Leonard lands two good punches early but he looks ragged. Are those puncehs going to hold the round for him? He catches Duran a left to the ear, too, and another with the right as Duran stooped...Leonard is finding the quality despite the shifting fortunes and Duran being more cohesive but a hard bodyshot evens things up a bit...another...thirty seconds left - Leonard surges but misses, they exchange to the body, Leonard wins the exchange - and they're even again, **** me.

I have it a five round fight for all the marbles.

Both tired; both landing very decen tshots. Duran's aggression is keeping him abreast of Leonard's stirring surges. Leonard lands a cracking left hook but Duran is always pushing him back. His best blows are lacking the vigour but they keep coming and Leonard can't quite summon the energy to take advantage of his over-working. Duran edges it on the cuffing stuff. Amazing to see Duran surge back when Leonard tries to steal rounds. Seconds matter.

Two of the best jabs in history and neither is throwing it much, but Duran uses it here, just to inch forwards, just to put Leonard back. They exchange cannon shots. I'll be god-damend though if Leonard doesn't land the harder punches here, even to the body. Even round

Right hand tot he heart, left hook to the ear sets Duran up nicely for the thirteenth. He's s****ing the occasional point with the jab, too. He's doing a good job of slipping Leonard's too. Wonderful counter-left hook from Duran as Leonard goes to the body. This is a Duran round at the half-way mark. Head to head ring-centre. They swap right-hand leads. Leonard hurts Duran at the bell but the damage is done - Leonard needs 14 and 15 to win the fight on my card.

He gets off to a good start in the fourteenth, a sharp left hook upstairs but Duran returns the favour about a minute in. These guys are so perfectly matched that it comes down to who lands the best punches, often. Duran looks arm-weary, Leonard looks tired. You can actually see Leonard summoning the will to punch now. Uppercut right hand is going to steal this for Leonard, some bodyshots to close the deal. I have it all on the fifteenth.

Leonard waves him in. Crazy man. Quiet start though. Leoanrd steps across him and lands a wide slinging right hand that never would have landed in round one. Duran feints him back but can't quite close after that. Leonard lands another slingshot right. This is headed for a draw on my card. Duran is awm-weary. Leoanrd is landing good slingshot blows. He's trying for the knockout I think.

DURAN:2,3,7,9,11,13,
LEONARD:1,5,6,10,14,15
EVEN:4,8,12