Nope, not good enough. I'd like answers to these questions. This shouldn't be so hard, yet you're avoiding them like the plague.
Hearns fought far better at 154 against Duran than Barkley or Pazienza did at higher weights, Duran was on a different planet to Paz.
Sugar would have been destroyed as a skinny lightweight v Duran and so might Hearns though his reach would still have caused the same problems that were caused for Duran at 154 in `84 but Pryor beat the light Hearns as an amateur, he was not a dangerous puncher at that stage.
You always get what you want? Not a plague since I am not afraid to answer like I would be afraid of a plague, what is obvious- the answers. Which I admitted to... It is like saying, is the sky blue.. Yet then you have to look into the excuses.
Reach and power, yes, but also speed and laser accuracy. Remember Barkley had the reach and power advantage as well. IMO Hearn's speed was a notch above Leonard's. It is also obvious that Durán lost a lot of his speed by the time he fought Hearns, so he was unable to evade the big bombs. Compare that to how easily he avoided many of Leonard's big shots in Montreal, where Leonard's supposed speed advantage wasn't a factor. By Leonard's own admission, he found Durán extremely hard to hit clean. Maybe not as hard to hit as Benítez, but comparable.
Hearns used the right tactics against Duran, using his reach, it didn`t matter about the speed, Ray looked as quick as Hearns when they fought, but again had trouble with that 78 inch reach, any welter or light wweight would have a knightmare against that kind of reach, speed and power, in fact I don`t think any lightweight or light welter has ever beat a fighter with a 78 inch reach and I think Leonard is the only welter to beat a fighter with that kind of reach also. Duran`s defense was amaszing v Ray though. This content is protected
Pryor had no trouble with that reach, getting inside easily. Maybe it was that 'awkward style' that confused Hearns: This content is protected
Let me quote you "shell of him self " ...20 more years in the game ladies and gentlemen...duran must be a modern miracle
One thing can say is that if Sugar Ray Leonard wasn't around and Hearn's was the media's darling. Duran would slip Hearn's punches and knock him out in 1980.
Durán had the reach disadvantage against almost everyone: Durán: 66" DeJesus 67" Benítez 70" Leonard 74" Barkley 74" Hagler 75" Hearns 78" So if you look at Hagler, he had a huge reach advantage as well. Almost as much as Hearns, yet Hagler's reach didn't seem to be a major factor in their fight.
Listening to PSP, you would think that Durán was a natural Heavyweight, and he had no business fighting those little guys like Hearns and Hagler.
I think the combination of Hearns' height and speed with the reach was the key here. And of course Stewart was the master at training these long guys to utilize every inch of their reach. Duran couldn't close the distance at all. Had we saw Duran from Leonard 1 vs Hearns from Leonard 1 at Welter I think it still would have been a very hard fight for Duran. While Duran is better equipped for Hagler and Leonard than Hearns....Hearns is pretty wrong for Duran.
I think your points have one yee-haw of a lot of validity, however Duran was just too much of a fierce force of nature against Leonard. Something got sparked up his behind, and I think even Hearns would have been ultimately overwhelmed. Leonard I Duran against Duran Hearns I give a split decision to Duran, with Hearns making a big lead in the early rounds and Duran coming from behind. I know, might not be a popular opinion here. But then I'm the weirdo whom truly believes FOTC Frazier would have stopped Foreman in 12 rounds.
