The loss to Duran was worse than anything Tommy ever put on him. Yes that includes the knock downs Tommy scored on Ray.
Hey Robert its a close one for me .. Duran did move up and beat a prime SRL at his best weight. but he avenged it for what that was worth , but for me the way Ray made Tommy wait 8 years to face his shopworn, in his mind, rival and for the plan to back fire … well it just edges it for me … cheers mate
So what, Duran didn't literally run away from Hagler or get knocked out of the ring by Barkley but anyone with half a brain would agree Duran is the tougher guy and had the better chin overall.
I would have to say Tommy Hearns. Roberto Duran on June 20 1980, in Montreal, engaged Sugar Ray Leonard in a street fight type of warfare, that Leonard was not accustomed to. Ray adjusted in the rematch, causing Duran to quit in the 8th round in New Orleans,Louisiana, on Nov 25 1980. Tommy Hearns was beating Ray, on Sept 16 1981, until Leonard got his second wind, and turned the tables on Tommy in round 14, causing the stoppage. Leonard suffered more damage following their battle,a detached retina, due to the Hitman's thunderous blows to his already swollen eyes.
Duran wasn't in condition - or - Ray Adjusted. It's clear Duran wasn't in the same shape he was in for the first fight. Leonard also made Duran wait for years for a rubber match just like he did with Hearns for a rematch, he even admitted he tried to get the rematch while Duran was still celebrating his win.
Why am i an idiot? Hearns chin and legs weren't strong at all for the ATG that he is. He was a good boxer who knew how to use his height and reach and had great power in his right. He wasn't what you'd think of as a 'tough' boxer, apart from his fight with Hagler, where like I said, he did actually run away at the end.
Without those guys around to fight, who knows, Ray may have fought more often and not be as faded when taking on Norris.?
Simple fact - Hearns DECIMATED Duran - utterly. Simple fact - Hearns and Hagler put on one of the greatest little slugfests in history, particularly given the P4P standing of both - #1 and #2. Simple Fact - Hearns did not "run away" from Hagler. Jesus. Hearns was moving laterally when Hagler landed a right around his ear region which KNOCKED him sideways. Given the amount of action and punishment seen already his legs were weak which resulted n him staggering sideways at a decent clip trying to regain his balance. He did not run away from Hagler, he was punched away. https://ytcropper.com/cropped/Bm5dc93c8e7a4a9 More to the point if you want to get derogative about toughness Duran turned his back and quit against SRL. Hearns certainly never went remotely close to that. The thread doesn't even ask who is tougher or tough out of Hearns and Duran if one bothers to actually read it.
Duran took Barkley's best punch and didn't go down, Hearns got knocked out the ring by Barkley. Hearns couldn't even take Leonard's punches! Yes i know, you argued Duran and Hearns' punch resistance, but Duran wins this one easy. The thread is about Leonard's toughest opponent, Hearns or Duran. Which one actually beat Leonard?! Duran Duran is a better fighter than Hearns pfp by some distance.
I did not argue punch resistance between the two at any point. Duran beat Leonard but he also turned his back and quit on him. That's just massive. Blind Freddie knows Hearns won the second fight. Enough of the back and forth. Lets see who SRL says was his toughest opponent, "without question". This content is protected
Had he not had that caliber of fighters to get to the status he was by 1982 and that announcement about Fort Knox? Had he not had Benitez or Duran or Hearns to fight? Retiring in 1982 would not have meant too much. The announcement would not have been significant. Hagler might not have shown up for the announcement. At that point without those guys to fight it would have taken another 5 years of beating the McCrorys and Currys and Starlings of boxing and impressive wins. Defenses against Colin Jones. Beating Simon Brown another guy from his era then moving up and fighting Mugabi or McCallum or even Matthew Hilton. It is tough road.. Those were good fighters and tough guys who would not go down easily., but not Benitez, Duran and Hearns in popularity or fame, which got him immediate legacy status. I guess what I am trying to say is, by 1991 he would have been probably more worn out physically by his boxing career with this route compared to rusty and not really a 154 pounded in 1991 as he thought when he came back after the Duran rubbermatch in Dec. 1989, which was one year 2 months before, but at a higher weight and against someone his era. Hearns and Duran were more worn out by 1991 with the tough fights they had, but Ray was more rusty and probably just older. His speed was what he relied on more than Duran or Hearns, so as far as normal reflexes he was not as great at 35 as it was at 25.. Hearns and Duran relied more on power than Ray and they fought the whole decade as they got older so they learned how to win differently when other skills declined, Ray never did. Ray I think got his power from speed and his occasional hitting on the break as Lalonde found out.So he gets back in the ring and if what got him to win before does not, he is getting beaten every round. Hearns and Duran gained a certain experience fighting when they were declining and still learned how to win with different things. I remember how much more of an inside fighter Hearns was in 1989 than in 1981.. Blocking and countering and hitting on the inside. Ray was lucky he had those three guys in such a short time, then he could take off time stay in the limelight with HBO. Fight Howard right in the middle and then leave for a couple of years. Make the announcement in 1986 to the Maryland TV station and 1987 he beats Hagler. He sealed the fighter of the decade. He retired after less than 3 years as Champion and had I think the best legacy you could have after such a short time. Enough to get the job at HBO and use that to stay known. Let me say this. I think Ray is one of the greatest ever. He had so much guts and perseverance. The way his career was, I never thought he was as tough mentally as Hearns or Duran. I don't know if he could have been stopped like they were and come back and win titles. Those guys said ok I lost and made a reason for why which sometimes helps and came back and put the past behind them. Ray seemed more sensitive to things than those guys, which is why he had to have the rules go his way in his second career after Hagler.
The guy that beat him and put more of a beating on him will always trump, "gave him a hard time in two fights" imo
