Arguello lost his chance when he lost to Fernandez. Duran pulled out of a signed fight with Benitez due to an injury, and the Pryor and Cervantes fights were only discussed, never finalized. Pryor wanted it in '82, whereas Duran was already done with ever making 147 again, let alone 140. I think it could've happened after Pryor had beaten Cervantes, but it's not likely. And BTW, I was only saying that Duran could've been EVEN greater. It wasn't a criticism. Also, Duran was fighting at 140 every few weeks during his prime anyway, so weight wasn't the problem, it was the timing. Duran's prime was from the first DeJesús rematch to the first fight with Leonard. Nor do I, Ali was a certified ATG. I thought Norton and Young beat him, but I'm hardly torn up over it.
He's watched all the best fighters on television or on his laptop. So have I. I've seen all the great fighters box before. I've watched their fights. The simple matter of fact is Duran is better than everybody else. How do I know this? I watched them on TV. Is he better than Ray Robinson? I don't know. His prime fights are not on TV. So I don't know. Many who saw him live say that SRR was the best fighter and better than Duran. If you ask most hardcore boxing fans who is the best fighter you've ever seen the majority of them will say Roberto Duran.
How can he be the best fighter you ever saw and he got outboxed got his ass kicked and got knocked out not once but several times? Where's the logic in that. I could say SRL is the best fighter I've seen since he made duran quit stopped benitez hearns and beat hagler. He has a much better case.
Because of the skills and fact that I don't think any of those guys could beat him in his prime. You say SRL is the best fighter you've seen, fine that is your opinion. Most of everybody else will say Duran.
Hearns beats any version of duran srl made a prime duran quit and lost a close fight to him. That makes no sense and is pure speculation
Hearns will beat him at any weight higher than 147. Dude, I'm not even a big fan of Duran. I'm a way bigger Tommy Hearns fan. I like Hagler just as much as Duran if not more, I don't like srl at all though. And I love Pac, and he would wreck Pac. He's just better than everybody else. Somebody has to be the best. I'd rather watch Hearns any day of the week.
Yea maybe. Actually Hearns was best at 154 IMO, but he would still KO Duran at 147. No way he does at 135 though.
Ali was the consensus HW GOAT prior to Tyson Fury surpassing him and he deserves enormous respect because he not only fought everyone and their dog but, unlike most of his countrymen, he was a fearless road warrior who fought all over the world and he was able to pass his Brit Level test against Sir Henry albeit he very nearly came unstuck in that first test. He also possessed an iron mandible section and my admiration for iron-jawed fighters is well documented as is my utter contempt for those with below average punch resistance, especially glass-jawed ones who I legit hate. But the fact that most erudite fans are picking a blown up lightweight to beat a career heavyweight just goes to show you the low regard most fans hold HW Level in. Question: If Ali weighed 135-158lbs how many of you would favour him to beat a 200-225lb Duran? Please answer honestly.
Roberto Duran was great for the first 10 years of his career ... and he was average to terrible for the next 21 years of his career. He fought WAY WAY WAY too long. Ali fought way too long, and then Duran said, "Hold my beer," and fought another decade too long. It's difficult for me to just isolate Duran's Lightweight career and forget the rest, because I started following boxing toward the end of Duran's lightweight reign, and for the better part of the next two decades (from the end of 1980 on), while I was a fan, he usually just looked bad. That's a REALLY long time to watch someone IN REAL TIME - not just on tape - look like hell for the most part and have pthers insisting he was the best ever at something. So, he doesn't have nearly the same aura for me that he has for some. Duran getting punched in the armpit by Pat Lawlor and quitting is a memory I'll never shake. What an embarrassment. I think Ali was the better fighter and clearly had the better career.
George Crowcroft, Tinman and Pimp C these guys we are talking about are all great fighters. No one admires Duran more than me but I will say and even his fans know it that the “No Mas” hurt him. Style wise even though he was so skilled and gifted I do think he was made to order for Thomas Hearns so much so that I think what happened would always have happened. I think these alone prevent him from being the GOAT but he is definitely in the top 5. For me Ali is the GOAT based on his athleticism and skills in his prime, level of competition he fought and beat, his championship heart etc Yes there were things Ali did not do like attack the body but then he always hit the head so maybe he did not need to attack the body. Floyd Mayweather is the most complete fighter I have ever seen. I don’t like SRL as a man but I do know he is up there. Everyone talks about Thomas Hearns punching power but he is arguably the best boxer I have ever seen.
I agree except for Duran being in the top five. He was basically ordinary to bad for 21 years AFTER the No Mas fight. Fighters have bad nights. The No Mas fight was bad but, IMO, it didn't damage his career as much as all the terrible performances - one on top of the other - for the next TWO DECADES after that did.
In order to prove you're a complete fighter one must beat an ATG in their prime. Duran is more complete than Mayweather. He beat srl.
