Leonard's decision to rematch a less than full strength Duran

I say we use this argument against Mayweather and Pacquiao now.

They knew Hatton ballooned in and drank beer in between fights.

Both should have post poned their fight with Ricky.

 

Yet still good enough to beat Iran Barkley who had just stopped Tommy Hearns to win the title.

 

So from memory it was actually Mike Trainer that convinced Leonard to chase a quick rematch due to Duran partying.

Dave Jacobs was so strongly against taking an immediate rematch (he wanted a tune up bout) he actually quit the Leonard team. That's a big statement right there.

Eleta did not take the early date due to pressure from Team Leonard, he took it because he feared Duran would not stop partying if he didn't get him back in training.

Duran's from all accounts did not train quite as intensely as he did prior to the first bout because he thought he had Leonard covered. It was just the partying and being out of shape - he simply did not put it as hard at training. This obviously is on him.

Leonard himself was actually 173 (anyone would think he never got above 150 given all the attention on Duran's weight) when he went into camp proper and 160 three weeks out. This was right on schedule for him.

Duran when the fight was announced told one boxing insider, who had won good money on him in fight 1 to bet double this time.

Leonard was extremely confident stating that he got 5 years worth of experience in that one night against Duran.

Dundee stated before the fight "If you want to beat Roberto Duran, he’s the type of guy who will get frustrated if he can’t do what he wants to do.”

Arcel stated “It’s been six months and only one thing has changed,” said Arcel. “Now Leonard will walk into the ring knowing he can’t win.”

The fact of the matter was that after that night in Montreal Duran was never going to be able to beat Leonard again.

 

The facts are that he had already done it. Easily. After yrs of sacrifice it was now time to stop and enjoy the fruits of his hard punches. Duran was done. He didn't want to fight anymore.
"And Alexander wept when he saw there were no more worlds to conquer."
The same with Duran. There was nothing left to do.
Use yr eyes. He never looked as tight again or fought the "Duranimal" style again. He was finished.

 

Just bought a book on Freddie Mills (my second). Interesting dude and exciting career and style.

 

It was his pinnacle performance but i am in the camp that even if he turned up the same he wouldn't have beaten the Leonard he in effect made more complete. I also wouldn't say he did it "easily". Impressively/deservedly but not easily.

You don't suddenly drop off the cliff after your finest win and get excused thereafter.

You scored him as the winner over Hagler so do you really think he was done if you had him winning that fight?

Duran fought for another 21 years.

 

Pretty poor. Duran fans have sour grapes. Duran himself looks really bad when talking about this fight and never admitted defeat.

SRL had fantastic skills and arguably the best resume of wins in the past 30 years. IMO If Duran didn't quit, he was getting stopped in 1-3 more rounds. Leonard was really giving it to him, landing power shots cleanly.

 

That isn't how Leonard related the story to George Kimball.

Leonard: "

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I'm not sure how big of a statement this is, really. It's a dispute and it's not like Jacobs hadn't quit the Leonard camp before.

Also - You do realize that Duran didn't want the fight until 1981 and that Leonard new this, right?

On what basis have you come to this conclusion, John?

Do you not think it was an immensely high-risk move, to sign for a World Championship bout, with a little over 6 weeks until the fight date?

Again, what is this based on? There wasn't even a fight contract until October 1980.

Leonard had started his preparations in July of 1980.

Dundee said a whole lot more than that of interest to me. In particular:

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Given the bout was not signed for until mid-October, I'd like to know what the Leonard Camp were doing to frustrate Duran, in the months up to that point.

I'd wager that one of those 'upsets' was Trainer orchestrating the cancellation of the bout in September and making it look like the fight wasn't going to happen. Then forcing the signature in October on the 'It's now or never' dollar. (speculation, but not unreasonable, given the facts).

Promotional banter. 'Happy talk' is expected, when there's millions on the line.

I'm trying to work out if the above is you just referring to Duran going 1-2 with Leonard - or, if you're pointblank declaring that Duran could never have beaten Leonard after Montreal?

 

Yes. And less of a party animal.

 

Yes I do. If Duran had any care about money and his future, he would have been done after Leonard. But Robin Hoodgave it away, Eleta & King stole it. It was spent & then like them all, he had to fight 4ever. But, he was done psychologically after Montreal and had to force the talent after that. Not instinct like before. Do you get what I am laying down?

 

No matter what he did or the heights scaled after Montreal, he was NEVER the same Roberto Duran again. Not in style, temperament or anything. He had proven his greatness for 10 yrs. After Quebec, 4 Kings and all, it was just about making money to live. Everything else was secondary. Everything else!

 

Duran reached the zenith of his career in beating Leonard.
No one put a gun to his head, but what possible motivation could he, or his trainers, have had after Montreal? Aside from a massive payday.

Leonard has literally admitted that he wanted the rematch immediately because he knew Duran wouldn't be at full strength.
Leonard was a fantastic champion and takes huge credit for beating Benitez and especially Hearns. But he would always look to eek an advantage with little tricks and stipulations which paved the way for Mayweathers antics.

Duran was a warrior who took on EVERYONE, without silly clauses and advantages, and has the best win ever in beating Leonard. He then bounced back from universal ridicule within the boxing world after No Mas to win another two, proper, world championships.

This is why Mayweather is a clown, Leonard is respected as a great champion, and Duran is revered as a legend by true boxing fans.

 

It actually does make sense. Although Duran ballooned up more than Hatton would. Actually Hatton was probably years in decline by the time he fought them. He was drinking heavily.

 

Leonard got an immediate rematch after losing to Duran, yet Benitez, Hearns and Hagler never got one after losing to him. Leonard's antics, using his status as the golden boy to stack the deck in his favour in certain fights, take the sheen off some of his wins for me.

It's like the guy who always fights in his home town with a friendly ref and a big crowd cheering him on, and every close fight goes his way. You wonder how he would have fared fighting in neutral territory without every advantage.

 

I do wonder if Leonard has any secret regrets about having so openly reveled, in what was undeniably his clear aim to get a less than par Duran in the rematch.

I mean - ultimately - Leonard never did beat the best version of Duran. That has to carry some level of dissatisfaction, surely?