Can I know how much would you rate Esteban's power ? It seems Duran said that he is the best puncher he ever faced even though he fought Hearns and took his cleanest shot. (I read it on Duran's Best I Faced) So what you rate Esteban's punching power & what are your thoughts of Duran saying he is the best puncher he ever faced ? Here's what duran said about the best puncher he ever faced : De Jesus was the first opponent to knock me down and he had me down again in the second fight. When I lost to Thomas Hearns I was drained from losing weight too quickly, and that had a bad effect on me. Hearns got me with a great punch but I could have performed far better in a rematch. Marvin Hagler, who is a good friend of mine, told Hearns the only reason he knocked me out is because I wasn’t at my best.
I always felt DeJesus was a beautiful boxer who could mix up his punches nicely. I really never considered him a true banger. I think the only fight I ever saw him go after a fighter aggressively from the start was against Buzzsaw Yamabe. However, I do consider him to have been an explosive counter-puncher.
His punches were sharp and crisp and delivered in textbook fashion. His punches carried pop but he wasn't a big puncher per se.
If you look at his fights with DeJesus (and I'm just thinking of the knockdown sequence from the second fight, anyway) you see Duran go inside with his hands down and head up, very reckless indeed, off balance and everything. Doesn't take a bone-crushing puncher to take advantage of that, just a timely one. I think his power was average. He was quick and knew what he was throwing at.
Esteban De Jesus was good enough to hand undefeated WBA Lightweight Champion Roberto Hands Of Stone Duran his first defeat in a non title 10 round fight on Nov 17 1972 in Madison Square Garden, he decked Duran in round 1,went on to score the victory on points. On March 16 1974 in Panama City, Panama, in a WBA title bout, again Esteban sent Duran to the canvas in round 1 with a left hook, only to be stopped by Duran in round 11. They fought for the last time in a title unification on Jan 21 1978, Roberto boxed beautifully, stopped De Jesus in round 12. Esteban was a very fluid type boxer who packed a punch.
So all of you are saying that Esteban is more of a great puncher, basically like Trinidad & Errol Spence ? their punches are really really beautiful But maybe not the hardest puncher like hearns ?
Good puncher in my opinion but not a great one. Of course, I'm happy to make such pronouncements safe in the knowledge that I'll never taste that power. I think Duran gives him his props because DeJesus was his greatest rival in many ways and there's probably a respect there based on that and also because DeJesus died. During his lightweight heyday Duran would have said nothing of the sort, I'm sure.
