Why Was Duran Intimidated By Tommy Hearns?

Snake oil story from Steward. If Duran was so scared why did he even take the fight? Nonsense. Duran didn't even train for that fight and barely made the weight. On the first knockdown he gets up with the smirk on his face knowing he had screwed up by partying instead of training.

 

a) he was One of Thee Top effective and dangerous fighters
b) he had a lethal KO Punch
c) he was Tall, had a Long Reach and he was hard to get too for a smaller man...

Nothing mysterious, Nothing mythical, just basic Biological facts & respect for any Top Threatening fighter.

there's too much mystery & supernatural attributes attached to some boxers and these Boxing Sites. But in the end it always comes back to simple and grounded Facts & Plain Truths.

 

From a psychological standpoint, Roberto Duran had o be intimidated. Duran probably saw Thomas Hearns obliterate Jose Pipino Cuevas in round 2 to win the WBA Welterweight title. Cuevas was a deadly puncher, Hearns did have leverage, power, and the non fear factor heading into that match. Duran also must have realized that Hearns had injured his old nemesis Sugar Ray Leonard (Detached Retina). Plus the fact that Hearns did nail Roberto flush on the chin.

 

Don't buy it

 

Well the OP is stating an opinion as fact.
In short Duran wasn’t intimidated.

 

Steward said that they met in a casino once before they fought, Duran was wearing a baseball cap, Hearns grabbed it and pulled the lid down over Duran's face while laughing. Steward said if any other boxer had done that to Duran especially in public, a brawl, would have occured, instead Duran just adjusted his baseball cap and looked around sheepishly.

 

Steward was not only Hearn's trainer but also his manager. Duran probably saw another payday, doubt he was scared.

 

Steward is full of it- Duran was not intimidated he just got beat. I ask you if he was scared of Hearns why did he take a fight with a bigger more powerful fighter on top of that one who crushed Tommy?

 

Not sure about him being intimidated but he probably realised Hearns was all wrong for him stylistically. I know Duran claimed he didn't really train for the fight it was more about the money but as a Duran fan I wish he'd quit with all the pathetic excuses. If you don't prepare yourself properly for hand to hand combat with a dangerous fighter then that's on you.

 

Wouldn't surprise me. Multiple things were going on that were out of character.

 

Doubtful. Duran wasn't intimidated by Hearns. Though in the
back of his head I'm sure he knew he didn't prepare properly,
and may have shown some trepidation because of it.
(But this excuse is ALWAYS used when Duran suffered a loss
and it should be taken with a grain of salt, because the bottom
line is he was a trained pro fighter and knew who he was facing.
If he went into a boxing ring with a formidable opponent like Hearns not
fully prepared,,,, well he reaped what he sowed. )
Sometimes a fighter faces an opponent he simply has no answer for.
Even if Duran trained his ass off, and came into the fight in the best
possible shape and mentally prepared. The results are probably the
same.
The overwhelming advantages Hearns had were simply to much to
overcome for a man 5'6" or 7" with a 66 " reach. Hearns carried a
6" height advantage and over a full foot in reach with his 78" .
Hearns used those advantages to maximum effectiveness.
Then factor in the speed and power advantages and
ATG skill set well , what happened June 15,1984 should've
been expected.
But if Duran wasn't intimidated by Marvin Hagler, or Iran
Barkley who was similar in height, but actually bigger than
Hearns, (But not in the same universe in overall skillset)
I doubt seriously he was intimidated.

 

I doubt that Duran was intimidated by Hearns but Roberto knew that he had n't prepared properly for The Hitman.

 

I love banter and i loved the exchange they had when they connected at an elevator a couple of days before the fight - a fiery Duran "I'll kill you".......a smiling Hearns "No mas"

Two great warriors colliding.