Roberto Duran vs Rodrigo Valdes at 160 lbs, 15 rounds.

Good fight, I might favor Duran by close decision due to his defense and counters

 

Duran is the better fighter but far from being best middleweight.

If Valdez doesnt push him too hard, Duran might last the entire 15

 

Rocky Valdez was too powerful for Duran. He was a beast and he was just too hard a hitter and he could take a punch extremely well. Had it not been for the unbeatable Monzon, Valdez would have had a 4 year reign.

 

I like Valdez by points win. He's an excellent fighter at that weight while Duran is very good.

 

Valdez beats Duran at 160lbs,imo.

 

I personally think Valdes in a close points decision. Duran isn't going anywhere, and where Duran exceeds him in skills Valdes exceeds him in size and power. This would be one with top quality exchanges.

 

Valdez by decision. There's plenty of good MWs Duran could beat, but Valdez is not one of them.

 

Realistically, who would Duran beat?

He would struggle with Wilford Scypion and he still might not win

I give him little chance of beating Nunn

He wouldnt beat Roldan or Mugabi

He wouldnt beat Sibson

because of their height and power, he wouldnt beat either Obel or even the lazy Dwight Davison

Hamsho would be an interesting fight and I think Duran could whip Bobby Czyz, and maybe Kinchen but the top contenders & champions, no

 

Gold... keep well.

 

I think the Duran of the Hagler fight, or even the Barkley fight years later, would beat most of those guys you mentioned, none of whom impressed me much.

 

Valdez by unanimous decision over 15.

 

Agreed. Even if you only look at their respective performances against Hagler, wherever valid, you have to give him a better than average chance against quite a few of them.

Duran was up on the cards going into round 14 with Hagler. How were the other guys who fought Hagler (and would beat Duran, apparently) doing at that point in the fight?

He was another level to them all. On his best night - and I admit that that's a caveat that unfairly lends Duran a lot more leeway than his erratic inconsistency deserves - it took one of the division's best ever to narrowly beat him.

Is Rocky in that upper tier of elite middleweight champions if a tiptop Duran shows up? Not quite for me, although his timing might be as much to blame as anything, sharing an era with Monzon. Maybe without Monzon, Rocky would be viewed differently for the same achievements.

But even then, I don't think he's quite there. And a lot is being made of the difference in size and power. Didn't Valdez start out as a lightweight? He wasn't a huge middleweight. I don't think the size advantage is al that great.

I think Duran's being sold slightly short here. I give him a very live chance. Stylistically, Valdez posed him few problems and Duran is far the better boxer. If they fight ten times at middle, Rocky wins more than he loses but best version v best version, I'll go Roberto.