Got me thinking this, watching the Duran - Barkley fight. Who's the best middleweight that You see Duran possibly beating at Middleweight?
He went the distance with Hagler and gave him a decent fight. Also beat Iran Barkley. That said, I think there are probably quite a few good middles he might have beaten. Wonder how he’d do against Sumbu Kalambay ?
A master boxer like Kalambay would school Duran IMO, that's a bad style match up for Duran. Could Duran outbox slugger Jake LaMotta ? that might be a winnable match up for Duran.
Hagler of course. Arguably the middleweight gost and Duran would have beaten him if it was 12 rounds.
In forty years of following boxing this is the first time I've seen anyone say that anyone would "school" Duran. Beat, yes, but never "school."
Wilfred Benitez did it so did Kirkland Laing, Sumbu Kalambay is a master boxer and a terrible style match up for Duran. Kalambay also schooled another great fighter in their prime "Mike McCallum" So yes based on styles. It wouldn't surprise me if Kalambay did win a wide points victory over Duran.
A big long fasty guy like Nunn, stylistically, would be terrible for Duran at 160 as well. As you allude, you want the more plodding predictable types that Duran could impose his vast skill on.
Except it would have been an absolute rip off. The official cards were terrible. Also the dynamic and pacing of the fight would have been different. Hagler was told to come on with two rounds to go and come on he did. He would have done the same after ten when told. Hagler had another gear where as Duran didn't. Hagler could win rounds at will when he really required them. In short Duran was never going to beat Hagler even with dodgy judges.
It was a close run thing, John. Shouldn't have been of course but that's certain judges for you. And yes, if it had been a 12 then more than likely, Hagler puts on an extra urgency. But as bad as it sounds, if it had been a 12, that night, then we'd have seen Duran win.
But my whole point is that if it was 12 that night, even with corrupt judges, Hagler would have put the pedal down earlier and won regardless. It's a different fight. We can't pretend fights weren't the length they were. Dynamics change. It's an entirely different contest.
Yep I see your point. I don't think Hagler would have been happy going at that pace if it was twelve, knowing what happened in his first title fight with the judges.
