Duran's best wins at lightweight and how he rates at that weight?

An interesting perspective.

Duran was 13-0 in world title fights at LW. He didnt have close to 13 world title fights in any other division.

He was 26 and a veteran of 64 fights after his last LW defence.

He was 29 and had contested 72 fights the first time he contested a WW title.

I think it's fine to rank Duran at WW (where he ranks lower than he does at LW) or any division above WW (where he would rank even lower). He certainly ranks well at LW, though.

 

that is true and impressive, but where he got opportunity other Young LW's who were also passing through lighter weights, whom might not have been as good, but more importantly might not have been given opportunity at those weights, they never get/receive such accolades - though 'some' could have well merrited them...

Boxing is a Business and Ownership dictates ones moves... the Young Duran was great and Moved into such opportunity... but Roberto Duran, the man, the fighter is every inch & pound a WW cum MW.

again thats how I understand how the fight game works, a fighter, while young 'passes through a lighter weight or two, then levels out to his true stature and likewise as he gets older finishes in a higher division yet, outside of their true leveling off weights.

anyway, it's boxing & discussions about such realities are fun, but anyway you slice it Roberto Duran was/is a Great!

 

Of course, I enjoy reading peoples different perspectives. Sometimes they change my own, sometimes they reaffirm my own. Either way, as you allude to, there can only be one reason we all exchange posts on here, which is because we enjoy it.

At 26, I consider Duran a man when he last defended his LW title. As mentioned he had substantially more world title fights at LW than in any other division. Over half his contested career fights had gone by the time he left the LW division behind.

I think it's fine to rank fighters in more than 1 division, so long as they contested fights in more than 1. It's fine to rank Duran at WW and above, that doesn't invalidate him as a LW, imo, where he ranks the highest based on work done in each respective division.

Out of interest, where do you rank SRR? At WW, MW or both?

 

Both, and yes you are Right Duran does merrit at LW,

it's just MOST fighters Only Rank in 1 or 2 Divisions and with Lists being Soooo misrepresentative to the True Validity of Many, many a fighter,

I generally feel fighters should only get kudos in 1 or 2 divisions, opening up considerations to other fighters who truly belong to a certain division or two... do you see what I mean.

Lists deny so many fighters and too think we only have 10 or 25 or a 100 Greats in this division or that division, is really quite a misrepresentation to Boxing History and thousands of TOP Good & Great fighters over that 150 years... I personally don't do lists or take them too seriously.

 

Yeah I think I see what you mean. It's like when people rank Sam Langford top 10 at LHW, despite him only having fought a handful of fights contested in that division. Have I got your point?

I did extensive research when ranking my top 20's at the original 8 weight classes. I recorded each contenders records at the weight division in question (allowing a few lbs above for non title fights), so that no fight contributed to a boxers standing in more than 1 weight division.

For e.g. Sam Langford doesnt make my top 20 at LHW. In fact, HW is the only division he does, where I place him 17. Yet I have him 3 in my pfp list.

Duran ranks 3 for me at LW, behind Leonard and Gans, but hes higher than both (only just) on my p4p list, because of the work he did above LW.

 

Duran is no 1 for me but where does Pernell Whitaker rank in the Lightweight category?

 

you obviously take serious time and account for your attempt at grading and I have to applaude you for that, it is hard work, especially when giving it an honest and a neutral academic type of excercise. so definate kudos...

but too many lists don't get such attention, example - substandard type fighters like Tyson Fury get thrown in & even replace real greats or unaccount greats in the first place, it's not just rediculous, it's down right insulting.

and it happens in every division and especially in the last 30 years, with all kinds of modern hype & inflation based lists, landing less than Very Good fighters propelled into completely inaccurate positioning and then casually their names get thrown around and stated as better than this fighter or that fighter... it is absolutely assinine & disgusting really...

Thousands of great fighter have graced those canvas covered boards only to be not just overlooked or replaced, but down right mocked & insulted by such insane listings.

Kudo's to you and others who 'try' and do it right, but at the end of the day, even acceptable lists can NEVER be fully complimentary or accurate. But again, well done to you.

 

I rank him 5, behind Leonard, Gans, Duran and McFarland.

 

Thanks Greg i think your ranking is fair

 

Hes my pick for the most underrated fighter in history.

1x loss in 113 contests and that was - 1) As a 16 year old child; and 2) Depending on which report you believe, may have been a fight involving a different McFarland.

He beat fighters who are consensus ranked top 10 all time (that's still considered top 10 today) at LW, WW (twice) and absurdly after a 2 year retirement, with no tune up, at MW in his final fight, whilst noticeably overweight.

In addition to Welsh, Britton and Gibbons, he also beat Owen Moran (who I rank as the 10th greatest fighter of the 1900's), Benny Yanger (14th in 1900's), Jimmy Duffy (20th on 1910's), Leach Cross x 2, Jimmy Britt, Harlem Tommy Murphy x 4, Dick Hyland and Watt Wells.

Not all contested at LW, but an astonishing win resume when you consider he didn't lose. Not only did he always win, but reports read of bemused world class fighters who were dominated, barely able to land a glove on McFarland.

 

I rank Whittaker 5 at LW.

His win resume isnt as deep as Leonard, Gans, Duran or McFarland, but if the Ramirez 1 robbery had been scored fairly, he would be 25-0 at or around LW, with wins over Ramirez x 2, Azumah Nelson, Greg Haugen, Lou Lomeli, Roger Mayweather, Juan Nazario and Freddie Pendleton.

Other fighters also have deeper LW resumes, for e.g. Tony Canzeroni, but when i factor in their losses and how dominate Whittaker was in the aforementioned wins, #5 is where he washes up at LW for me.

 

I basically agree with everything you’ve written here so can’t add too much! Another top post.