Best middleweight Duran could beat?

I think he would have struggled to beat any fighter with Hagler`s reach, Hagler landed far more jabs than Duran for this reason, Hagler had 75 inch reach, McCallum had a 78 inch reach which is why I feel he would have beat Duran, McCallum beat Herol Graham who had a 77 inch reach which is why he too would have beaten Duran it would have been like the Laing fight, Barley only had a 74 inch reach and Duran could get in close to do damage, however look what Hearns did to Duran at 154 and he had a 78 inch reach, I feel the longer the reach the more Duran would struggle at 160.

 

Arguably, Duran could have beaten Hagler over 12 rounds on the night they fought.

I also think the best middleweight version of Duran (whether that’s the Hagler or Barkley version) could beat the Hagler who fought to a draw with Antuofermo.

So I’ll go with Hagler as the best he could possibly beat.

 

Not sure if he’d win….but I really wanted to see him fight Nigel Benn.

 

someone who fights on the inside who is not too fast, yet can bang. I always thought he would do ok with Benn, yet Benn was quick which might be a problem.

 

Duran was WINNING after 13 rounds on ALL three cards over a PEAK MMH in November 1983 (Marv was then between Sibson and Scypion immediately before, and Roldan and Hamsho II immediately after.)

Hagler was then a vastly superior fighter to the much slowed and diminished version which SRL arguably knocked off over 12 rounds four years later in April 1987. El Cholo was 32-1/2 years when he challenged Hagler over the Championship Distance. Monzon could not have stopped that version of Duran. Nor could have Hearns if Duran was in MMH/Montreal condition, but Roberto then foolishly partied his way into the Hearns debacle. (In 1989, Duran atoned for Hearns over Barkley between Iran's two wins over the Hit Man.)

Getting the best of a PEAK Hagler over 13 rounds on all cards sets an EXTREMELY high MW bar for Duran. I believe he could defeat the post peak SRR who had graduated from 147 to 169.

1919 Harry Greb could do it.

 

Duran only appeared to be ahead on the cards of the three starstruck blind mice (well, two of them, as Mickey Mouse had it level). No one of any credibility had Duran ahead after 13.

 

That gets bandied around but i have a feeling he was even on one card.

 

Hearns destroyed Duran at 154 and would have destroyed him at 160 too.

 

Duran was quicker than all of Hagler`s world title opposition aside from Leonard which is why he and Ray were the only title challengers that went the distance with Marvin, Duran`s hand speed was as quick as Eubank and Watson`s.

 

Yes, that would have been a big upset, but it was close to happening.

 

He was JT. Guy Jutras had it 124-124 after 13.

As MDWC says, most had Hagler ahead, even after 13 rounds.

Still an incredible performance for an ex LW, one that elevates my view of Duran's career, even in defeat.

 

Not the real thing and I never read much into sparring. Nevertheless, you may enjoy this if you've not seen it before. Tbf, whilst they don't appear to be giving it everything, an old, overweight Duran holds his own -

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There's many middleweight champs Duran could have beaten. He'd have beaten Rocky Graziano to a pulp, and I 'm not sure LaMotta hit hard enough to hurt Roberto and would be outboxed. I also think he'd have lit up Canelo at 160.

 

Yeah he stupidly put on a ton of weight right after the Hagler fight and signed to fight Hearns literally in a bar, not the most focused. Duran would be a big threat to any middleweight in history if he came in motivated. He beat Barkley and arguably beat Hagler, he was one of the all time greats and showed it in those two fights among many others. I´d say he beats LaMotta, Graziano, Basilio, Dick Tiger, Fullmer and a host of others.