Hmm,a fair amount of overrated-ness tbh,even as a Duran fan...now I do think that Benitez, Leonard Hearns and Laing did still have a good strategy that neutralized Duran,plus styles makes fights. I still won't count Uno Mas as a part of his and Leonard's legacy though.
I don't consider it debatable. Of course he's an all-time great. His record is checkered because he didn't care who he fought. Didn't care how tall, how heavy, how strong or how powerful. And then of course he fought at least a decade and a half too long. From the beginning he was a throwback to boxing's best times. Duran was extraordinary.
IMO, there are 3 fighters w/ a claim to being the GOAT LW. 1. Duran - the h2h best @ the weight IMO. 2. Leonard - the best resume under 135 IMO. 3. Armstrong - the greatest individual achievement while still a LW, winning the WW title while weighing just 1.5 lb over the LW limit.
He was a clumsy, unskilled ****ing can. Pavarroti could not sing a note. Bolt was slower than a slug with terminal dementia. Anthony Hopkins can't act for toffee. Churchill hated England. Lincoln was the worst President the US has ever had. Tyrannosaurus was a feeble weakling that had trouble hunting a small frog.
A bum! Taught Hatton how to eat Exposed by that midget de Jesus Barely squeaked by an oafish Barkley when he should have had a bit more experience by then. No mas no mas I no box no more with theez man he keel me Top ten atg
Benitez and Hearns did not fight the best version of Roberto, whereas Duran did fight them both arguably at their peak, and they both were naturally bigger. Duran of 27-29 years beats Benitez, now Hearns due to sheer length and wingspan is more of a problem, but I don’t think Duran is sparked as spectacularly as he was if he’d fought him 2 or 3 years earlier.