Roberto Duran

I think Braddock's and Ali's comebacks at least must be in the same ballpark. Not many have gone from living on well-fare (with a boxing career seemingly already behind him) to becoming HW-champ, and who would have thought that Ali would comprehensively beat Foreman just 1,5 year after getting his jaw broken by the then unknown Norton.

 

The word to describe Duran in all aspects of him is unique, McGrai just beat me to it!

I can be non-biased here, and Duran did beat Leonard by a good few points, the nature of the fight was competitive but no case can be made for Leonard winning or a draw for that matter.

If people re-watch this fight, it is so great just to watch its unbelievable. In my honest opinion it is the fight which features the best quality of action i have ever seen, largely because of the quality of Duran's work, but then you look at what the guy who lost the bout's effort, and its class also. People have preferences of their favourite fights, and they're usually the exciting tear-ups brawls, some others like boxing clinics, some just have other preferences but i really do think this is the best 15 round fight ive ever seen. In one of the rounds, around 11 i think, they just rest their heads on each other for large periods trying to out-muscle one another without trading much leather, its a lot like what you see in stuff from Jack Johnson's era and what people see as boring, but for some reason, Roberto and the Ray make it great to watch.

 

A fan of the fight then? :yep

I wasn't trying to make a case for Leonard, god only knows the guys at ESB would never allow it, because Duran trained for this fight, but I thought saying "Leonard was comprehensively beaten" was outlandish. Nit picking at the very least, but that's one of the ways to fit in around here. Duran was fantastic that night, but I can't help but think had it been Leonard who won in the fashion Duran did, people would be making a case for Duran. In any event, doesn't matter how old Duran gets, or if any detractors do come out of the woodwork, nobody can take the fight away from Duran.

 

I wasnt having a go at you there Selfkill about the fight, i was just putting my own bit in on the subject because you guys have been discussing it while ive not been online. And yes im a fan of the fight! 'Comprehensively beaten' is too much, i dont think the comment was meant in a Calzaghe-Lacy sense though!

I dont know about people making a case for Leonard if roles were reversed though, i just base it on who got the more points in the fight, if Leonard would have outscored Duran the way i saw Duran do to him i wouldnt be making a case for Duran.

 

Absolutely :good

All your points were spot on, and their first fight was truly memorable.

 

Thanks, and it really was, my personal fave has been Barrera-Morales 1 ever since it happened, but there's something about this one.

 

Perhaps because we're looking at two of the greatest fighters of all time, both in their respective primes, going toe to toe. In hindsight, considering how good Leonard was, it was an absolute shocker than Duran pulled off the win coming up from lightweight.

 

Yeah, u wouldnt favour any other 135 pounder in history to pull it off i dont think.

 

I do not think the win over Barkley was that great for Duran. Barkley was made for him. I remember when I heard Hearns was going to fight Barkley I thought, oh man terrible style for him. Hearns would have beaten everyone else. Yet when I heard Duran would fight Iran I thought, Duran is going to win the title. Yet Duran would never have beaten Frank Tate or even Michael Olajide at the time. Hearns was so much better than Duran in the 1980s.

 

I'm almost ashamed to admit that Leonard-Duran 1 didn't do very much for me.I thought,considering the calibre of the fighters,it was a fairly mauling scrappy sort of affair and wasn't all that easy to watch unless you were a huge Duran fan.Duran fought a very good fight and completely took Ray out of his game but asthetically it wasn't much I didn't think.

I much prefered Duran's performances in the De Jesus 3,Palomino and Cuevas fights.Another fight of Duran's that I thought was really impressive was his 1973(?) fight with a great Aussie fighter called Hector Thompson,where a still developing Duran completely dominated a very tough,skillful opponent.

 

Still think Pryor had Leonard's number. Okay he would've been coming up from 140 but he hadn't been there that long. Pryor wanted the fight but from the footage of Pryor calling Leonard out at a press conference (where bizarrely Leonard appears to be wearing a Sailor's hat!) it seems to me that Leonard wanted none of the fight.

 

You could not be more wrong.

 

I'd like to know why. It's obviously a famous debate among boxing fans, I just think if Pryor had moved up in his prime he would've been too much for Leonard; mainly because he was determined to beat Leonard more than any other fighter. Wouldn't be surprised if Leonard had found a way to win but it wouldn't have been one-sided would it?

If you think Leonard would've dominated Pryor I'd love to know your reasons. :good

 

i would have to agree with the person who said braddock

braddock was basicaly a journyman until he broke his right hand and had to use his left more, then he beat afew prospects then got a title fight where he was a huge underdog against the formiddable max baer but he won

that in my eyes is the greatest comeback and story in boxing