Is Duran v Leonard I the best win in boxing history?

Every casual fan of boxing has heard that. Why would Leonard, the undefeated Welterweight champion regarded as one of the top 2 P4P in the world alongside Duran change from his usual style? It's his ego, yes, but he believed he was a better fighter, and he was a bigger one. Why not fight in the way that had got him there? It's not as if he went in looking to trade shot for shot and go to war entirely on the inside, he tried to keep his distance and fight his fight. It didn't work, for some reason Duran doesn't seem to get enough credit for forcing Leonard to fight his fight.

 

Even tho SRL & Duran were closer to their primes than SRL & Hagler, you have to consider Duran wasnt as much of an underdog vs SRL as SRL was vs Hagler.

Leonard & Duran were BOTH p4pers when they fought.... Hagler was the no1 p4p & SRL only had 1 fight in almost 6 yrs when they fought.

Duran was beating LWWTs & WWTs before testing himself vs Leonard tho they werent title fights but decent/good fighters so it wasnt a FLAT OUT JUMP from 135 to fight the best at 147.

Leonard had never fought at MWT in his life & had only 1 fight at 154 vs Kalule in 1981 (Im not sure about the Kevin Howard fight, whether that was 147 or 154)

Im still not sure which win was better, Im mearly pointing out the strength of the SRL/Hagler arguement.


Botswana :smoke

 

Duran opted to fight Leonard's fight and quit in the rematch. When he fought with his own tactics he owned an A game Leonard. Deal with it.

 

LaMotta over Robinson I

 

^^

 

Ali over Foreman was better

 

He didn't 'opt' to do anything, he just wasn't capable of doing anything about it. SRL fought Duran toe to toe VOLUNTARILY in the first fight because of **** that Duran said to his wife before the first fight. In the second fight he brought out his A game and fought the way he's supposed to fight, moving, boxing and unleashing hell when it was the right time to do so, and he showed that he's head and shoulders above Duran in every way. You are so wrong, so often, and on so many different subjects that it just amazes me that you still post with that absolutely certainty in your tone.

 

It' not much debate anymore (correct me some will whether right or wrong) I think in terms of fully resolved that being Duran was in gastro -distress during 2nd fight. Hospital results so forth. This should'nt be to highly thought of:good.

 

where was duran tactics vs:

1. leonard in the 2nd fight
2. hagler
3. benitez
4. hearns
5. kirkland laing

I mean why did duran go 1-5 against the best of his era if he had the best "tactics" :admin

 

Same with SRL in the first Duran fight. You think he 'opted' to get stung with big punches and hurt twice in the fight?

His A game? He clowned and moved the entire time and hardly showed any offense, Duran simply was not in the condition or state of mind to deal with it at that time. You give Leonard the benefit of the doubt based simply on an exchange of words between the two prior to their first fight, but you're unwilling to do so with Duran when he put on and took off over 70 pounds in the 5 month span between the first and second fights? Yeah, that makes sense.

Leonard showed that he could move and clown better than an out of shape Duran, whereas Duran showed that he could flat out beat Leonard's ass when both were at their best. I'd say Duran's performance was a tad more convincing, and I'd say you know as much about boxing as an autistic pre-teen.

Who the **** are you in the first place?

 

There is so much rampant stupidity on this board that it makes me lose faith in mankind.

 

No, Im huge fan of Duran but seeng Leonard fight in other fights like against Duran in rematch, Hearns and Hagler, it becomes clear that Leonard had wrong gameplan and wanted to prove something in that fight, like standing toe to toe and stuff like that , I even think that fight was very close one too even tho Leonard didnt use his feet and stood his ground.

Alltho I wasnt around that era, so maby that win looked more huge back then.

 

and you're too stupid to realize that you're about the dumbest poster in the thread.

 

It was a great win, both were prime (unlike the two Duran losses later to SRL when he was a past prime 40 and never trained), Duran gave up 3 inches in height and more in reach and was a true lightweight vs. a welterweight. Historical yes, best win ever? No.

 

That is just cold.