Opinions of old-timers back in 1980 on Duran as a lightweight. Interesting indeed.

In 1980 one of the sport's most respected journalists, Jack Fiske, interviewed 17 boxing experts who were old enough to have seen in person the greatest lightweights of the previous 50 years. The interviews were conducted shortly after Duran's signature victory over Sugar Ray Leonard, which many people consider to be the greatest fight of his career. Fiske asked each interviewee to compare Duran to the best lightweights they have ever seen. Following are a few selected excerpts.


Teddy Brenner, matchmaker and president of Madison Square Garden Boxing Department, 1959-78: "I don't think Duran would have beaten Billy Petrolle or a Sid Terris and they never became champions... Duran, to me, was an exciting, colourful hard punching charismatic fighter but I think he suffered from a geniune lack of competition. While he held the title the fighters in the lightweight divison were at the lowest calibre in the division's history, and he smartly avoided the mediocrities.

"The best lightweights I ever saw - and their records are against great opposition will bear me out -are: Canzoneri, Armstrong, Williams, Ross, Beau Jack, Montgomery, Ambers, Jenkins and Duran. I doubt Duran could have survived their competition. Look a their oppostion..."


Cus D'Amato, legendary trainer of Floyd Patterson, Jose Torres and Mike Tyson. D'Amato saw every great fighter from the 1920's to the early 80's: "While Duran may have been outstanding in his time, there is no comparison with the type of opposition he faced compared to others. He had much fewer top class fighters to box."

D'Amato listed his top nine choices of all-time great lightweights, "not necessarily in order", as Jack Blackburn, Charley White, Benny Leonard, Tony Canzoneri, Henry Armstrong, Barney Ross, Jimmy McLarnin, Joe Gans and Kid Lavigne. In D'Amato's opinion, Charley White and Barney Ross would have been a "toss up" with Duran. The other seven, he felt, would have beaten him.


Ray Arcel, 81 years old at the time on the interview (1980). He was Duran's co-trainer for eight years. The dean of American trainers had worked with Benny Leonard during his comeback in the early 1930's. Duran was his 18th world champion.

"Duran could have been right at the top of any lightweight division. If he were not champion - he would have been a leading contender. Benny Leonard, in my opinion, was the greatest boxer, pound for pound, that I ever saw. He was the champion of the best lightweight divison anybody has seen since 1917. Any leading contenders of that period could have been champion if Leonard was not there.

"I feel Duran could fit right into that group and proven his ability with the outstanding fighters of that period. His strength and punching power could have made it possible for him to more than hold his own with all the champions who followed Leonard. Ross, Canzoneri, Ike Williams, Lew Ambers, Jimmy Carter, Charley White, Billy Petrolle, Beau Jack are dream matches - but Duran would have proven his ability with every one of these fine champions... He could box as well as fight."


Chris Dundee managed boxers from the 1930's to the 1950's and was a major promoter from the 1950's to the 1980's. He is the elder brother of Angelo Dundee: "Duran was a great lightweight, but I cannot compare him to Canzoneri, who was the best lightweight I ever saw. I knew (Benny) Leonard, but never seen him box, but I did see Tendler, as I'm from Philly: Ross, Williams, and Armstrong would have to be rated over Duran in my book.

"Duran boxed for me three times; Saoul Mamby gave him hell. Ordinary Vilomar Fernandez almost went the 15 round distance with him. Can you picture Vilomar going as many as ten rounds with Lew Jenkins, Brown or Beau Jack? Duran beat nobodies."


Lou Gross, former trainer and cut man, worked with many world champions and contenders during the course of a 50 year career: "Duran is the best lightweight of the last ten years. (Benny) Leonard was the best champ I saw, number one in my book. Next comes Ross, Canzoneri, Armstrong, White, Tendler, Petrolle, Ortiz, Williams and Beau Jack. Duran would be number 11."


Jack Fisk, who covered boxing for 40 years with the San Francisco chronicle, threw in his two cents: "When I try to place Roberto Duran in a one-to-ten listing, I can never wipe out the memory of his title defenses against Lou Bizzaro, Leonico Ortiz and Vilomar Fernandez. Bizzaro lasted 14 rounds, Ortiz went the 15 round limit and Fernandez was in there until the 13th round. Bizzaro without a doubt, was the most pathetic lightweight challenger in history, although a great runner. Ortiz, at the time he met Duran, had a 22-5-1 record. Fernandez, 19-5-1, had only knocked out five men. Ike Williams would have knocked out all three in one night with none of the fights going beyond three rounds. Ortiz may have taken longer, but not much longer.

"The best (lightweight) fighter Duran ever met was Esteban DeJesus, who beat him one out of three. Probably on par with DeJesus was Ken Buchanan, from whom Duran won the world title on a controversial blow (fair or foul?) in the 13th round. Duran's manager would never honour a commitment for a return bout contract with Buchanan after that.

None of the old-timers participating in the poll gave Dejesus or Buchanan a call on their all-time lists.



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