Why do people highly rate Duran's win over Leonard?

Leonard on points, close but clear UD. Id bet huge on it.

 

Leonard TKO8 Duran was SRL at his best, no version of Duran beats Leonard that night & if you think different then thats your fault.

 

Top 10 ever.... but behind Morales-Barrera I :good

 

You can always argue about what when someone was at their best and when not. "Duran was weight-drained in New Orleans, Leonard improved after the loss in Montreal and adjusted in the rematch and had a better game plan, etc..."

The bottom line is that anyone with a brain knows that Duran beating Leonard in the first fight was a terrific performance and victory, "peak" or not.

 

:dead

 

duran was given virtually no chance of beating leonard. he was in his early 30's had a long and busy reign as lightweight champ, and was jumping from 135 to 147 -12lbs- to fight leonard who many considered unbeatable. it was the biggest fight out there, had tremendous buildup for a year or two, and duran beat him..up.

 

Why do people keep saying Duran jumped up from lightweight to welterweight to fight Leonard?

Duran had been fighting at 147 and above for almost 2 years. He beat the living **** out of Palomino a few months earlier, and had some other bouts around that weight too (the brutal KO of Wheatley, win over Brooks, etc).

To say he was two divisions above his peak weight is accurate. To say he left LW to fight Leonard is inaccurate, his last bout at 135 was his masterpiece in the rubber match with Dejesus two and a half years earlier.

 

In all time great rankings Duran is always in the top 10!
Leonard cracks top 20 once in a while!
:bbb So I guess more than just 5 agree with me huh:admin

 

I really dont know why Im even posting on this because its clear that you dont know what your talking about, but I will anyways..First of Duran wasnt in his early 30's he was 29. Secondly Durans first fight as a welterweight was in 1977 right around the time that Ray turned pro, and had 8 fights at or ABOVE welterweight in a row before the fight with Leonard. Duran didnt move up to fight Ray he was already a welterweight. Lastly that fight was pretty much even going into the fight, Ray wasnt a huge favorite despite what the claims are now..

 

Excellent advice....falls on too many deaf ears.:-(

 

Trying to be fair to both sides the opening statement is not as crazy as people are making it out to be. Pretty much the OP wants to know why the fight is regarded as such a great win when Leonard pretty much gave the fight away and fought in an idiotic fashion. I guess it is a great win because Duran won the psychological war before the fight even started. Leonard went in to prove a point and got his ass handed to him for it. Yes, both men traded off great wins. But Leonard wins the pyschological war in the second fight. He humiliates Duran and makes him quit. Duran was strong that night as you can see in the second fight when he catches Leonard against the ropes but Leonard would not stand and trade as he did in the first fight. There are other factors, main one being Duran's condition in the second fight. Duran was good enough for what he intended that night, to come in and knock Leonard out early as he had said he would do before the fight.

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Thanks for posting that video it's been years since I last saw that fight

The fight seemed more exciting the first time I saw it.

In that clip you posted Leonard is running almost as bad as DLH did in the last rounds of the Tito fight.

 

Leonard generally was a flat-footed boxer anyway. He moved on his toes and fought on the backfoot in the Duran rematch and against Hagler (another fighter whose style was GREATLY different than the public perception nowadays), but usually he was flat-footed, flicking the jab, circling, looking to open up with combos, very relaxed. He boxed on his toes in spots in other fights, but it wasn't often at all.

Duran was all over him and cut off the ring well, so it was pretty hard to use the ring more.

Leonard adapted and changed his style for the rematch, the way a fighter is supposed to.

 

Yeah, Leonard ran pretty much through the whole thing. Duran was pissed off from the get go. That's why I don't believe the cramps story. Duran could not get Leonard to engage but Leonard could score while Duran could not. It was a bit similar to Hoya/Trinidad except Trinidad didn't give up.

 

According to the biography "Hands of Stone", the cramps story was bull****.

It was an excuse made up by a member of his corner (maybe his uncle, can't remember).