Anyone here old enough to remember Duran/Leonard 1?

Try this question in the Classic section...from all reports it was huge win at the time.

 

It wasnt that big of a deal, it was a pretty even fight going in. People will try and tell you know that Duran was a huge dog, and he moved up to fight Ray and a whole list of false stuff to try and make it seem like Duran pulled off the parting of the red sea.

Truth is Duran had been fighting as a welterweight since around the time that Ray turned pro, Ray was a slight betting favorite, and many experts picked Duran to win, because Ray was young and somewhat green.

 

Let me clear something up...It was a BIG fight. Thats not what I meant when I said its not a big deal. I was meaning that it wasnt a big deal that Duran won. It would be more like Pac beatting hatton. Its a big win but not a big upset. Now-a-days people want to make it out to be Douglas over Tyson.

 

I'm not old enough to remember..but I did watch that fight on the weekend. I was amazed with the way SRL fought flat footed in that fight and went toe to toe with duran... Amazing fight.

 

I remember it. I also remember thinking why couldn't Duran knock out Ray if Ray fought him inside the whole fight. Ray fought the wrong fight and learned a lesson and came back and outclassed Duran in Ray's style of fighting.

 

nice post. Not many people mention the fact that Ray was rather inexperienced then and this was his second title defense of his first title. Ray learned a lesson and boxed his next fight and won easily.

 

Like Pac beating Hatton?? Come on man.

Duran was something like the 2-1 betting underdog...ive read stuff saying most boxing writers thought the odds deserved to be wider. These were two excellent fighters at the peak of their powers..one unbeaten, the other unbeaten in 6 years.
Pac was rightly the favorite coming into the Hatton fight...Hatton was probably at best on the fringe of p4p lists and had already been pretty brutally ko'ed..dont agree with that comparison.

Do agree though that its a win that is considered greater on reflection..and some people do go a tad overboard with that... but thats to be expected as Leonard solidified his greatness with subsequent bouts.

 

I was 6.

I remember Hot Gossip on the Kenny Everett show, The Goodies, Dr Who with Tom Baker but not Duran Leonard 1 winner.

I think this fight will be more like Trinidad De La Hoya, probably a better fight though!

 

Nope, still working on the flux copacitor

 

I'm not old enough. But luckily we have Youtube

 

In the promotion of the fight, Duran gave Leonard's wife at the time the middle finger and called her a *****. This pissed off Leonard who vowed to come at Duran and give him a real beating. This, of course, was precisely what Duran wanted. Leonard fought very well on the inside but got outclassed over fifteen rounds. Duran hurt him badly and pounded him on the ropes in one of the early rounds. It was an awesome, close fight. One of the best action fights with terrific boxing displays by both fighters I've ever seen. Duran was definately, at age 29 and the smaller man the underdog. Ray has admitted in several interviews Duran beat him psychologically before he ever entered the ring by getting him mad enough to fight Duran's fight. Probably a good thing as it was a legendary battle between two all-time greats.

 

**** -- old enough to remember Leonard/Duran Iatsch

Buddy -- I argued on the school bus that Cassius Clay would beat Sonny Liston:yep

And no -- Duran's win over SRL was not a big upset. I expected it, and so did many others I knew.

 

leonard set the record straight in the rematch...the reason why duran is not seen as a top 10 h2h fighter at 147

 

I am old enough and for same reason I forgot about it.