Would Benitez have beaten the Duran of Montreal ?

I don't think he would have, it's been a while since i watched their actual fight, but i remember thinking early on that Duran was utilising the right approach but being sort of tentative to put his toold to use. That said there can be excuses and that tentativeness was more likely a lot to do with a man called Wilfredo Benitez and his skillset/style of fighting.

I think that the way Duran fought in Montreal still means that Benitez can win due to the styles matchup, but Duran was much sharper when the fight was in the form of a chess-match in the centre of the ring, and when he has his man on the ropes he is much more dynamic and more effective.

Duran for me.

 

No, I don't think so. The Duran of the Brawl In Montreal was pretty much the last ever truly peak Duran. Although he had some great performances after this like Cuevas and Moore, he never again hit the heights that he did from the mid-late 70s up till 1980. Benitez would always have given him a difficult night, but Duran in the form that beat peak Leonard would have been too much for Benitez IMO.

 

Yes, I believe he would have. His (Duran's) style was made to order for Benitez. Benitez was cool, almost coldly arrogant when at his best...and had total control..that was the way to contain Duran.

 

Look...he would at least to better IMO...and if the scores were that close the first time around..then Duran would probably get the nod, even if it was not deserved.

 

I think people are making way too much out of this styles issue. You should be able to watch the fights and make a pretty clear distinction on the condition and quality of the fighters. If you've done this, it's very obvious Duran at 154 simply wasn't the same as in his fresher, sharper days pre-Leonard II. He still managed to dig deep and pull out another great performance when the time allowed every now and then, but typically only against certain styles, and they became fewer and further between. He just wasn't the same fighter post-Leonard II, especially as he continued to move up in weight and his physical tools started to deteriorate, mainly his legs, which is what gave him so many issues finding the strength to impose himself on Benitez.

You seriously think Benitez is going to counter-punch off the ropes, primarily in the pocket, with that kind of success against the Duran who brutalized Ray Leonard on the inside in their first fight? Let's be real here.

 

Both Leonard and Duran too much for him at this weight

 

Sweet Pea has nailed it for me

 

At welter an edge to Duran. At 154 an edge to Wilfredo ..

 

I still give the edge to Benitez what impressed me most about his fight with Duran was how he was able to beat him on the inside and fustrate him so early. Would be a closer fight but same result.

 

Benitez was brilliant against Duran. I actually like Benitez a little better at 154 than I did at 147. Maybe he physically matured by that time to go along with his tactical brilliance. Likewise, Duran wasn't the same fighter at 154 as Montreal Duran. Taken together I'd favor Montreal Duran over Benitez slightly at 147.

 

Roberto Duran still had not developed into a solid 154 pounder by 1982....... Duran looked porky at 157 for Nino Gonzalez in the summer of '81 and only decent at 154 against Luigi Minchillo in the fall of 1981.... Come Jan. of 1982, I thought Roberto Duran looked fine for the pre-fight photographs, but he looked a step slow and sluggish with his combinations against Willie Benitez on HBO....... All the rds were typical "10-9" rds, and Benitez won a good 10 of them, but Duran was there to the end.....
thumbsup:bbb

MR.BILL

 

Same opponent, same result. Benitez outboxes Duran every time, and it was a fairly easy fight to score the time they did meet.

It may be hard to believe but Duran can be beaten even when he has trained.

 

Forget training, you're saying it's not possible he was just past his prime (mentally and physically) and above his best weight in the Benitez bout? Do you just completely throw these things out of the equation?

 

The Duran of '80 at 145 pounds in Canada was a prime-time fighter ready to kill at welterweight........ The Duran who showed up in 1982 at 152 pounds to fight Benitez on HBO was a shell of himself......

Funny, but by the summer of 1983, Ol' Duran was back in black and kickin' ass in the boxing world, while the younger Benitez was jackin' off and heading for a fall; never to return........

MR.BILL