"Duran-Cuevas" of 1983.... Classic or Farce?

That's basically it in a nutshell.

Cuevas' legs and chin were gone at that point, and he was coming straight off a year or so layoff I believe. As it is, the fight produced some fireworks in the brief time that it lasted, but I think a fight between them back in their primes would've been a classic.

 

The fight was pretty much over after Cuevas landed his best on Duran to no effect.

 

Yep, i remember it well, he took everything from pipino for the first 2 rounds but yer just had this feeling that roberto was always in control & then he just took over in the 3rd & battered cuavas all over the ring, truly incredible & i loved the post fight ring interview with duran, he knew he still had it + who else was in the commentary, was it Gerry Cooney?

I've always dreamt of that scenario where Duran fights Cuevas straight after he beat Leonard & that would have been the biggest $$$$ latin match-up in history, KO'd Cuevas for the undisputed WW crown then jumped up & beat Benitez or straight onto the new middle king Hagler, jeez it could have been so different & Leonard/Hearns just fighting over the scraps

 

How about summer of '80 when they were both at weltreweight...pre-Hearns Cuevas vs. an undefeated Duran coming off the win over Sugar (but before losing the rematch)? :think

 

It's funny, even at the time the commentators were treating it as a "last gasp" for both, noting that often times two shot fighters make for good, desperate battles. That Duran hung around for another two decades...:yikes

 

I haven't seen this fight in it's entirety, but the moment when Duran effortlessly moves his head out of the way of 4 Cuevas shots, shakes his head, and then lands a lead right hand...is supreme. Love it. I think that resulted in a knockdown, and Cuevas didn't know what hit him.

 

its a showcase, not really a farce as some have been claiming. its a proof that duran is levels above for guys like pipino cuevas

 

There is a moment where they stand real close, shoulder to shoulder, and Pipino lands two body shots, and you can see Duran wince and push him off. After that, you can see how Duran does his utmost best to not be hit flush again. He gets some distance between them and does his feinting/sneaky overhand right.

Cuevas definitely got his respect. I definitely give Duran much credit for the manner of victory, it should not have been so easy.

 

Cuevas was never anything like the same fighter post Hearns, and unfortunately for him Duran came in 100% fired up and prepared as if he was to meet the feared Cuevas from years of yore.

So we had a top shelf Duran putting in a fantastic effort vs Cuevas. I do think Pipino fought pretty well all considering, if not as good as he once had.

I think Duran would have outclassed peak Cuevas. Too much polish and durability.

 

The skill level difference between them was enormous.....and the fact that Duran went on to be able to handle much bigger fighters than Cuevas well afterward (Barkley)......
.....in hindsight, its easy to comprehend how easily Duran handled Cuevas.


......and JohnThomas is right, Duran was respectful of Cuevas' power early on.....so you know he took Cuevas seriously.

You better believe Duran was fired up......the fight was fought in the LA Sports Arena, all sold out with passionate hispanic fight fans.
......I was 15 years old at the time and lived just 10 minutes away from the Sports Arena and wishing I could go......had to settle to listening to the radio broadcast of it.
.....and of course, I saw it a few weeks later on a spanish network.

 

Where the fighters in there prime, No. Was it a farce, hell no, it was a 4 round very tough fight. There was very little farce involved in that fight