Toney. I thought Marvin was strangely tentative in his fight with Duran. A young Toney would not have been so cautious and would have worn Roberto down. Decision or late stoppage
Toney of 1991 / '92 outboxes the slower but still capable 1983 version of Duran at 156 1/2 pounds......... Another tactical event, but Toney wins on points....... Toney too big and slick at 160 for the great but blown-up Duran............ :deal MR.BILL:bbb
I think the 83 version of Duran would beat the Toney that fought Nunn. However Toney improved after that the one that beat Mccallum edges Duran but no way does he stop him like the prior post stated. The 89 version that beat Barkley loses to either version of Toney but still last the distance. This is assuming that both show up at 100% because either guy is likely to win or lose at anything less which both were known to do.
Styles make fights................. Duran was never a ball of fire above 154 pounds..... At 160, Duran had TWO good / great efforts......... "Hagler & Barkley" of 1983 and '89....... At 160 to 168 pounds, Duran often looked bloated and soft in going the distance and scoring a few KO's over "B" grade opponents and some clubfighters who were below par........ Roberto Duran is great, but his best weights and yrs were at 135 to 147 pounds and fighting between 1967 thru 1980......... By 1981 and at 154 pounds, Duran was past his best day at age 30....... YET! The sum ***** kept fighting on and on up until 2001, winning and losing some, but still providing entertainment........ In my book, Duran's last really good effort was his 1997 rematch win over Jorge Castro in Panama......... Duran was still rough and tuff in 2001 at age 50 against Camacho, but he was too heavy at 164 pounds and too slow to sustain any real attack to beat Camacho in 2001........ Camacho at age 39 was also slower and faded, but he still had enough savy to outbox the ancient dinosaur in Duran....... MR.BILL
I agree with most of what you stated,but I think Duran was still pretty damn good when he fought Hagler, If that would have been a 12 rounder he would have won that fight. At 168 him and Toney would have been a mismatch but thats not fair since that was Toneys Prime Weight and Duran was old and at the end by that time. I thought he was robbed against Camacho in ther first fight and Duran was like 45 already. The first fight with Paz also could have gone either way when he decked the tuff Paz, and Duran was an old man ,could you imagine a younger duranatsch
I have no doubt that Duran south of age 38 could and would beat Paz's ass to a pulp at a lower weight of say 154 to 158 pounds............. Duran IS a solid decade older than Paz, but I still thought the first fight in 1994 was a damn good encounter that could've gone either way too; it was close....... The 1995 rematch that Duran and Paz fought was a letdown....... Duran's conditioning was not as good and Paz looked more "Juiced" than ever before......... I sense that Vinny Paz was roiding big time in the middle 90s......... Paz carried that 165 to 168 pounds very solidly with muslce... While Duran, who I feel was naturally trained throughout, always had some pudge in the girth area above 160 pounds..... Duran's smaller frame just couldn't properly handle weights of 160 to 168 pounds...... MR.BILL
I think the Toney who wore down Nunn would do the same to Duran. Being a blown up LW, Roberto tires much quicker here. As the rounds wore on, James would find it easier to tag him cleanly.
Even the 83 duran? The win over Barkley was great,but the one that fought Hagler would have took out barkley in 8 or 9 round. It depends which mid version u compare, I think Mr Bill should have specified which Duran. Because the one from 89 would have lost, the one from 83 takes TOney in a close fight
Hagler was too passive and conservative in 83, that's why Duran looked good. Whether 83 or 89, Toney tops both versions IMO.
On the judges cards, yes... but to anyone with a pair of eyes in their heads, no, Hagler was ahead by the 12th & pulled even further ahead by dominating the last 3. Ps. I like both guys but like Duran much better.