What MW champions would you make an underdog to Roberto Duran?

I think his third fight with Dick Tiger is the one where he put all of it together despite being 33 and having already fought well over 100 times. Tiger was at his best and had wrecked Gene Fullmer, Henry Hank, Florentino Fernandez, Spider Webb previously.

 

Tito always was susceptible to the jab. Hopkins was a very adapatable fighter, there's no doubt. I was just speaking on their general preferences. Normally Hopkins's jab wasn't one of the more reknowned punches in his arsenal, even if he could use it to great effect at times, given the right opponent. Joey's jab and left hand in general were a bigger part of his offense than Hop's, though both used the right hand to equal effect.

 

Having seem the Fullmer, Webb and Fernandez fights I can see exactly where you're coming from. Have you uploaded it mate?

 

The third Tiger-Giardello fight?

No but someone else has:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQlp0NQP4BE[/ame]

 

That's the thing. If it would make sense to use the jab consistently against Giardello he would do so. I think this is the litle difference between them, Giardello was consistent with his style, Hopkins adeped to his opponent more.
They are very similar in many wise and h2h at middleweight I don't think there is much between them. I lean slightly to Hopkisn though but that's more or less just me beeing a bit of a fan. :good

 

Top man :good

 

I've never thought Hopkins left-hand work was anything particularly special, at least when boxing on the outside and looking to hook off the jab etc...lots of really good middles with more educated, versatile left-hand work.

It was the combo's and lead right that got things done for him usually.

 

I love that fight a pure boxing masterclass from Joey. In fact is the complete fight out there? as I have the most complete version I have seen around and it is missing afew rounds.

I really need to see more Giardello, I m downloading a DVD of him as I type.

 

Strangely enough I was reading about this fight in Gutteridges book "The Big Punchers ". He said Downes turned cutie, I haven't seen this fight for years.Giardello was not a good trainer,but in shape he would give any middle a rough night imo.

 

Duran was'nt a puncher at 160 lbs, and he had to be very careful to pace himself properly........there is absolutely now way that I'd see Duran even come close to beating Pavlik.

Pavlik is too big and strong......and he knows how to fight tall.......always using his height and reach.

Pavlik was much more skilled than Barkley, and I'll also add that it can be argued that Barkley beat Duran.

 

They were both essentially generic jab right hand fighters(pac and Barkley).

Barkley was sloppier, but also more versatile with it.

 

No way does Giardello lose to a MW Duran.

 

Downes said that Giardello could not get over the fact that he could get outboxed by him. I don't know if that was the reason Giardello gave up but Downes did do a very fine job of boxing in that fight. However he felt his best ever performance was his losing effort against Willie Pastrano.

He was also rather honest about his win over an old Ray Robinson, saying it was embarrassing to have beaten an old man and that he would have "ran" from a fight against a prime Sugar Ray. I found it interesting that he'd say that.

He fought on the inside against some short clubfighter in his last fight and was getting hit quite a lot. I'd definitely give Duran some kind of a chance against him despite the huge difference in size.

 

Duran would have bit-time problems with Pavlik because of Kelly's superior height, reach and work-rate. The fact that Duran problably couldn't stop him means he gets outworked.

 

Bobo Olson.