Duran from Montreal vs Leonard (New Orleans)

Thats a dangerous comparison...there is at least some fruitful debate in these subjects, unlike some of the tripe that comes out of the general.

 

I thought plenty about it. And I just know these versions would overcome anything their opponent (Leonard, Ali) would bring to the table. You may have another oppinion. Well, it's wrong because it ain't mine

 

:thinkhmmm...I'm lost.

 

...Simply not true. :bart

Leonard is so frowned upon in the Classic that even Hearns was "weight drained", Benitez was "stopped prematurely", and Hagler "never lost that fight". I mean, despite the fight being razor close, it was Hagler who was ROBBED!

 

Well Ali beat Frazier twice to Frazier's one just like Leonard did to Duran so thats not a great comparison. Also I think the Ali of the sixties was the superior version of Ali. I agree Duran was possessed but in my mind Leonard was just pulled into a fight he shouldnt have been, if he boxes how he does in the second fight he wins first time round. Remember the first fight was very close, I only had a round or two in it and that was Leonard fighting Duran's fight. If he had stepped away and kept Duran at a distance instead of trading he would have won in my mind. Take nothing away from Duran though, he won that first fight, he pulled Leonard into a war and beat him up like nobody had seen before so full credit to him for that.

 

Exactly that's why it is such a great comparison. Duran and Frazier beat Leonard and Ali when they all were nearest or at heir absolute best. Later both lost two fights to them. Both, Ali and Leonard, are better than their specific counterparts at their weight but lost the bout of their trilogy where all four were at their best. I does not make Duran a better Welterweight than nor does i make Frazier a better hw than Ali.

And I don't think Ali was better in 67 than in 71. He looked beter but he also didn't fight no Joe Frazier. :bart

 

There you go. It's amazing that some of these guys think that just because Leonard wanted to go at Duran in the first fight, it was the right thing to do. Yes, he fought the way he wanted to fight, but he lost because of it. That's why he changed his style and was successful in the subsequent fights. Leonard learned from the first fight that the best way to beat Duran is to give him movement and use his natural athletic ability to frustrate him.

 

:huh

 

Duran would have beat Leonard.I hated Leonard for his shamefull act that night ,it was sickening.Duran should not have pulled the no mas BS,but Leonard was acting like a a clown.I never did figure why more people didn`t condemm chicken **** Leonard.
It would have been hard to pry a decision win against Leonard when he was the media darling,but a fair scoring judge with unjaded eyes certainly would have seen victory for hands of stone

 

This could easily have been posted by Marvin Hagler himself.

Completely objective point of views...my favorite. :good

 

Great post, couldn't agree with it more.

 

Now now good sir, two wrongs don't make a right.

I think Leonard would've beaten Duran on any other night which is what makes the performance in Montreal so outstanding. Even so, it makes Leonard look like a god in hindsight. It took a picture perfect nearly flawless performance from Duran to BARELY edge out Leonard.

 

How can you say that Leonard was at his best? We will never know that.

 

Looks like I did misunderstand.

H2H vs each other I would say it would be 50/50, excelent first fight that was close but clear for Duran. If they fought ten times in their peaks I would say that each man would win roughly 5 bouts each.

But Duran being the smaller man would get more points from me.

The fight that both men were at their best is the first fight and Duran won that one.

 

Ali was knocked down and hurt at times in the 60s. How often did you see that in the second part of his career? Yeah, he looked more spectacular but I think the fact that he wasn't allowed to fight, that he had to fight to be allowed to fight again changed something in him that made him the fighter he was supposed to be.
In the first part he was a flamboyant loudmouth with unbelievable speed but also a bit fragile. In the second part he was an atg who could overcome about anyhing with his sheer will. I'm more impressed with the 70s Ali then with the 60s Ali.