Roberto Duran vs Nigel Benn @MW

If what you are writing here is true,then just why,oh why,on God's Green Earth did you begin this thread in the first place.If you are certain you are correct in your statements,then did you begin this thread-as a nuthugging thread,perhaps?Why have the ****ing debate,then,in the first place?"Duran's being chosen here is ****ing ridiculous"WHAAAAT?YOU STARTED THE THREAD!

 

Just for the record,at middleweight,Benn was ko'd by Chris Eubanks and Michael Watson,who in HIS very next fight,was stopped by Mike McCallum.Benn had a tremendous heart,heavy hands and good speed,but his boxing IQ is nowhere near Duran's.I remember when he fought Watson,he tried on a few occasions to feign injury in order to draw Michael in,but Watson wasn't fooled.The Duran that fought Hagler in '83 laughs at such tactics and outboxes Benn all night long.The Duran of later years gets beaten by better-at-supermiddleweight-than-middleweight and much younger Benn.

 

Even the Duran of '83 would get hit as easily as DeWitt-who was never that great in the first place-and beaten as easily?Nah.

 

Benn by KO.

I can't understand anyone picking the 80s Duran against any top MW. By my count Duran's record at JM/MW/SM thru 1989 was 13 and 6 with 5 KOs (Hands of stone? not at this weight) In championship fights at these weights he was 2 and 4.

He looked great against Davey Moore--a fighter with 12 total pro bouts at the time. He got a spit decison against Barkely. He looked good against Hagler, but I thought Hagler still won the fight easily and most of the boxing writers at the time agreed with me. These are the high points. But he also lost to Laing and Sims.

Duran's conditioning was inconsistent throughout his MW years. He could lose to any good MW just by being out of condition. Even at his best at this weight he wasn't great.

 

I rarely defend Duran, but the Duran of 1983 was still quick enough and could compete with anyone like Hagler or Hearns. No way in 1983 would Benn overtake Duran with power, and Benn's stamina was never consistent, which you need to fight Duran since he knew when to pour it on- and Benn did not have lateral movement to keep Duran off. THe 1983 Duran stops Benn, but the 1989-1990 Duran in my mind loses to Benn by mid knockout. Those 5 years mean that much. Benn was good, but he could not compete with a younger Duran of the earlyl 1980's.

 

I am the first to admit Duran could not beat Hearns or Hagler or Benitez, and that he beat Moore and people give him too much credit. But Benn was not in the class of Hearns and Hagler and Benitez or Leonard. Not the early 1980's Duran. The late 1980's Duran needed the best style matchup he could to become champ, and he got it with Iran Barkley. The early 1980's Duran could have beaten Benn.
I agree Duran did lose to Marvin fairly easily, once Marvin poured it on in the later rounds.

 

Why activate and relieve your Nigel Benn hardon with a thread like this?

How about Nigel in 1990 vs Holyfield at lightheavy.

Duran as a fighter was on a level where Benn didnt exist.

 

He says that about every British fighter. :roll:

 

I going to try and act surprised, see if you can spot it.

 

Benn's punching power was frightening back then.

 

January 1988.

Duran was genuinely shocked at Benn's natural talent and the fact he'd only been a pro boxer 12 months.

 

I agree completely