Taking account of age and everything else, I think it's an exceptional performance. I think you could justifiably put it below Buchanan and Hagler, but no lower. It's certianly not his "worst best" win.
It wasn´t ridiculous. I wasn´t really participating in that discussion because basically it´s what you like more. There are arguments for both. Spinks win rates highly for Holmes beeing a great fighter and the champ at hw. Duran´s win ranks high for fighting 4 weightclasses above his best, beeing very much past it, fighting a good prime fighter with big physical advantages and beating him at his own game by beeing physical and winning a belt. Personally I like the Barkley win more. It´s just more impressive to me. My oppinion if that makes me a "Robertard" or ridiculous in some peoples eyes then so be it. I can live with that.
In terms of performance that wouldn't factor, its a great past prime performance similar to Toneys HW performances for me in terms of age/undersized in the division. But Duran fans will curse the ground I work on for saying that
IS TOneys wins over Holyfield/Ruiz as good as Spinks win over Holmes? Toney is 4 weights above his weight class like Duran was at MW. Toney had to overcome massive physical disadvantages like Duran. Toney was old and maybe a decade away from his best performances
Well Toney did not beat Ruiz. He cheated. No matter what excuse you find, he cheated. So, I don´t count this win. If he wouldn´t have cheated than yeah this win would have been as good, if not better. Holyfield himself was already very much past his prime and while bigger size difference doesn´t mean as much at higher weights as it does at the lower weights. So, no I don´t think this win is as good. Not far away though.
Shane was light years ahead P4P .. Barkley was a limited, big puncher ... against some styles dangerous against others looked like a journeyman ... in a street fight, look out for Barkley ...
So if he didnt cheat you'd count Toney-Ruiz as good as Spinks-Holmes, think its miles away, its almost like saying Duran-Barkley is as good as Duran-Leonard 1
None of the "Duran/Barkley > Spinks/Holmes" arguments make sense. The "jumping up weight divisions" one is absurd. Spinks was fighting a 220 pound ATG when in his whole career he'd been fighting light-heavyweights. That's a jump of 40 pounds at least. Also, he was giving up 20+ pounds in the actual fight, and fighting at a NEW bodyweight for himself. Duran was 156 against a 159 Barkley, and Duran had fought several times at similar bodyweight, and had some major success at a bodyweight of 150+, he'd beaten a couple of good 154-pounders in his career, AND he'd gone the distance with Marvin Hagler and lost a close one to Robbie Sims and pounded on some full-blown middleweight journeymen ..... so it wasn't like he was completely untested against 160-pounders.
I never argumented Duran´s win over Barkley. I said there are arguments for both but that to me Duran´s win is more impressive. Spinks was also a big lhw. And we know that the higher the weight, the less it means. You also can´t ignore that Holmes was past it while Spinks was in his prime. All good and true. Duran was still a natural lw competing above his best age, beeing past-prime beating a prime fighter at his best weight coming of a win over a fighter who blew Duran out. Considering everything Duran´s win is more impressive to me. Spinks is still a great win and very impressive.
So given you would have Toneys win against ruiz over Spinks win it logically follows you'd have Jones win over Ruiz, as trumping Spinks win. Especially given Jones was 34, past his best, way above his best weight of 168lbs, fighting an opponent 55lbs heavier than he'd ever faced Just working on your own logic :hey