The reason Roberto Duran Quit

You are one simple *******, aren't you?

 

Well damn, I guess I started making (semi) serious posts at the wrong time. Looks like Duranimal's antics have officially hi-jacked this thread. He is some character, ain't he?

 

atsch

 

It is ridiculous, isn't it?

In this weird world of Duran fans, you get punished for being in-shape. How DARE Leonard show up in shape for the rematch! Not only that, but he also put a .50 to Duran's head and forced him to sign a rematch on a date where he was still partying. Leonard should be ashamed that he quit against Duran. That's right: Leonard quit because he forced Duran to fight while he was partying. Don't you dare blaming a professional fighter for not trying or not being in his best shape.

Speaking about that, look at this image showing a 230lbs Duran quacking around the ring in their rematch:

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The point is, all sides seem to agree that Duran was not properly prepared for that rematch. He went out partying, ballooned up, then had to try getting himself into shape in a small time-frame.

His own fault, yes, absolutely.

But the same kind of qualifiers are given when discussing Tyson-Douglas, or Lewis-Rahman 1, and a number of other fights, so why is it wrong to acknowledge Duran's condition too ?

The likes of Rahman and Douglas tend to get their victories minimized to some degree because of the understanding that they beat opponents who were not "100% themselves", so, rightly or wrongly, Leonard's win can lose some of its varnish too.

Unless of course Leonard deserves special treatment ?

 

Leonard deserves 100% credit for that win, just as Rahman and Douglas do over Lewis & Tyson, respectively.

However, it should be said that Tyson & Lewis at least gave their best in the ring. The absolutely pathetic quit job by Duran is unparalleled in all big fights in history. Only Liston vs Clay comes comes close, off the top of my head.

 

SRL is one of the best fighters ever in my book. One disturbing thing about the video though is that Leonard said that he knew Duran would balloon up in weight and get out of shape after the fight. He said it was his plan from day one to take advantage of this and get Duran back into the ring as soon as possible as he would be drained from getting back into shape. No doubt smart thinking on Leonards part but it makes me wonder if Ray thought that he NEEDED this advantage to ever be able to beat Duran.

 

Good post. :good

 

Yes, they deserve 100% credit for the wins.
But on deeper discussions is it fair to mention that they beat 70% versions ?

(these are the types of things we discuss here, after all)

I agree. Duran was a disgrace. His quitting was awful and absolutely unwarranted and inexcusable.
But that in itself poses a logical disturbance to the "glory" we can afford Leonard.
I mean, if Duran was entirely wrong to quit that robs the "TKO" of any real meaning. The TKO becomes less about what Leonard did and all about what Duran did.
But of course we cant penalize Leonard for this, he outboxed the man in front of him, and would have done even more so had Duran done the honorable thing and stayed for the full 15 rounds.

 

AH!! :yep Here we have more of your usual pseudo intellectual SHITE which you foist upon us juxtaposed with the performence of that spineless/gutless/bullying cheating shower of **** you call a national football team:tired:tired:tired VIVA ESPANA:happy

 

FEAR FEARFEARtoney:vonnecunt

 

Almost as ridiculous as claiming Duran was in his prime for Buchanan.

Tosser.

 

Leonard doesn't consider Duran his best scalp, anyway, for that exact reason. I remember an interview I saw where he does acknowledge that because so many people focused on Duran's condition rather than Leonard's success in the rematch, it did serve to diminish its significance.

Also, Duran fans seem to forget he showboated just as much at the end of the first match when he was certain he had it in the bag (sound familiar?). Except when Leonard does it, it's a vicious gesture designed to make Duran poop his pants.

Mentally, anything a fighter can do to get an edge is fair play. Leonard may not have needed an advantage, but the confidence boost could do a lot to erase any doubts he may have had about losing. Not many fighters could brawl 15 rounds, lose, and come back 5 months later ready to fight the man who just beat them. I think that's an underrated aspect of the fight and of Leonard's character.

 

Not many men could brawl 15 round, lose and come back 5 months later ready to fight the man who just beat them is true...(with the exception of some of the old time greats that did that pretty often) however Ray said it was his plan from day one to jump on this opportunity. Guess we will never know WHAT Leonard would have thought about jumping back in the ring with Duran had Duran always maintained his fitness. Would Ray have been JUST AS WILLING?

 

He had the fight won by then though, and he knew it.