Both were strong, Roldan was probably more highly regarded as a contender while Barkley came out of nowhere to stop Hearns and capture 3 titles. I have a feeling that it comes down to toughness and Barkley grinds down Roldan after taking a beating. Depends on whether Roldan can land enough blows to get Barkley out of there like Benn did although that was not the best of Barkley. Barkley was more used to having to fight it out every time while Roldan usually had things going his way in his wins, and I don't see him having it all his way against Barkley.
Barkley for me here - too big, too skilled. (yes, he had some skills, watch the Duran fight, which i thought he won). I loved Roldan's brawling style but he could get discouraged after a few rounds if things didnt go his way.......Barkley tko 10
The real question here would be if Iran could make it through what Roldan brought when he was fresh, as he was a bit outgunned in talent and power here. I think he could. He had a great chin, and ranks up there all time with toughness- Iran Barkley had truly legendary grit and pain tolerance, and was rarely in less than superb shape. He'd make this a brawl that Juan would willingly oblige him in, takes some bombs, maybe see's the canvas once or twice, and eventually, in the middle rounds or late in the fight, really kicks his offense up a notch, lands some of his heavy artillery on a weakening Roldan and puts him away.
easy, while he could have been great maybe, Roldan had less heart than any fighter I saw. EVERYTIME the going got tough he wanted to quit. next in line of heartless of course is Timid Mike Tyson.
Well Barkley certainly had more guts.. Roldans achillles was that he often rolled over or seemed to take the easy way out after getting hurt or when times got tough (Hearns,nunn)... But the Roldan who gave Hagler a tough time was very good and i think that version would take Barkley out before Iran would have a chance to take him to deep waters. I think a prime Roldan would have jumped on Barkley from the get go and would have never gave Barkley the chance to get going.. Dont know if he sparks him early as only Benn was able to do it, but He probably stops Barkley by the mid rounds... Barkley might have been able to outlast and stop the slightly older verisionof Roldan who lost to Hearns and Nunn.
Excellent post ... I think the Roldan that crushed Fletcher gets the slow starting Barkley out of there ...
Agree with this. I believe the pre-Hagler Roldan beats The Blade...I really believe that Marvin broke Roldan's heart permanently in boxing terms. I think the pre-Hagler Roldan would possibly have beaten both Hearns & Nunn too. I think Barkley breaks post-Hagler Roldan's heart the way Hearns & Nunn did, I think Barkely is physically & mentally tough enough to survive the early onslaught from this version of Roldan to outlast and outgame him.
Roldan was likely always a frontrunner.It's not like Hagler put a savage beating on him, or an embarassing clinic.
Even Benn didn't 'spark him early'. The Blade was tough. He'd get through the early storm and lad something of his own. Roldans Argie bobs mean he's automatically far more skilled than Barkley, but so were most. I would say Benn was a far better puncher than Roldan for the better part, at least more aesthetically ferocious. Barkley is no Fletcher. It then becomes a sloppy, scrappy fight from there on in. I imagine either Roldan folds late or one of them takes a close one after 12.
Barkley was a better fighter than Roldan. Roldan could punch and might rock Barkley since Roldan could punch and hit guys with out of the blue punches thrown from odd angles, but eventually Barkley's heart and power will stop Roldan in a pretty brutal fight. The thing about Roldan was in all his losses to Hagler,Hearns,Nunn, when he was hurt he seemed to sit on the canvas and want to almost quit. He was hell in the ring, but when he fell he liked the feeling of staying down. Barkley did not. He always got up.
I don't think Roldan declined when he fought Hearns from Hagler 3 years before. As a matter of fact he had more experience. The way he beat Kinchen on the Hagler/Leonard undercard was brutal. The Hearns of 1985 would have stopped Roldan in 1 or 2.
