Hearns -Duran

Duran at 154 and that age was a slow fighter. Hearns at that weight was a monster. Duran at 154 in his 30s would never have a chance against Hearns. Too fast at their ages, and way too big. Could you imagine Duran fighting someone who was 5'1.

 

Nope. Still KO'd in my opinion.

 

Duran is great but bit overrated in wins against opposition. Hearns beat the better guys who were more prime than Duran ever did. Hearns beat Champ Cuevas,Benitez and Virgil Hill who was undefeated and had 10 title defenses 30 pounds above his weight. And Hearns had some classic knockouts 2 weight classes above his natural weight. Wins against quality of opposition goes to Hearns. Duran beat lower tier guys like Moore and Barkley. Hearns beat Cuevas,Hill and Benitez for his titles like I said. No matter what better opposition for the title. Too bad Duran never fought Aaron Pryor or Nigel Benn, guys his style would have beaten.

 

Up until this post I was on your side. I don't like excusses and as far as I'm concerned the results speak for themselves, but you do have to admit that Hearns is naturally a much bigger fighter, that's indisputable, regardless of what they may have weighed on that particular night.

 

Personally I think Hearns would beat Duran at 147 as well. It's just too difficult for pretty much anyone to fight a guy that much bigger than you. The only chance Duran would have it to try and get on the inside and stay there, but I don't see that as an easy task given Hearns power, speed and reach advantage. It's not impossible I suppose, but it's a very, very difficult assignment, one that's probably harder than beating Leonard or even Hagler for that matter.

 

Obviously you don't know who you are talking to. Mag has actually said in the past that Duran was a bigger fighter then Hearns. True thing.

he acts like he doesn't notice that when Duran would come in the ring at 154 he looked fat, while when hearns did he looked in perfect condition. There are a long list of things that Mag has to twist to come up with his anti Duran conclusions.

 

Duran got parked like car because he ran into a monster puncher who was bigger than him and style poison.

Happens 9/10 fights, any weight. Tommy Hearns was the anti-Duran.

 

imo , it proves how good of a fighter Hearns was , and how out-of-his-element Duran was .

Props 2 Hearns ofc.

 

:good:good This

 

Delete-duplicate post.

 

Check out Duran's punch evasion in Montreal, then how a young and less than full strength Hearns got enervated and buckled by SRL's body shots in their 1981 WW unification. It's my belief that Duran should have gone from Montreal directly to a title unification with Tommy, and there's no way El Cholo would have underestimated the killer who had just crushed Cuevas.

Duran's guard was down entering his 1984 disaster with Hearns. Tommy had gone the distance with Benitez, Sutherland and former Duran victim Minchillo in his last three bouts. Singletary had also gone the distance in 1981. Hearns no longer appeared lethal at the higher weight, while Roberto had just gone the championship distance with the feared and menacing Hagler. What did he have to worry about from Hearns? Steward and Hearns executed a brilliant ambush on unsuspecting prey to perfection.

In 1980, the element of surprise would not have been available to Hearns immediately after Cuevas, and Duran would have gone into a WW unification both battle hardened from Montreal, and on high alert with the realization that he was fighting for his life. Only slightly past peak, I think he would have slipped a pre-prime Tommy's rights on the way inside, and belabored his spindly body en route to a late round stoppage win. Hearns was not ready to take Montreal Duran in 1980.

This is not the same as projecting who would win peak for peak, or who was better P4P. But Hearns-Duran took place four years after the end of Duran's peak, 20 pounds above his best weight, and the day before he turned 33, while Tommy was now 25 years old, and at his best weight. Taking all this into account, it seems a little absurd to draw conclusions that this is proof the same thing would have happened at 147 in 1980, when Duran was 29 and Tommy would have been 21 or 22.

 

Spot on:yep

I've always been of the mind that Duran would have exhaused Hearns chopped him down much as Leonard did when he had too, That Duran who suffacated & battered Leonard all over the ring in Montreal would have had an easier night of it against that Hearns of sept81.

Look what happened in the 6th round when Leonard whacked home that left hook body shot that near on cut tommy in half & after that Hearns went on full retreat. Duran would have jumped all over Hearns but it's not without saying that Hearns could blow anyone away with his right, but Duran ai'nt a upright stand in front of you Cuavas was he.

Hearns would have been besieged by Duran & i've never thought that this would have been his hardest fight as compared to Leonard & Hearns caught leonard with plenty & did'nt shift him. That young Hearns would'n be able to keep Duran off his chest, he'd be wide open for a chop down, once Duran slips the lead jab then Tommies getting beat like a drum just as Leonard did in Montreal. As Leonard said, i was shocked at Duran's speed of foot & counter:yep

 

the thing which does not make sense is people on this board will say Duran lost because Hearns was too big as though skill had nothing to do with it, yet Duran did fight other guys almost as tall as Hearns and he won. These same people will say Duran at 147 would have beaten Hearns, yet Hearns was the same size at 147 as was Duran. This admission is almost saying that Hearns skill level later did legitimately beat Duran. And the fact both were champions at 154 lends credence to this.

 

Exactly. I just read "Hand of Stone" and the book stated that Duran just seemd to respect Hearns too much and was never comfortable heading into the fight. Not to mention, the huge disparity in reach and height.

Duran seemed to intimidate Hagler to some extent but he seemed somewhat uncomfortable around Hearns. Go figure.