People will point out Whitaker's 'incorrect' usage of footwork, but again, in terms of effectiveness it was the cream of the crop.
From a purist perspective Ali did have flaws. He dropped his hands. He pulled back on shots instead of moving laterally etc. BUT his footwork to me is the best iv ever seen. Iv not seen anyone move as fluidly as a prime Ali.
Whitaker's footwork was probably his biggest flaw. I cringe watching his feet sometimes. It's almost like he felt he didn't need to worry about such arbitrary things because his upper-body work was so sublime that it more than made up for it. That was indeed the truth, but it's also one of the reasons I have less confidence these days of his ability to beat a guy like Duran. It put him off balance and into far too many awkward positions than needed.
I disagree... maybe it wasn't pretty, but it was effective as hell and he could keep the movement up all night. I like his chances vs Duran.
I like his chances with Duran as well, and don't think his footwork would be a detriment against Duran. I do believe Whitaker put himself in off balanced positions, usually while playing the role of the aggressor. When pressing Whitaker would widen his stance, sometimes cross his feet in pursuit, and on the occasions he was dropped he was often in this mode.