Ali or Duran: who was the best of the two p4p?

Thanks I think. I never bashed Floyd I said what I feel about him and his handpicking.

 

Here are some examples of these "old timers" that you refer to:

"I don't think Duran would have beaten Billy Petrolle or a Sid Terris and they never became champions... Duran, to me, was an exciting, colorful hard punching charismatic fighter but I think he suffered from a genuine lack of competition. While he held the title the fighters in the lightweight division were at the lowest caliber in the division's history, and he smartly avoided the mediocrities. The best lightweights I ever saw - and their records are against great opposition will bear me out -are: Canzoneri, Armstrong, Williams, Ross, Beau Jack, Montgomery, Ambers, Jenkins and Duran. I doubt Duran could have survived their competition. Look a their opposition."
-Teddy Brenner

"While Duran may have been outstanding in his time, there is no comparison with the type of opposition he faced compared to others. He had much fewer top class fighters to box."
-Cus D'Amato

"Duran was a great lightweight, but I cannot compare him to Canzoneri, who was the best lightweight I ever saw. I knew (Benny) Leonard, but never seen him box, but I did see Tendler, as I'm from Philly: Ross, Williams, and Armstrong would have to be rated over Duran in my book. Duran boxed for me three times; Saoul Mamby gave him hell. Ordinary Vilomar Fernandez almost went the 15 round distance with him. Can you picture Vilomar going as many as ten rounds with Lew Jenkins, Brown or Beau Jack? Duran beat nobodies."
-Chris Dundee

"Duran is the best lightweight of the last ten years. (Benny) Leonard was the best champ I saw, number one in my book. Next comes Ross, Canzoneri, Armstrong, White, Tendler, Petrolle, Ortiz, Williams and Beau Jack. Duran would be number 11."
-Lou Gross

"When I try to place Roberto Duran in a one-to-ten listing, I can never wipe out the memory of his title defenses against Lou Bizzaro, Leonico Ortiz and Vilomar Fernandez. Bizzaro lasted 14 rounds, Ortiz went the 15 round limit and Fernandez was in there until the 13th round. Bizzaro without a doubt, was the most pathetic lightweight challenger in history, although a great runner. Ortiz, at the time he met Duran, had a 22-5-1 record. Fernandez, 19-5-1, had only knocked out five men. Ike Williams would have knocked out all three in one night with none of the fights going beyond three rounds. Ortiz may have taken longer, but not much longer. The best (lightweight) fighter Duran ever met was Esteban DeJesus, who beat him one out of three. Probably on par with DeJesus was Ken Buchanan, from whom Duran won the world title on a controversial blow (fair or foul?) in the 13th round. Duran's manager would never honor a commitment for a return bout contract with Buchanan after that."
-Jack Fisk