Is Roberto Duran overrated at higher weight classes or rated about right ?

Sometimes Duran's career gets lumped together when people rate him. As everyone knows, he was on the very short list of potential GOAT lightweights. As a welterweight he beat Palomino, Heair and, of course, Leonard so he was still top notch. As for 154-160, until he finally went past the back side of his prime, he was good enough to beat all but the very best.

 

He was great at welterweight.

Above 147, he was good, sometimes very good, but never great.

 

Though a top 4 at Light for me, he doesn't make my top ten at Welter,Light Middle , or Middle.

 

With Duran opinions swing wildly in different directions mostly because of his later career when he was just a bored guy with spurts of motivation who'd done everything. It really get's held against him a lot. So obviously it depends on how much you consider a lack of drive and "a here for the check" mentality as an exemption for a few things.

 

To be honest i think his performances at Welter and above put him at obvious levels. I think most in here will have those levels down pat.

 

I think he's actually underrated at welterweight but overrated above (especially at middle).

 

Duran in my opinion is the best lightweight in history. H2h.
At welterweight, he's very underrated. If he decided to remain their, after Leonard, Hearns and Benitez, who beats him if he's motivated? Possibly Curry, but he's at least a yr or two away.
Head to head, I'd pick Duran from the Montreal fight over most welterweights in history. Excluding Hearns and Robinson, or the very best of Leonard. ( Fighting from his head, not his heart)
At Jr. Middleweight and above, he had a few great moments, but wasn't a great fighter.

 

He was a great lightweight and welterweight, but too hit or miss above 147. His inconsistency in the higher weights baffles the mind. I mean, he looks like an old man against Laing, but destroys promising Davey Moore? Above 147, alot of wtf moments in either direction. Never boring though lol.

 

middle of the pack type that fluctuates between #5 - 10

Doesnt really go anywhere and serves to test an up and coming fighter.

 

Underrated at welterweight as he'd beat many welters who ever lived . In my mind there were only about 4 or 5 good efforts over 147 pounds where he looked motivated. Cuevas, Moore , Hagler and Barkley . I think the Duran of the Moore fight would have skinned Canelo at 154 and picked up some other good wins at that weight . Hagler was simply a bridge too far ,arguably the greatest middleweight champ of all time. If Roberto wasn't motivated he would turn in lack luster efforts like against Robbie Sims where he was huffing and puffing after 5 rounds. He could have beaten a lot of middleweights champs with the Hagler and Barkley type efforts but against the top tier middleweight champs it's just asking to much for a man his size. I think 14 of his 16 losses came at jr. middleweight and over. I believe his last good effort was against Jorge Castro at an extreme age. I recall being stunned that he beat him.

 

I feel that Roberto Duran is rated about right when it comes to the ratings. I also feel that Duran was at his best when he was World Lightweight Champion from 1972-1979, 12 title defenses before moving up in weight.