Who was a better fighter? Roberto Durán or Sugar Ray Robinson?

I am a Duran fan,but SRR is the more consistent man and has a more thicker resume,it might be him substance wise.

Skill wise on film though..they might be quite equal, though I find the Barkley,Palomino, Thompson and the last De Jesus bouts to be something a bit better than any of Robinson's footage on film.

Hot take y'know,but Duran boxed beautifully and banged his way to the inside good,we only saw SRR striking guys at mid range good and preventing infighting as much as he can,he can't fight when clinched for life.

But looking at the opposition that they fought (available on film),plus how Duran can also be outboxed many times... Duran might only edge it film wise on a pretty close margin,closer than Duran's dedication to fighting.

 

Two exceptional fighters but Duran fought many fights not properly prepared and his style and size had limitations based on match up and quality of opposition as he moved up … people forget that not only was a Robinson exceptional at 147 -160 but he is one of the absolutely greatest punchers of all time. Plus he fought for twenty five years and was never knocked out (heat stroke aside) .. Duran is likely in the top 10 P4P but so are Charles, Greb, Langford, Leonard and others ….

 

Robinson. The guy had a little of everything and absolutely dominated just about every division he fought in.

 

Mickey Walker.

 

Both are great, but SRR comes like the better rounded, more complete, more versatile fighter.

Regardless how good Duran was, fact is he had nights off and could be frustrated and outboxed, as SRL proved.

 

As a huge Duran fan I rank him behind Robinson in the pound for pound ratings, could the best version of Duran have gotten a win over him?
Yeah he probably could, but he'd drop 2 in a trilogy. To me the 2 greatest pound for pound fighters are Ray Robinson and Harry Greb and I place Greb 2nd only because I've never seen him

 

Roberto has the greater range of skill, often more subtle and difficult to pull off due to the proximity of danger.

SRR seems to be the greater skilled in that what he does so well, meshes perfectly with how great an athlete he actually was. Therefore, his ability to impose his skill and athletic gifts makes him more unbeatable to me than Duran and therefore the better fighter. Duran lacked Robbi's one shot punching ability and whilst an absolutely phenomenal puncher himself, I wouldn't dream of arguing that he's in the same realm as a knock out artist.

It's actually undersold how great Roberto was as an athlete as well - the skillset that he displayed in the ring simply cannot be replicated to the same degree by just any fighter without the athleticism and honing of talent that Duran had.

 

Unless your name is Greb or Langford you're not in the conversation with SRR. Too much greatness too consistently for too long. Passes every eye test imaginable. Fought every flavor of styles and won. No shade to Roberto it's just a bar only a couple fighters can even approach.

 

I have to go with Duran. Yes, Robinson was more consistent, however Roberto had much longer longevity and IMO accomplished more by beating Ray Leonard at WW, going 15 with Hagler which no one else did and then winning the MW title from Barkley. Duran beat Pazienza IMO in the first fight and was totally ROBBED against Camacho in 1996, then split 2 fights with Jorge Castro all when he was well over 40, not to mention his reign as LW champ. Robinson was great but I don't rate him as high as most.

 

His skipping was legendary.

 

There may have been a thread about it many many years ago in here hmmmmmmm

 

Robinson.

 

One of the very best. It's even beyond that for me.

His foot speed and handspeed are underrated and his reflexive speed is right up there - not many fighters that can slip and weave Ray Leonard mid-combination, smiling and toying with him.

I am convinced that Duran's range of skillset is of the very elite, perhaps the best captured on film.