1980 Roberto Duran vs. 2009 Manny Pacquiao at 147

The more I think about it the more I lean toward Duran in a close fight. The Duran that beat Leonard had everything. Plus Durans had better defense, especially when going forward and putting smart pressure on his opponents. Manny just used his speed and sidestepping to get away from punches but he is more vulnerable.

 

Funny, I envision almost the exact opposite happening. Pac takes an early lead in rounds as he uses his speed against Duran, but Duran lands some good shots and in the 4th or 5th round, Pac gets traps against the ropes and starts trading with Duran, or even if he doesn't get trapped he tried to beat Duran at his own game, which also happens to be Pac's game. But the problem is, Duran hits significantly harder than Pac, has a better defense for this type of fighting..ie he stays in the pocket avoids incoming fire and fires back with a vengence..and if Pac can't stand up to this, which I don't think he could, Duran would start stocking him and eventually catch him on the ropes. The thing is they have somewhat similar styles, with Pac having the speed advantage and all the other advantages going to Duran, and in this type of fight, the only way Pac wins is to beat Duran at his own game..which is fighting on the inside and that simply isn't going to happen.

 

Well Duran's been rated the 1st or 2nd best Lightweight ever and he beat SRR in his prime who may consider the 2nd best Welterweight ever and in terms of ATG status, Duran usually makes the top 10 and top 5 isn't unusual, so you do have to consider this when putting Pac's ability into context. We're not talking about him beating just anyone, we're talking about being Duran in his prime at the same point in time that Duran beat the 2nd best Welterweight ever. So the Cotto and Margo victories for Pac are a very distance 2nd to Duran's accomplishment in 1980, which some, not me mind you, but some, call the greatest accomplishment in boxing history. (I actually thought Duran's win over Barkley and Moore were more impressive)

So no one is denying Pac's greatness, it's just given Kudo's to who he's fighting and being realistic about the whole thing.

 

And to say Pac beats Duran by a late stoppage is even more ****ing ridiculous.

 

Yeh thats it:yep

I'am a massive ******* & proud of it & twice i've made the 11,000 round trip to go see him flatten Hatton & beat Cotto:thumbsup He's a great little marvel & he's breathed new life into boxing IMO but as you say you've got too be realistic here in that fighting Duran he's in the the one & only high priest of violence & master boxer to boot. Even Freedy Roach said when asked about how manny would fare against Duran freddy said Duran in 4 rounds:bbb

All you need to do is compare the Duran assault where he's slipped Leonards fast lead jab & smashed leonard into the ropes & climbed all over him & even when Leonard attempted to slip out the side Duran was glued too his chest unloading non-stop with ripping boby shots & hooks & watch closely at the distress on Leonards face at not being able to even set himself as Duran smothered him. Then compare that to the 6th/7th/8th rounds of the Margo fight when a slow plodding Margo hurt Pac on the ropes & pac slipped away but Duran would never ever let him escape:bart

There's gonna be only one obvious answer to the outcome of Duran & Pac & thats a mid round beatdown TKO of Pac.

Duran beating Barkley defied all logic & when he got clobbered by that left hand of Barkleys in the 8th round (I think) that spun him like a top:scaredas: what the **** kept him up!!! Gil Clancy said HEART kept him up HEART & when he dropped Barkley in the 11th with that 5 punch combo Gil said "Watch the Surgeon at Work" Incredible victory against all odds:thumbsup

Now MAG1965 the esb deluded clown will come in on this & say Barkley is not an all time great & Duran never KO'd an all time great & barkley was average YOU THERE MAG!!! YOU USELESS DELUDED ****

 

Trying to give Pacfans an image as to what their favourite would be up against were he to walk into a prime, motivated Duran.

How about, an animal with a chin as good as Margarito's, throw in some head movement, and the ability to stalk down and rough up the very best of defensive fighters.

Then add a sprinkling of speed, nice combination punching, damaging uppercuts, and the power to spark almost anyone in or around his weightclass.

Some feel Duran would not handle Pacquiao's speed, but Pacquiao for me wouldn't handle Duran's pressure.

If a slightly shopworn, 32 year old Margarito coming off a year and half layoff with one shoddy ten rounder and a busted eye socket can nearly get Pacquiao out of there, Duran would end it.

Duran by 9th Round TKO, through sheer accumulation.

 

These last couple of comments pretty much sums it up. Pacquiao is use to applying pressure, not having pressure applied to him, and he may be able to use his speed for awhile, but Duran, who wasn't slow by any means himself, would eventually overwhelm him with pressure and bust him up. Duran's power is just on a different level than Pac, who too his credit is the smaller man, so no shame in him not having Duran's power or punch resistance.

Pac would know he's in over his head when he throws his best combination of the night and Roberto manages to block most of the shots and sneers at him while coming forward..nobody enjoyed the infighting game or was better at it than a prime Duran.

 

These pacquio wins as of late are really starting to convince you all thathe should be a top 5 eventop 3 atg.I mean it wasnt that long ago when marquez was giving him a boxing lesson. Overrated imo.

 

You must be the most delusional nutcase on this forum.

 

Say what???????

 

I agree with all that your saying but Pac is no pushover, not even for Duran. Duran is undoubtedly one of the greatest fighters of all time but boxing history and comparison is always full of hypotheticals and often fighters are gauged on who they have beaten, rather than a combination of victories and obvious ability. Who really knows how Lennox would do against a prime Ali, FMJ against Griffith or even Pac against Duran.

Every call we make on these fantasy matchups is pure conjecture and until the day comes where computers are so powerful that they can study tapes of fights, record dimensions and assess abilities and then match and give results for two fighters from different eras, how the hell can we really say with conviction and knowing who would actually win?

As they say, 'Styles make fights' and the following beaut from Donald Rumsfeld,

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Oh I agree completely, and what I think many fail to appreciate is that the fact we're even discussing this match up without anyone suggesting it's a farce or that Manny would get slaughtered, is a testament to how good Manny is. As with the styles make fights argument, although I agree with the argument its self, I just happen to think this is a bad style match up for Pac as much of what does would play into Duran's strengths.

 

A better question is today's Pacquiao vs. the Duran that fought Davey Moore

 

That was one of the true marvels of boxing. I have absolutely no idea how he stayed up and was back to fighting seconds later. Barkley could bang and I believe he himself said that sapped his confidence as he felt that punch "could have gone through a (wall or door, I cannot remember.)" Duran didn't see that left hook coming and Barkley threw that shot perfectly. It still has me :yikes