Probably Duran, he'd want to kill Leonard for No Mas so wouldn't make the mistake of coming in out of shape again
Leonard by close but clear UD He still had enough legs & physical conditioning to present Duran with that style he hates most of all - lateral movement - & with that speed too, it spells nothing but frustration for Duran but he would give SRL his lumps too & make a dam good fight of it, Ray looked a bit tired at the end of 12 vs Hagler but a 1987 Hagler pressing you is still gonna zap you way more than a 1983 Duran, believe that ****. Leonard sticking & moving will always have Roberto`s number IMO, especially with the scars of `no mas` always lurking in Duran`s mind. :good
The Duran of the Barkley fight beats Leonard. What happened in their actual third meeting is anybody's guess.
1983 Duran, Hagler was too timid. 1987 Leonard, Hagler was finished. Hmmm. IMO only the Montreal version of Duran beats Ray. Being this is at 154/160, Duran may be motivated, but tire out late, as he was a natural LW. Not Leonard's natural weight either, but a little better suited to it. And Ray would employ plenty of movement. This one will go the distance for sure. In the end, I think Leonard edges it on points, due to Duran being a bit too chubby at this weight.
Duran needed his speed to win and it had gone by this point. Also, even in his fights with Davey Moore, Cuevas, Barkley, Hagler, you can see that Duran was never in proper shape (I mean tight and cut).
By the time they did actually fight the rubber match, Duran was basically there for the payday. Back in the early eighties he was obsessed with Leonard & literally wanted to kill him, which is why I think he'd have turned up in great shape & won.
The Duran that fought Hagler would KO Leonard over 15, but Leonard NEVER NEVER EVER gave anyone a re-match if he considered it a risk:yep not until they were well past it & in 89 Duran owed the IRS about $2+ million & could'nt get out of the country. As we know back in 89 Leonard in the rubber Leonard contracted the weight too be 163, but nobody told Duran that, he boiled down too 158, all the rumours in the media room were that if Duran came in over 160 he'd be fined a $1Mill for every ounce over, this was meant too be for Leonards Super/middle title. I was at the weigh in & Duran looked wrecked, but it was the pay day that Duran needed bad, it would be the same in 83 as Duran was always fat as a pig so Leonard would always call the shots & set a weight for Duran to struggle to get too, same old SRL ****:smoke
I think Duran beats Leonard any time they both enter the ring tip-top mentally and physically. But Duran was often not right mentally and physically, he was cocky, over-confident, under-trained or just wanted to go through the motions and pick up the payday. He was hot-and-cold all through the 80s, so I wouldn't count on him beating Ray again at any time after Montreal. 1983 was a good year for Duran, but even then he's not reliable enough for my liking.
What a load of rubbish. Did Duran KO anyone at 160? And here you have him ko'ing one of the hardest fighters in history to KO!!! atsch Hell, if Duran didn't fight Leonard after he beat Barkley you'd be hollering he'd KO him then too!! What's this forum coming to :-(
