Does anyone know what the betting odds were for Duran vs Leonard I?

Leonard 7-5 I think.

 

As far as I can remember everyone figgered an easy win for Leonard. I know I did. Didn't have any money down as far as I remember, so no one I knew was going for Duran.

 

Leonard was 9-5 in the first and still 3-2 fave in the second.

 

Did he 'open' at 7-5 though mate? :huh

 

You could be right, i just saw the odds were 9-5. Maybe they shortened a little as they often did, like Hearns vs Hill, Leonard - Hagler etc.

 

Leonard was definitely the favorite. The only question was how tough of a fight Duran would give him.

 

I remember Leonard being the solid favorite at the time. Duran proved too much for him though.

 

I had been watching Duran on some of his warm-up fights as he moved up in weight over the 2 years to the Leonard fight.

He was not champ of anything during that period.

When he destroyed Palomino....and told Carlos that he should quit because he didn't have it anymore, I knew Leonard could be in serious trouble.

Leonard had taken the crown from light hitting Benetiz and was considered to be an ABC TV made fighter.

If Leonard had fought Cuevas in early April 1980 when both of them
took easier fights (Boy Green & Harold Volbrecht) then Leonard would have been better prepared for Duran.

But instead, he got that "showy" win over a light-welter, then found a monster fighter (Duran) on a mission facing him in Montreal.

In realty, Duran should have been the favorite in that fight, because he was physically and mentally "ready to go".

 

If Leonard didn't stand in front of Duran, he would have beaten him in Montreal just as he did in Duran II and III.

 

If Duran had been in shape as he was in the first fight he would have beat him again. And let's not talk about that farce of 1989 where Roberto was in worse shape than in Orleans. Another black eye for the sport coming on the heels of Leonard-Lalonde. No wonder the sport went downhill.

 

Yes how disgracefu of Leonard for making Duran come in overweight in 1989. For some reason you seem to hold Leonard accountable for that yet totally forgive Duran. Duran was coming off of a win over Iran Barkley, the fight wasn't a farce. If anything Duran should have been more motivated to beat Leonard then anyone.

 

I remember watching that ABC telecast when Cuevas Destroyed Volbrecht. Lifting him off the canvas with bodyshots. When Volbrecht went down & out. The camera showed Leonard at ringside looking down & shaking his head. He even stated shortly therafter he did not want to face Cuevas.