Duran vs Hearns 1980

Very interesting. I believe Duran had the power to stop Hearns, and I also think he had the ability and drive in 1980 to make this a very good fight. However, the way in which The Hitman totally demolished the man a few years later...suggests to me that Hearns will always present too much size, speed and power for the Hands of Stone. For that reason, I predict a knockout, with a lot of the action leading up to the finish being back and fourth, and very competitive. Duran slipping more shots this time, and throwing more down the body...but he'll still get hit at some point.

 

The Duran who beat Leonard in June was the greatest fighter I ever saw. He was never the same again after that fight because his lust for violence was satiated. I would take that Duran over Hearns in 5 rounds. Maybe with a qick right in 1. I'd also take that Duran over the middle champ Alan Mintor. :rasta

 

I've always believed that Duran should have commited to a WW unification bout with the winner of Hearns-Cuevas immediately after Montreal. Coming at that time, Roberto would have approached this fresh new deadly challenge with due caution and concentration. (Right after Montreal, pundits were saying that if Duran tried fighting then WBA Champ Cuevas that way, then Pipino would surely knock him out.) Not even Shields and Benitez made SRL miss as much as Duran did in Montreal. Hearns would have been trying to land on him from a greater distance than Ray.

Duran was peaking, while Hearns was still maturing at 22. In 1980, I think El Cholo would have been able to slip inside those long arms and hammer his thin body into a late submission. Tommy didn't react well when SRL hit him downstairs, and Duran had recently taken out LWW contender Monroe Brooks with a hook to the liver. He'd also gone ten rounds with 6' WW Zeferino Gonzalez in late 1979, so facing somebody the stature of Hearns wouldn't have been a wholly unfamiliar challenge for him. (Ironically, Gonzalez would eventually be retired by 5'4" Hard Rock Green, who is laughably recorded by the inept issboxWRECK as standing 5'11":wall:rofl.)

 

I think this would be a hell of a fight. However, because Hearns hadn't reached his physical peak yet, I think Duran wears him down at the end for a UD or round 15 TKO. One thing for sure, Duran will have a healthy respect for Hearns and know he was lucky to win. This would be the only version of Duran that could beat Tommy...and at 147 only.

 

Tough one to pick. I think stylistically Hearns would beat Duran 9 out of 10 times. However in this instance I think Duran was at his absolute best and would go close to beating a young Hearns by KO.

 

I dont like his chances to tell you the truth.

But what I do know is it does not go down like their fight later on at 154.

There is an argument for Duran and Duodenum put it very nicely. Roberto could slip his way past Tommy's shots and bang his body enough to get the results down the track that Leonard did.

He could but I dont know...A lot of things in Tommy's favor still. His style wouldnt complement Duran's aswell as Leonard's did IMO.

 

The Welterweight Duran that fought Leonard in Montreal was hard to catch with a clean shot......

Pipino Cuevas was strictly a come forward offensive fighter........

As a Welterweight, I feel people overrate Hearns.....I thought he was too skinny and could have easily been worn down by upper echelon fighters like Duran.

Leonard used roughhouse tactics and did his best work against Hearns the inside, and those kinds of tactics were'nt really Leonard's forte.........There were several instances where Leonard hurt Hearns and was'nt able to put him away......a fighter like Duran was much more adept at getting inside a reach and fighthing at close quarters......something Leonard had to do against Hearns.

Those who use Duran's fight with Hearns at 154 lbs as a guage of how Duran, the welter that beat Leonard would do against Hearns are dead wrong to even use that fight as a measuring stick........
.....the 154 lbs Duran and the one that beat Leonard are two completely different fighters......the 154 lbs Duran could'nt manuever the ring or even let his hands loose to throw shots anywhere near the capacity that the Welterweight Duran could.

Duran chops down Hearns with body shots and mauls him round 8-10 for a 10th round KO.
I dont even think the fight is competitive past the 6th round.

......but let me just add......I'm not underrating Hearns the fighter, I just dont think he had the physicality at 147 lbs to deal with a fighter like Duran at 147 lbs.....

P4P, Hearns may very well beat Duran, just not at 147 lbs against the prime and ready Duran that beat Leonard imo!

 

The Duran that fought Leonard was much faster with his feet to get from point A to B and be able to deliver punches.......

......the Duran that fought Hearns was so far gone from the elites, he needed his opponent to strictly advance toward him so that he could compete.....any fighter who moved away or around Duran gave him trouble at that point in his career.

 

Yep :nod

 

Duran lost to Hearns because as soon as he tasted his power in the 1st round he said "Oh ****!" and unraveled; and Hearns wasn't even as explosive at 154 as he had been at 147. I don't think Duran being a few years younger is going to change that.

 

I don't think he gets hit as often early, so it goes on a bit longer..and it's a little more competitive, but the same result.

 

Try watching the fight for a change.......when Duran tried to get close enough to throw a punch, he just was'nt fast enough to close the gap to land it.

Lets face it.....154 lbs Duran was well below par as far as footspeed is concerned.
Look at Duran's physique vs Leonard and compare it to his physique vs Hearns......
.....If you put both those Duran's side by side, I would say one is Laurel and the other Hardy.

Who do you think closes the gap quicker, a supremely in shape Duran, or a Bloated Duran????

 

I wouldn't bet on Duran. But I wouldn't bet on Hearns either.

50/50 I'd say. A million miles away from their actual encounter.

 

When Duran was hurt by Hearns in their fight, the first punch to hurt him was NOT on the chin, it was a downward shot to the upper side of the center of his head. It was the equivalent of being hit with a club, knowing Hearns power. Durbecame discombobulated and never really recovered from this shot. I also think Duran looked rather flacid and somewhat soft compared to the 1983 version that fought Moore. :rasta