Duran was a flat out jerk

Was Floyd Patterson a great fighter? And perhaps if he had a little arrogance/ Jerk / thug in him and some confidence, in two 15 rd fights, he would've done better than 2rds against Liston. Because he certainly had the ability.

 

Mayweather better than Hearns? Hearns is greater in my mind and will be more remembered in 50 years. You can have undefeated records which today is possible with all the handpicking and weight agreements but a great fight and iconic events stand out more. A great knockout or decision. Floyd was a great, but his resume is not tops and his will to fight is lacking. People talk about Kobe Bryant and all that about him after he died. The passion talk about is what stands out in him and basketball, and in boxing you have guys who had this same motivation. Floyd didn't have this passion. Duran and Hearns and guys like that did. Arguello and Pryor. That is part of greatness. Wanting the big challenges regardless of losing. Floyd lacks those big moments and trying to get them. Marvin looked for them.

 

He said something very similar of Ray Lampkin when they fought.

 

Benitez is surely worth a mention.

 

Duran was a nasty human being. Didn’t he assault defenseless animals just to show how hard he hit?

 

aye, that was meant to be sarcastic.

 

Well, it's understandable, that fight was about Duran's meltdown . The scorecards were fairly close when he quit.

 

Half of this forum would happily have Roberto Duran abuse their wives !
for them it would be an honour.

 

Duran was a very poor street kid who didn't have a father and fought for nickels and dimes because he was hungry. He once fought and beat a U.S. Navy sailor when he was 13 years old. He was literally fighting for survival, meaness was needed. Later on he was at the bedside of Estaban DeJesus crying and hugging him as he died of aids. Al Bernstein , who was no fan of his, said later that Duran had become a lovely man who literally took off his shirt and handed it to a fan in an airport. His charity in Panama is well known. Duran was a savage fighter, and as Fritzie Zivic once said about a particularly dirty fight he had,," I wasn't in there to win no lollipops" Nether was Roberto Duran.

 

100% accurate,,,,can anyone tell me what great fight Floyd was in?

 

Much as I love Hearns, Floyd will be the bigger name in 50 years both among the fans and inside the gyms. Mayweather is going to be studied for generations since he has a fairly normal build for a lightweight. Hearns is probably best studied only by taller boxers, his entire style was reach dependent.

The ducks will get lost in the process because on paper his resume is pretty much impeccable. Weather you liked the timing on some of those fights, Floyd spent time in the ring with everybody he should have. That. will matter so much more when our generation starts dying off.

 

I know. I was responding to the original comment. I am sorry it looked like I was countering your comment.. Sorry.

 

He could be at times.

Classless at the end of the first Leonard fight and at the end of the Benitez fight.

 

Not only does Leonard not get proper credit, but Duran doen't get enough sh*t for quitting.

Whatever the scorecards read, Duran was being thoroughly outboxed. I think if he thought he had a chance to win, he wouldn't have quit.

 

I don't think so. This is about boxing and who fought the best. Floyd did not go for the best fights and fighters and challenges and his attitude is not about showing others anything or to give fans anything it is all about ego.. Tommy always said after I fight I want every fan to know he got his moneys worth. That is giving something and that is remembered. He was very unselfish. Had Floyd fought Manny when he should have and fought Margarito and taken on all comers when he could have and not waited for the right times he would have demonstrated much much more. He had great skills and head to head would have done well with some styles which are still greater fighters than him, but his lack of heart in picking the great challenges hurts his legacy. Big time. Even Margarito was avoided. He saw something which might disrupt his undefeated record.

No I don't like his career as far as greatness. He handpicked and made it about money and money team and some sort of statement like how Charlie Sheen bs about winner-most people at that stage of anyone at the top can say winner or whatever. It is unspoken. Why say it? I would take a guy who loses on the big scene over a guy who handpicks to not be a loser on the big scene.

Hearns career was a study of a great boxer puncher who fought the best and had flaws and still was able to give fans excitement which will always be remembered. Beating the best and sometimes losing to the best. If Floyd fought the best like Tommy he would have a loss. He didn't. So avoiding the top fights and being undefeated means more than fighting the top guys? Tommy beat Virgil Hill which was a great win and it did not get the acclaim it should have because people always remembered him losing to Marvin or Ray. People thought sort of well Virgil must not be that good if an old Tommy with no legs and at 175 could win a UD against him. It was about using the jab and landing the right and fighting the best regardless of sometimes losing to the best. Where would Ray and Marvin be without Tommy? Fighters have to lose. Floyd never had a Marvin and Tommy and Roberto like Ray had or like they had in each other. He didn't want it. That is obvious.

His career is seen by many as handpicking at the right time and fighting in an era where the greats he fought were past their prime. No contemporary challenges by greats None. That will be studied in later years? And then he waited to fight Manny, who was more his era. Manny gets knocked out by JMM and then Floyd fights him a year or two later after practically making that fight at a Miami Heat game. What a surprise. Floyd sees Manny and the fight is made then but not years before. And people say it was Manny who didn't want it. You could see Hagler do that?