Thanks jel. By no means do i think i am a good scorer but i put a fair bit of effort into this one lol
One of my all time favorite fights,, 116-112 is what I had it live, I can see a point closer for sure. 118 -110 for Duran was ridiculous .
Roberto Duran v Iran Barkley (3rd time scoring) 1 10-9 (Duran takes it after scoring with a couple of good overhand rights and Barkley scoring one himself, Duran rocks Barkley with a massive one at the end of the round) 2 9-10 (Barkley working the jab well and throwing some good combos to the body as Duran works off the ropes) 3 10-9 (I thought Duran took a very close round with his finishing combo at the end. Up to that point I had it even) 4 10-10 (fantastic round - no quarter given by either fighter. You think Duran won? That's fair. You think Barkely took it? I can see that too. I'm calling it even) 5 10-9 (another close one but Duran edged it, I think) 6 9-10 (good round from Barkley, working the body well) 7 9-10 (another brilliant round - could have gone either way - I had Barkley edging it with a strong second half showing) 8 9-10 (clear Barkley round. A colossal left hook knocks Duran off balance. Barkley is using his size and strength to push Duran back and wear him down. Duran seems to be tiring a bit) 9 10-9 (close but Duran recovered well from the previous round. Barkley said after the fight, 'It was his heart; it wouldn't go.' He might well have been referring to this round) 10 10-9 (Barkley is the one who is looking tired now) 11 10-8 (incredible performance from Duran - that right hand again) 12 9-10 (strong finish from Barkley) Duran 115 - 113 Barkley Duran wins 6 rounds to 5 with 1 even. Well, I got the same final tally again - and again, I came to it by a different route! Here is my card comparison from the three times I've scored this fight: 1st card / 2nd card / 3rd card 1 10-9 / 10-9 / 10-9 2 9-10 / 9-10 / 9-10 3 9-10 / 10-10 / 10-9 4 10-9 / 9-10 / 10-10 5 10-9 / 9-10 / 10-9 6 10-9 / 10-9 / 9-10 7 10-10 / 10-9 / 9-10 8 9-10 / 9-10 / 9-10 9 9-10 / 10-9 / 10-9 10 10-9 / 10-9 / 10-9 11 10-8 / 10-8 / 10-8 12 9-10 / 9-10 / 9-10 115-113 / 115-113 / 115-113 Echoing what @PhillyPhan69 says, the first half of the fight - up to and including round 7 - is super close and there is lots of room for variation (as there was in my cards). I was unanimous in all three cards about the 1st round (Duran), 2nd round (Barkley), 8th (Barkley), 10th (Duran), 11th (Duran) and 12th (Barkley) - so three rounds apiece on the rounds I was sure of, but with Duran picking up that extra point for the knockdown in the 11th. The story of the fight was Duran's success with the counter overhand right as well as his refusal to buckle over that final third. Barkley's body attack and left hook were his best weapons but both fighters gave absolutely everything and left nothing out there - it was tremendous. Oh, and another thing to marvel about was Duran's ability to get the crowd on his side. If I remember it correctly, it was a freezing February in New Jersey but there was a full house and they came to see Duran. I honestly think if they'd fought in Barkley's own neighbourhood in the South Bronx the crowd would have been cheering for Duran in the end. But, he deserved it. Watching this again just solidified it as one of my favourite ever fights.
This content is protected Close first round - one that'd turn out to actually be a feeling out process by the standards set later on. I liked Barkley's jab barely, right up until that short right from Duran. Barkley moved in, moved out and to the side, flicking that jab like he was trying to replicate - somewhat ironically - Tommy Hearns. Duran slipping to the inside, shifting his weight and looking for the body. Cagey stuff. Less cagey in the second, where both go to the body with some messy punches. Barkley seems to be getting the better of the clean punching and the body work. Duran landing some clean counters, but few and far between. Barkley's left hand is winning these rounds handedly, IMO. Great forth, Duran seemed to come alive after being nailed with a clear low blow. He wove his right over Barkley's jab with alarming frequency and started adding the left hook on the end too. Barkley came back - of course, he did - and landed some heavy shots of his own, but Duran's defence was very good. The fifth is the first round I was unsure of. I went with Barkley, he worked the whole three minutes and landed some good punches. Duran stepping in, looking for opportunities, rolling and tucking up and showing all kinds of specialist skills, but not the kind which won him the round IMO. Duran showing his defence in the sixth, as well as some brilliant countering. Barkley jabbing and hooking downstairs. Great lefts from Barkley in the seventh, and he really turned the tide of a round Duran was winning big at the mid point, and he nailed Duran over and over again with that same double left hook. Duran hurt again in the eighth, but within seconds was throwing back. Clear Barkley round, even if he didn't hurt Duran, he'd have won it on bodywork. Very close ninth, like the fifth. It'd come down to what you like, and I thought Duran was landing cleaner. Beautiful neck rolling from Duran, and coming back down the middle. Great tenth. I now have it even going into the final two. Classic sequence seals the eleventh for Duran (and in all honesty, the fight). I love that KD, incredible footwork to set up the first two cross-counters, and then again to move into position for that 3-2. Barkley really trying in the twelvth, but Duran just landing more and more clean punches. This content is protected 10 : 9 9 : 10 9 : 10 10 : 9 (38/38) 9 : 10 10 : 9 9 : 10 9 : 10 (75/77) 10 : 9 10 : 9 10 : 8 10 : 9 ( This content is protected ) Great, great fight. One of the best in middleweight history. Scoring wasn't easy, but I'm confident in saying Duran deserved it. Two of the actual scores were really bad.. Barkley really is one of the most entertaining middleweights I've ever seen. Such a fun style. Big puncher, shakey chin, crazy aggressive, rudimentary skills and no defence. Duran's style was so smooth at middleweight. He based it around controlling pace and distance and prioritized landing clean punches over out-working people like he could do when he was younger. With that adapted style, he's the most unique middleweights, I'd say. Although an overrated one.
I did this fight last year at some point in the threat where we score old fights but I couldn’t find it. I’ll try again later if I can. I remember I had Duran winning narrowly but a lot of the rounds were competitive enough I could see someone going the other way. It was a great fight where both elevated their games. How Duran survived that shot that turned him sideways and all of Barkley’s body work to close the way he did ... incredible.
Hagler-Mugabi and Pavlik-Taylor 1 probably round out my top 5 of the ones I’ve seen in full. Castro-Jackson 1 was good too, but more of a great comeback than great fight. Lee-Locicero was a crazy fight too
Truly wonderful fight. It had it all. Barkley was never better, in my opinion. He was excellent this night. Duran was just a little better. Magnificent performance by Duran; proving once again (as if proof were needed) what a legend he is. Close fight... a point or two in it, at most. I think Barkley's style complimented Duran really well. Maybe many will disagree, but a Nunn or Kalambay would have comfortably outpointed Duran, in my opinion.
Nicely put. Barkley was absolutely at his best that night and Duran somehow found a way to be that little bit better. I have no doubt at all Nunn and Kalambay would have comfortably outboxed him that night. As you say Iran meshed really well for him.