Fight of the Week #1: Roberto Duran - Ray Leonard I

It was 10.

 

Yeah, that was ultra-close, but I thought Leonard did enough to nick it.

 

Duran vs. SRL

1. SRL (This is the type of round I mean for SRL... It's more of an even round than anything, but let's call it a SRL round)
2. Duran (Decisively Clear)
3. Duran (Decisively Clear)
4. Duran (Clear)
5. SRL (Again, nothing of note, solid left hook to start, not much after. I actually feel like Duran landed the hardest blow of the round. SRL digs to the body good this round. I love the talk at the end of the round about Duran getting hurt and then the slowmo the sequence in between rounds, and you can clearly see not much landed at all lol)
6. SRL (Here we are again, another round people give to SRL, and I will as well, but I would actually score it even. I'm trying to see some SRL rounds when I can, so I will score it for him here.
7. Duran (Close, but clear)
8. Duran (Closest round Duran has won for me, SRL did good work in there and it was going to a even round but Duran landed two big right hands that swung the round for me)
9. Duran (Decisively clear, 3rd best round for Duran, after round 2 and 3)
10. Duran (Close round. I tried to give this to SRL, but the hardest punches and the aggression was all Duran. I could see someone scoring for SRL, but I couldn't.
11. SRL (Again, I'll score this for SRL, and this is a telling round for me on how this fight has gone. Duran is clearly arm weary and tired from assuming control of the last 4 rounds in a row. Yet, he's still outworking and hustling SRL and lands the hardest blow. I actually could've given this to Duran, but I'll score it for SRL based on his work late and the fact that Duran looks so tired and weary. Still though, the fact that SRL can't decisively win a round Duran is out of gas and is still being outworked says a lot.
12. Even (tough round to score. My first even round. Duran controlled the first half more and SRL the second half. Duran landed more but I believe SRL landed the hardest blow (not the one the commentators said hurt Duran, it didn't, but another blow).
13. Duran (Very Close) I don't think Duran was hurt at all when they were yelling HE'S HURT HE'S HURT... and he has to grab and hold on. Please, he wasn't holding on for dear life he was firing back as well. Duran dominated first half, SRL did better the second. To me though Duran work was better
14. SRL (close) Duran landed some very hard blows, but imo had slowed down here. I'll give it to SRL, but could've been even really.
15. SRL (Clear)

8-6-1 is my final tally

Notes Like my bud JT:

I tried to score rounds for SRL, and even when giving him some rounds I'd like to call even, he still comes out behind

Terrible commentating

Round 8 is the closest round I gave Duran that I could see it going to SRL and not be shocked

SRL really should've had a point deducted at some point in this fight. He was holding Duran almost incessantly both his arm and holding behind the head. He was warned many times, but nothing was done. I didn't like Padilla handling of it either. When SRL had a good grip on Duran, Padilla many times let it be. If they were free to fight inside, many times there comes Padilla to push him away. I think this favored SRL and it seemed obvious throughout the fight how he treated the clinch work

I don't believe Duran took off the last 3 rounds, only the last 2 rounds. The 13th he was still going at it. He did seem to coast the final 2 rounds though imo

SRL landed some brutal body shots himself. I mean brutal. Obviously Duran did, but SRL did as well.

The heart and courage of SRL is incredible. Most people either would;'ve gone down, TKO'd or gunshy after the barrage Duran hit him with. Not SRL, he is a true Champion. Seeing his will and courage and skill on the inside furthers my conviction that SRL is my no. 2 WW h2h, and pretty decisively at that.

 

I mean, I called it for Leonard, but there were two rounds that could easily have been scored the other way. That gets me to 9-6 Duran.

Then again, two of the rounds that I scored for Duran were awfully close and could go to SRL, too. And that gets me back to 8-7 Leonard. Some room for interpretation in this fight.

 

* 1st could be scored even, yeah. But Leonard's counter hook off the ropes was the best punch of the round for me.
* 2nd-4th were clear for Duran. Leonard started to fight back pretty well in the 4th, though.
* 5th was a bookend round. SRL landed that hook early and then closed well to take the frame.
* 6th I thought was a decisive Leonard round. I thought he did better work throughout.
* 7th round we agree...for the same reason. Still, this is a round that I feel could swing to Leonard, but Duran's monster right hand at the end seals it.
* 8th was also a Duran frame due to a strong close, but Leonard did more consistent work, I thought. Could swing the other way on my card.
* 9th was a clear Duran round, yeah.
* 10th was ultra close, but I thought Leonard landed the better shots. But, I acknowledge this could be scored for Duran.
* 11th. See the 10th. Both guys were feeling the pace at this point.
* 12th. Funny...I actually thought this was a clear Duran round. He boxed well behind the jab.
* 13th. Duran had a good start...Leonard, imo, had a better finish. That was enough for me to give him the frame.
* 14th. I kind of think Duran hit the wall after a decent start. Leonard took over and closed strong to take the frame. Thought it was pretty clear for SRL, all things considered.
* 15th. Clear for Leonard.

So...we seem to disagree on the following rounds:

10th, 12, and 13th in terms of scoring.
I guess you could add the 6th as well in terms of whether it was or wasn't decisive for Leonard. 14th too, at least to a lesser extant.

Doesn't seem like there's that much difference, though. Duran wins his round clear...Leonard comes back after a rough beginning to close well and make it tight (and in my case, interesting) on the card. That's the over-arching narrative of the fight.

 

I agree, not all that much of a difference, but still, one could consider it a big difference since we had a different winner. I know what you mean, and it's true, not all that much difference. We saw a lot of the close rounds the same, and those are the rounds that could swing the fight.

As people have pointed out, and it's true, on a round by round scoring system, one could get to a very close card or an even one if you like SRL work more. As mentioned, the narrative and feeling you get at the end is that Duran should win a clear decision, but when you go round by round, it gets closer indeed.

Rounds 10-13 are an absolute nightmare to score for me. Those rounds I just wanted to be like EVEN EVEN EVEN EVEN and be done with it, but I tried to pick a winner so I didn't have so many even rounds. As you say, very tough rounds to score and where we disagreed the most, which I guess should be expected.

It's good discussing these fights with you guys. Good discussions by many posters

 

Fine post mate, appreciate it.

 

This is it. Watch the fight without scoring and Duran looks and feels like the winner - comfortably. Scrutinize carefully and it gets quite close. Tho i could have easily scored it a draw or even for Leonard by a point i would agree the wrong guy would have won for all intents and purposes.

So you and i both scored the last third of the fight in Leonards favor - both of us by a point.

The first third i have Duran up by 2 points, you have him up by 1. Our difference is round 1 that i had even vs you scoring for SRL. I almost went with Ray but thought neither did enough to take it.

The second/middle third i have even and you have Duran by 3 points after taking 4 of the 5 rounds. I had two each and one even.

You had Duran for round 7, myself SRL. I had 10 even where you went for Roberto. Round 7 is probably our biggest difference as you have it close but clear.

This has been quite enjoyable.

Edit - Just looking at round 7 again and it's more like an even round or a smidge Duran's way.

 

Had another look and have come up with 144-141 for Duran, which is pretty much in line with how I've scored it beforehand. Always worth a revisit now and then.

I had the rounds in nice chunks to each man: 1-4 Duran, 5-8 Leonard, 9-13 Duran, 14 and 15 Leonard.

Overall thoughts. Leonard got off to a slow start here, which cost him. I felt Duran swept all of the first four founds as Leonard couldn't get his jab going and seemed confused by Duran's movement and feints in close. But in rounds 5-8, Leonard started to settle a little more, finding the jab, timing Duran when he came in a little better and managing to spend less time on the ropes.

After eight rounds, Leonard arguably had the momentum and watching it live, you could have been forgiven for thinking he was turning it around and had started figuring Duran out.

Wrong! What Duran did from rounds 9 to 13 was amazing. He found that extra intensity he'd had in the early rounds, took Leonard's jab and speed advantage away with his inside game and, amazing, even outboxed and outjabbed Leonard for long periods, particularly in rounds 10 and 12, I felt.

Duran did seem to tire a little in the last two rounds (not running on fumes or anything like that, mind you) and Leonard's aggressive rights over the top helped him make the score look more respectable, but he was definitely second best on the night here.

 

Okay.
Just scored this again with fresh eyes.
I had it 146-142 for Duran

8-4-3 in rounds

Round
1 EVEN
2 Duran
3 Duran
4 Duran
5 Leonard
6 Leonard
7 EVEN
8 Duran
9 Duran
10 EVEN
11 Duran
12 Leonard
13 Duran
14 Duran
15 Leonard

 

There was a few of us. Duran had been a champ for 8 years prior. My Uncle let it be known when he (a guy that doesn't care to read anything) brought home Sports Illustrated with Duran on the cover bold print "No Way Sugar Ray"

Leonard was the favorite. The view being exceptional bigger guy vs exceptional smaller guy. Though Duran was outstanding against Palomino outside of a knockdown he didn't display his power at 47.

 

This bout is the best example of why you must utilize the option to score Even rounds. There were wasn't as much clean punching overall, lots of mugging, clinching by one boxer kept it Ugly. If neither boxer had an edge in a round by forcing yourself to pick one or the other your card is gonna be wacky.

 

I think I had this fight something like 9-6. A lot of rounds were close; but I don't think I can find enough rounds here for Ray no matter how many times I rewarch (and I've probably done so at least a dozen times).