Once again Mag is knocking Duran because he couldn't move up many weight classes in his 30s and beat all time greats like Hearns,Bentiez, and Hearns. Of course he totally ignores the age and size disadvantage that Duran giving away in these fights. I have tried to point out to him that Leonard in his 30s tried once to fight a very good primed fighter in their 20s ( Norris ) and didn't win a round. It doesn't sink into him. Can someone come up with a list of fighters past their primes in their 30s who beat fighters in their 20s nearly as good as Hagler,Bentiez, and Hearns. We won't even get into the fact that Duran was also alot smaller then these guys. I can't come up with much of a list. Maybe Ali vs Foreman. Any others.
Harry Greb,with about 250 bouts, past his peak, and sight in only one eye,whipped the 12 pound heavier prime light heavyweight Gene Tunney. In 1922...
Azumah Nelson got some good wins when he was older... KO8 J. Fenech, W12 C. Grove, W12 and KO5 G. Ruelas, and KO6 J. Leija
Duran did beat Barkley though up at middleweight when past his best. Past his best Olivares stopped up and coming future lightweight champ Jose Luis Ramirez in 2
I have mentioned before that Duran fought at 154 as early as 1978 in tuneups before Hearns or Benitez or Leonard ever fought at that weight. The same weight he was outclassed by Hearns and Benitez. And as far as past prime, the same man who was the first man to knock out Duran was past his prime and he beat a prime Virgil Hill who was undefeated and had 10 title defenses at light heavyweight. Something which most people underrated as an accomplishment. Had Duran beaten Hill people would have made him top ATG ever. Hearns does it after winning his first title at 147 and winning titles at 154 160 168 and also 175, and people seem to not give it much credit.
Duran was 32 when he fought Hearns. Hearns was 32 when he beat Virgil Hill. How do you explain that? Especially in light of the fact that Duran fought at 154 before Hearns did and was champ at 154 and fought at 160 before he fought Hearns, and Hearns beat a legit great light heavyweight champ in Hill who ended up having at 175 and 190 near 25 title defenses. Duran was not much smaller than those guys. The reason the Hagler fight came up was because Duran and Hagler made a commercial in 1983 and people noticed how close in height Duran was to Hagler. Duran was not as small as people think. Hearns and Benitez beat him with speed.
