Greater fighter Sugar Ray Leonard or Roberto Duran

Duran going up 2 weight classes to beat Leonard is more impressive than Leonard beating Duran. So, in a true p4p sense Duran is greater.

 

I'm not trying to change anyones opintion, but Brooklyn and Sweet Pea are as unbiased as you'll find.

They are looking at both fighters careers and weighing up the strengths and weaknesses of both Leonard and Duran. Only a fool would say it's an easy choice to have one over the other.

You can't just look at Leonard and say well he beat Duran, he was more skilled, and beat Hagler and Hearns. He's greater? I think not.

Duran happened to have longevity at a particular weight division, lightweight. He's considered the greatest lightweight of all-time by a large quantity of observers. Something Leonard isn't considered for at any weight he fought. And Duran also went onto win titles in another three divisions after competing in over 60+ fights.

Leonard and Duran both came back well from setbacks. But Duran gets my vote over Leonard. He had to come back from career threatning defeats. The rematch with Leonard was a disaster, humiliation and embarassment. The chilling knockout against Hearns at the age of 33 years of age looked a serious career ender. Lets not forget, Leonard was the same age when he was defeated by Norris. And just for the record, Duran had many more fights at around 33 as well. He came back to beat Barkley five years after Hearns had him out face first inside 2 rounds. Leonard came back to beat Hagler, which was probably his greatest ever comeback. But overall he never measured up to Duran when coming back against the odds.

 

Great post! As is the post that summed it up perfectly in my mind. Leonard's the better boxer, Duran's the better fighter!!

 

To me I think Duran is the clear choice. I think Leonard COULD have been just as great or greater, but he spent so much time in the 80s not fighting, and then spent so much time trying to make up for it by staging BAD comebacks (though of course one or two was really impressive).

 

Duran.

 

wrong choice:-(

 

see:deal

 

P4P, Duran, and it's not that close. At welter, clearly Leonard was better. But if you factor in Duran's entire career, it isn't even close.

 

atsch
this is'nt even worth a response.

 

Duran's longevity, him coming up in weight to defeat the P4P #1 and accomplishments at multiple weights clinch it for me -- but there are also other factors and intangibles in his favor.

For one thing, Duran's peak record was something like 73-1, which is extraordinary considering how early in his career he became world champ. He wasn't carefully groomed and fed cans until he was 27 and made ready for a title shot -- he clinched it in his early twenties and then learned as he went, at that level, for that long.

Duran also fought past his peak and at weightclasses where he was at a severe disadvantage -- this allowed us to see the whole of Roberto. He was pushed to his limits because his limits were now an attainable goal for his opponents, enjoying youth, size and strength on him.

His response to these situations is what truly makes him great. In the fight against Iran Barkley, the former crude, wild slugger (when he beat Buchanan) used all the tools in his arsenal, in-and-out movement, defense in the pocket, dissapating landed blows with posture, incredible survival-skills, and blistering counters with stunning accuracy -- nearly all of them landing on a single spot to further the same tactical plan he tried to spin on Hagler and Moore -- closing an eye. And all this while his speed of hand and foot had all but gone.

Unlike Leonard, who only showed us a glimpse of the whole of his talent against Hearns, we saw Duran's limits often, in various situations, in a three-dimensional view, so to speak. And what I saw impressed the hell out of me.

Duran.

 

I have duran slightly higher on my atg list but it is close and an argument can be made for both

Leonards top wins out trump most atg i can think off, anyone that has a W against benitez, duran, hearns and hagler is a special fighter. However leonard lacks in his longevity and this affects his rating for me.

Duran on the other hand if you take just his top 4 wins, which in mY opinion are buchann, de jesus x2, leonard and barkley. Now if you just compare that to leonards best wins hands down leonard would be higher for me. However digging a bit deeper, duran is the best lightweight ever imo, he gets kudos for that, his second tier wins as provided by brooklyn early in this thread are much better than leonards. And the fact he as a natural 135 fighter that went up and won a title and in the process knocked down barkley at middle is special.

What it is for me however that gives duran the nod is his victory over leonard. This is a guy who is in most people top 10 off all time, he's 8 in mine. And duran while being smaller than him went and beat almost prime if not prime leonard. A special achievment and allows duran along with his longevity to rank above sugar ray in my eyes

 

Roberto Duran....oh yeah:deal

 

I give the nod to Sugar Ray Leonard.Interesting poll question

 

My views have slightly changed from this.