Greater Victory: SRL over Hagler, or Duran over Barkley?

durans win was greater as he deserved the decision he got

 

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I strongly disagree that Hagler was shot ! Passed his best,certainly,but that's a different kettle of fish to being shot.

 

I predicted Duran would beat Barkley. I knew it. Barkley previous to fighting Kalambay and Hearns was an ESPN fighter and rather sloppy. Olajide knocked him down in his fight with Barkley. After Duran he lost to Nunn and Benn. Hagler on the other hand was champion for 7 years. How would beating Barkley be greater than beating Marvelous Marvin Hagler?

 

You either have to a) Hate black people b) love latinos or c) both

 

fa·ce·tious/fəˈsēSHəs/

Adjective:
Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant.

Synonyms:
jocose - humorous - jocular - waggish - comic - funny

 

EASILY the Hagler win.

Marvin was the undisputed KING of the middleweights, an ATG legend.

Barkley was an alphabet champion with a couple of upset W's over better fighters.

The two accomplishments are mighty, but one is on an entirely different level, given that it should have been impossible under conventional boxing wisdom.

Not hard to imagine a master like Duran outboxing a very limited Barkley.

 

What were the odds before the fights? Anyone know?

 

Seems a ridiculously easy question. Leonard's victory over Hagler was of course greater.

Everyone's failing to mention that Leonard had come back from career-threatening retina surgery AND THUS had fought ONE fight in the previous 5 years--and down at his customary 147 pounds--got dropped for the 1st time in his career against none other than Kevin Howard, then retired again. Came back THREE YEARS after that against Hagler, moving up to 160 for his very first fight there against the toughest, best champion boxing had at the time. (Whereas Duran had moved up to 160 before and LOST to Hagler, as he did several times to others at 154 before winning the 154 title from a guy with only a handful of pro fights, Davey Moore.)

Barkley? A tough guy, and nothing else. Not to be mentioned in the same breath as Hagler, even given his odd ability to defeat Hearns. Beating Barkley (by anybody) isn't the same accomplishment as beating Hagler (by anybody). Yes, even a 1987 Hagler-- who was still champ and was unbeaten for 10 years.

Barkley being beaten by an active fighter, whether Duran or whoever, just isn't that big a deal. That Duran had been a lightweight years earlier, and that he was "old" now, makes his victory sweet, and pretty unique, but it's not like he did something that Roy Jones, Jr. didn't accomplish over a much greater weight span . . . Anyone beating Hagler after having ONE fight in the past five years, none in the prior three years, and moving up from welterweight to fight none other than the middleweight champion, Hagler, in his first foray at 160 pounds, is doing MUCH more than a 154-pound champ (Duran) moving up to beat the illustrious Iran Barkley. I don't even see how this is debatable.

I'd add that had Leonard come back and instead beaten Barkley, it wouldn't have been nearly as big a deal as beating Hagler. In fact, it wouldn't have been as big a deal going into the fight. NO ONE thought Barkley was any Hagler at any point in Barkley's career.

 

4-1 with Ray as the Underdog
3-1 with Duran as the underdog

 

not bad odds for Ray. I would have thought it was more like 8-1.

 

Logically its not racism that is making this close. A lot of people don't think Leonard bested Hagler, so Duran's clearer victory impressed them more. You could argue Hopkins beating Pavlik is more impressive than de La Hoya beating Whittaker, if you thought Whittaker won that fight.

 

I was surprised at both to be honest.

A lot of the times the "stakes" get blown out of proportion, the odds are usually almost right.

 

A monster in his prime ....if it was any other fighter beating that Barkley you wouldn't call him a "monster".

Barkley was in his prime but he was no MONSTER.

 

Just a matter of who beat the better fighter. Delahoya over Whitaker is like Leonard over Hagler, but Duran over Barkley is not. Hagler and Whitaker were top legendary fighters so anyone beats those names it is a great win. Of course it is a better win to beat a legend then someone who was beaten 2 out of 4 times in 6 fights as Barkley was. Hagler went undefeated for almost 8 years when Ray beat him.