ok, I'm a self confessed Duran fan. Watching the likes of Duran and SRL got me into boxing as a youngster in the late '70s and early 80's. However, I know very little about Benny Leonard - only that many rate him as either #1 or #2 at lightweight. So how would Duran and Benny Leonard, possibly the greatest ever lightweights, have fared head to head? I'd be interested to hear what people think, and if anyone could suggest any good reading on Leonard, I'd appreciate it. Cheers
We just went through this argument / debate a few weeks ago............ Christ, all the historians and intellectual jabber-jaws went hog wild with this topic........ I was surprised how many grabbed a hold of Benny Leonard's nuts and refused to let go....... But, I wasn't one of them..... You see, my hands have been firmly wrapped around Roberto Duran's nutsack for almost 30 yrs, and I'm still holding on with a mighty grip....... :happy Duran at 135 is the all-time KING there...........bbb MR.BILL:hat
I think Benny Leonard was more of a prototype for the modern style than a true modern stylist himself. He paved the way for a lot of the more modern stylists that came after him like Kid Chocolate and Barney Ross. In that sense, I wouldn't really rate him head to head against his modern counterparts. Not that anything should be taken away from him because of this, but I choose to base his (and pretty much all fighters from that era and prior) merit on what level of fighter he was for his era and what he accomplished.
His record reads well, but the limited bits i've seen of him on film don't suggest to me that he could beat a prime Duran. Reminded me of Buchannan in some ways
Joe Gans is another mother I truly wish I knew and could see more of.................... BUT! Since we must base are desire of Gans by handed down tales and stories, I still CANNOT rate him above Duran.............. That is a shame, too.......... I'm pretty Goddamn sure Gans was the goods.......... MR.BILL
