Hearns - Duran

:blood

 

Let's not forget that this fight was fought at 154. Duran was a natural lightweight. Let's also not forget that Duran was 5 "6" and Hearns was 6 "1". Imagine if Hatton fought Taylor at 160 and got knocked out, would we give Taylor a much credit? Also, I don't think Hearns would knock out Floyd, but he would probably decision him.

 

Hearns looked great, but Duran fought a HORRIBLE fight. He just stood right in front of him. I doubt Duran would ever repeat that "strategy", and unless any of the guys you listed did the same I doubt they'd end up like Duran did.

 

tommy beats duran everytime they fight, there is no strategy duran could ever employ to beat hearns.

 

Hearns was at his best at 154 lbs with power & great boxing ability. He easily out boxed Wilfred Benitiz, so you could probably plug PBF's name in there too if they could ever meet.

Manny Steward said Duran was always very quiet and respectful to Tommy even before their fight was even proposed. Hearns would always present huge problems to Duran.

 

Duren couldn't beat Tommy unless he caught him early with a huge overhand right -- a Sunday punch. Barring some strange occurance, Hearns wins every time. That's not Duran's fault -- Tommy was too good, tall and fast at 154 for Duran, who was still an overachieving lightweight.

Duran went on to have success at higher weights despite his physical shortcomings. It's not like they weren't a factor. Duran was a much better fighter than Iran Barkley will ever be, but he still had no right to win that fight.

 

I agree that with Tommy's style it would turn every match with Duran in to a nightmare for "Manos de Piedra"

 

Duran would never beat Hearns...he was just too damn big, too fast, too powerful, and too much for a 5-6 man to get inside on. Hearns would have KO'd Hatton, Cotto, Margarito, and Williams early. He would have stopped Mosley, De La Hoya, and Mayweather later on, and if not, he would have won a wide decision over all of them.

 

The Motor City Cobra was at his pinnacle that night.

Perhaps it was not the finest performance by a fighter ever, as Duran was five/six years and 19lbs past his best, but it was finest ever performance by a 154lber, by the finest ever 154lber IMO.

 

Duran was nowhere near his prime or prime weight for that matter.

 

I think folks forget how great and awesome tommy was in his prime...
The only guys who beat tommy in his best years were hagler and ray leonard,and they had to go through hell to get those victories...
No way does duran ever beat hearns at welter and definatley not at 154...Hearns would decimate floyd,moseley,cotto, and hatton easily....If de la hoyas jab,corleys power and judas speed can trouble pbf then hearns has more speed and a 300% better jab combined with julian jacksons power...No guy at sub five foot 9 or naturally 130 is ever going to hear the final bell against tommy unless the track shoes are on....
To see another domonstration of tommy in his absolute prime watch the fights versus pipino cuevas and ray leonard 1...
It wasnt the fact roberto or pipino had the wrong strategy,it was the fact that the man in front of them prevented them from coming in close or landing their bombs with footwork,speed,reflexes,a rapier like accurate left hand jab from hell and the threat of the right hand decapitating them....Tommys power was evident up to cruiser,how do you think welters and middles felt going in against him?
Ally this to the fact that nobody but nobody could outbox this guy....Scary proposition was tommy in his prime.....

 

of course he beats mosley and floyd they started 4 and 2 divisions smaller

 

Maybe someone should tell floyd he is the not the greatest fighter of all time,neither is he even close.....