How highly do you rank Roberto Duran as a welterweight?

He was great at lightweight, very good but not great at welter. A tough fight for almost anyone, but not great at 147.

 

Very clearly Great. The where isn't really all that important. He's got one of the best wins in the history of the sport, much less the division.

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The problem with Duran was that he used to beat himself up with the balooning in weight, so every match was his to lose really.

Nevertheless, at welter he beat HOF Palomino, Sugar Ray Leonard 1 which is a colossal win. This win did wonders to his greatness and confirmed that this beast who is beating many hall of famers and monstrous fighters at lightweight really can be devestating against the best of the best.

It was a short lived welterweight career that's the problem. He's a VERY great fighter at welter, but can we say he's an ATG when he's only really fought 2 fighters? We can't forget his bitching out in SRL 2 either.

 

By achievements: very good
By potential: the greatest

 

:huh:blood

 

At his best in '79-'80 gives anyone not named Robinson a very serious night.

 

There were plenty of big punchers at welterweight, who would have knocked him out cold.

 

Doubtful considering his skillset and ability. Only a freakishly proportioned welter knocked him out anywhere near his best, at 11 stone. A guy lauded as one of the ATG P4P punchers of all time who went on to stop decent guys as high as 175.

 

Aside from Robinson and Hearns, not really.

 

Let's not pretend he was invincible and unhittable. A punch or two from Joe Walcott, for example, would be enough for him. Tommy Ryan would have stopped him. And so on.

 

Spurious bull****.

 

He was knocked down by DeJesus two times. Don't pretend he was better and a harder hitter than Walcott or Ryan.

 

And? Was he hurt? Not really.

Also, the old timers were fossils who had never seen a real punch being thrown. Duran's jab would knock out the likes of Walcott.