If 14 year old Tony Ayala had sparred with Duran instead of Cuevas....

Virtually every positive 'story' known to mankind about Tony Ayala Jr. is
a 'complete fabrication'.

In March 1981 in Syracuse, on the undercard of the Ray Leonard - Larry Bonds
Championship Fight.

I saw the supposedly 'indestructible terror' nearly get KO'd in 'one round' by a
20 year-old Junior-Middleweight named Mario Maldonado, who had a fully complete
mediocre record of 11-7-1.

Lou Duva turned about a dozen shades of green, when 'El Torito' crashed to the canvas.

Not that Mario Maldonado was some kind of bum, but he was not some kind of terror either,
as he only had a couple of knock-outs in his 11 wins.

 

What I think is wrong is how Ayala is even mentioned in classic. The guy was not great. He never beat anyone really good and everything about him is talk. Ayala never proved against anyone he was anything close to Tyson quality as some say here. Saying Ayala would beat Duran in 1983? The only guy who really knocked out Duran is Hearns, and Hearns is a legend who had a big right hand and speed. No insult there. But Ayala would not have come close to stopping Duran. As a matter of fact Duran would love to fight Ayala. Stylewise and mindset Ayala would not want to fight Roberto Duran. Duran would have taken advantage of every flaw Ayala had. And Ayala would not have landed a punch on Duran. Cuevas would have also beaten Ayala in a real fight. Sparring? Pipino Cuevas had a bad day and it was sparring probably. If it did happen that is all you can say. Ayala never proved in his career he could come close to beating Cuevas or Duran or anyone of that top level. And the Duran of 154 pounds in 1983 or 1984 knocks out Ayala and I think about round 4 or 5. Wouldn't go long.

 

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no, you're wrong about that. very wrong

I remember back in the day when they were talking Duran against Tony. I thought Duran was crazy to take the fight with him. It seemed like a poor management decision. No one in the media was taking Duran

But Duran caught a break. Tony went to prision, a victim of his violent rage and Duran went on to lose to a far inferior foe. A foe I had never heard of

It was good that Duran got beat by laing, instead of Tony. I never liked the thought of seeing Duran hurt anyways.

I think a much better matchup would have been a fantasy match between Tony and one of the most unique fighters I ever had the privildege of seeing

his name? Micheal second to Nunn

 

I know this was directed at someone elses post, but I don't think Duran loses to Ayala. Duran was beaten by fast guys who used their speed and feet. I agree with someone who said Duran would beat Ayala faster than he beat Moore. At the time they talked about Ayala and Duran was in 1982 after Benitez made Duran look bad. Duran did well when you underestimated him because in the 1980s he still was good and great if you gave him the right way to fight like Barkley did in 1989. He was champ 3 times. Which is why I never bought the excuses he used when he lost to Hearns,Leonard,Benitez because knew he was good with everyone else and won titles.
Like I said, people thought after Benitez beat Duran that Duran was washed up. But Benitez was great and fought great at 154. It was more Benitez being great than Duran being washed up. Duran just did not fight well against those top fast greats.
I thought 154 was Benitez best weight.
After Benitez/Duran, Duran then came back in the spring of 1983 and beat a shopworn Cuevas, but he stopped him. It was a good win and whoever won that got a chance at the title. I don't think Ayala could beat Duran then. Ayala was not in the Hearns and Benitez or Hagler level obviously. Those guys beat Duran, but those guys were fellow legends. Ayala beating Duran, I just don't see it. I would almost say impossible. He might trouble Duran in the first round but Duran would then take over the fight. Tony had good power but Duran knew the tricks and if you didn't use speed and frustrate him you would not beat him. That would have been a fight made for Duran's style. He would have looked great.

 

Roberto Duran did have a flat spell in 1981 and 1982,,,,,,,,and those boxing
pundits in the know figured Roberto was washed up.

As for a Roberto Duran vs Tony Ayala,,,,,,,,,,,,,it only would only have happened
if one of them had a version of the Junior Middleweight Title,,,,,,,,

Unfortunately neither had it in those 2-years.

These things were said about El Torito before he fought Mario Maldonado

* The next Jake LaMotta
* The most professional talent ever at age 18
* A guarantee to win the Junior Middleweight Title by his 10th professional fight
* Will fight Ayub Kalule and Maurice Hope within 6-weeks of each other, and knock them both out
* Will challenge Sugar Ray Leonard within a year.

 

Duran would have picked him apart with counterpunches and angles. It would be exciting and Ayala probably has some moments early but Duran`s experiance and boxing skills would have been the difference.

Im sure had this fight come off there would have been alot of bad blood going into it. Duran would have got into the best shape possible and given the kid a lesson.

 

Exactly. He knows the guy was a threat and he would have been outslugged, not outpointed. Like Barkley later, he gets himself well prepared for the fight. And Roberto would have feasted on that opening Ayala gave with that left arm cradled at his waist. That arm needs to be about a foot higher since he did not move his head & that major defensive flaw was going to be a huge problem if he had stepped up in competition and eventually fought a Duran. Or a Hearns. McCallum. Mugabi. Jackson. Curry. Even Hilton.

 

I agree. Look at the guys who beat Duran. They were a whose who of great fighters. Leonard,Hearns,Benitez,Hagler. Was Ayala in that class? You had to be to beat Duran from 1980-1984!! Duran would take Ayala apart!!! It is almost an insult to say Ayala would beat Duran. Duran was part of the fab 4!!!

 

You forgot Kirkland Laing. :good

 

the Duran of Montreal would be on death row if he fought 14 year Ayala.

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdSnRZFMbY0[/ame]

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=UzGRq4jV1Ps&NR=1

 

And yet the likes of lapdx still think this man was good.

Potentially a dangerous journeyman, but as it stands, a complete nobody.

 

sadly people seem to think the same now, even with the evidence.