if Roberto duran was a lightweight in the 40s

I appreciate what you're trying to say here. I can't speak for others, but I don't take such things personally. But at the same time, what if I opined something like "Chris Byrd would knock out George Chuvalo"? Then offered nothing to support such an odd contention when challenged, instead choosing to simply chant that mantra (in slightly different variations and phrasings). Should people here respect it as "just his opinion"? Or would an observation of "spouting nonsense" at an obviously unsupportable opinion be a more appropriate response on a board designed for debating boxing?

 

No, "Chris Byrd would knock out George Chuvalo" is not an opinion that could be taken seriously. It would be obvious trolling, so you would never say something like that.

I don't know who HeavyweightCP is, or where he's coming from... but he doesn't strike me as being a Frankenfrank-type of troller. My guess is, that he honestly believes, Duran would be too good and too strong for Williams to cope with. I'm not saying, I agree with this contention - but it's certainly not the most outrageous thing, I've ever read here on Classic!

So, while I may not agree with him, I find it objectionable that a poster - who in all likelihood is expressing his honest opinion - basically is told that he's a moron, who needs to go home and read up on boxing history, before he shows his ignorant face here again.

 

Nor, in my opinion, is an opinion that Duran could simply "walk through" a fighter of the caliber of Ike Williams (though I think he could and would beat him).

Or "knock out Sammy Angott", something that even the greatest WELTERWEIGHT of all-time, Sugar Ray Robinson, couldn't do in THREE tries. Something Henry Armstrong couldn't do either. Something welterweight Fritzie Zivic couldn't do. Something that murderous punching Lew Jenkins couldn't do. Something NOBODY did in 131 fights (sans Beau Jack, which was not a knockout, per se).

Or an opinion (from an earlier thread) that SRR "wasn't in his prime" when he fought Jake LaMotta (can that, in your opinion, be "taken seriously"?)

All of these were put up by the same poster without giving anything to support the assertion.

Nor I.

No, but it's high on the list. Especially when one becomes familiar with Ike Williams' career and realizes that he fought men who were STRONGER than Duran. If he stated that he simply felt Duran would win (again, my contention as well), that's one thing. "Walks through"? Um, no. That to me is an indicator that one hasn't done their homework. Do that on here and you're going to get called-out. I think my initial call-out post was fairly friendly, btw.

I agree with the underlined. The rest is indeed objectionable and that is why you haven't and furthermore would never hear such name-calling coming from me.

 

If the poster in question really said, that SRR wasn't in his prime when he fought LaMotta - then I agree, that such a statement doesn't deserve to be taken seriously.

And no, Surf-Bat, I'm not objecting to your criticism of HeavyweightCP. I know, you never resort to name-calling... and your initial call-out post is fair enough.

What got me going was Burt's reaction - which I believe was a bit "over the top", so to speak!

 

B, I have refrained from defending my answer to HeavyweightCP, that you find so offensive...If I hurt his feelings I am truly sorry, as he seems a decent chap who aspires to be a heavyweight champion in the future...But I am surprised from out of nowhere, you seem to think my posting to him
"start reading your history", is as you put it a "bit over the top"...
He posted that Duran "took the punches from Hagler and Barkley " knowing full well that Duran was a middleweight by the time he fought these two,
not as the thread reads as a lightweight. Am I not correct B ? And I have such high regard for Ike Williams ,having seen him at his very best a few times and anyone who saw the prime Ike Williams should no that , "no one
walks through Ike Williams " as a lightweight...So on the basis of what
HeavyweightCP mistakenly posted [Duran was no LW when he took the blows of Marvin Hagler and Barkley ] I responded with vigor,"start reading your lightweight history ". If this suggestion is "name-calling" Finn
I have heard so much worse responses directed at others and myself...
And HeavyweightCP, good luck for your quest for the heavyweight title...:hi:

 

P.S. I repeat that Roberto Duran was a great fighter who became a WW and MW...But strictly as a 135 pounder his record doesn't justify the
phrase, without justification, "Duran walks through Ike Williams ". Decisions him possibly, but watching Ike Williams and his great rivals, Beau Jack, Bob Montgomery, Sammy Angott, Willie Joyce, Freddie Dawson, Johnny Bratton, I have reason to hold that group of lightweights in such high esteem, that I defend their abilities with great passion..If I am guilty of
my convictions, so be it...

 

It's not so much the "start reading your history" as it's the "vomit up garbage" part, that I found a bit strong.

Burt, I realize you think very highly of Williams (as do I), and I have no wish to enter into a war of words with you over this. Especially since I (as you know) like you a lot (no homo!) and have nothing but respect for you.

Anyway, it's past 6 in the morning here in my neck of the woods, and I have been up all night - so I'm pretty knackered and need to turn in now.

Peace.