Since winning the WBC and WBA middleweight titles in September 1980 by stopping Alan Minter in 3 rounds, Hagler had established himself as one of the best middleweight champions in history, stopping 7 opponents in a row including the excellent Vito Antuofermo, and Wilfred Scypion in a unification fight to become undisputed champion. He fought Roberto Duran in November 1983. At the time, Duran was 32 years old. He was a natural lightweight fighting at middleweight. That's a gap in weight of 25lbs. Duran was in good form, having recently beaten Pipino Cuevas and Davey Moore, but it was apparent he was not the same force fighting at these higher weights, having lost to Wilfred Benitez and Kirkland Laing not long before. Duran became the 1st man to last 15 rounds with Hagler since Hagler became champion. To put that into perspective, that's like someone from today's lightweight division (Nate Campbell or Juan Diaz) moving through the weights and then going the full 12 rounds with Kelly Pavlik. When you think of it like that, you realize what an achievement this was. I don't think anyone in the welterweight division (except possibly huge and freak-chinned Margarito) could move up and last 12 rounds with Pavlik, so there's no way I can imagine a lightweight doing so. De La Hoya tried it and was stopped in 9 by Hopkins. Can you think of an example where a fighter proved more about his quality in defeat?
