Inside fighters better than Duran?

with a nice ref armstrong.

wih a very harsh ref not even duran.

andre ward.

 

I don´t see why Chavez wouldn´t be considered just as good as him on that.

 

Mike was a mid-range killer - his inside game was foetal compared to that of a Duran.

 

What a joke. First off Hagler was a natural 160 Duran was a natural 135, Duran confused Hagler that whole fight which is why Hagler would not rematch him. If they had both been natural 160 no question who wins. Ask Ray Leonard if there was a better inside fighter.

 

Along this same line, I think of Joey Maxim's inside game. Not a great punisher, but as you describe Angott, a spoiler of other fighters' inside game.

 

Chavez and Toney would give Duran a run for his money in the trenches.

 

@Saintpat thanks you two - This might be another reason to add yet another feather to Emile Griffiths cap. The greatest fighter of the 60s and onwards if we pretend Napoles isn’t real.

 

He wasn't as multi faceted inside but i think Armstrongs disgusting stamina and workrate among other intangibles would see him match Duran or thereabouts. Armstrong did have great skill inside but it's a different inside skill to Duran on the whole.

 

Gimme some specific fights against top level opponents that showed he was the greatest inside fighter of all time? I wanna see them for myself

 

I’d still favor Duran but a fight between him and Julio Cesar Chavez would have been epic

 

Underrated performance IMO, look at the subtle shifts of balance and ring generalship against Palomino. The grappling prowess, head placement, short punches and total control of the fight are ... *Chef's kiss*

 

Not sure ... as great as JCC was, I feel like there's nowt he could bring that would negate Duran.

I know it's not a stylistic match and it's above his ideal fight weight , but what Pernell did to JCC on the inside to mid-range, I don't see where JCC stands with Duran at his best and doesn't come out second in most exchanges.

 

Wow seems like youve never watched him at all.

Vs. Ray Leonard 1
vs. Davey Moore
Vs Carlos Palomino
vs. Ken Buchanan
Vs DeJesus 2 and 3

 

Fair enough but the Whitaker fight wasn’t really an example I would personally use. As you say neither man was at his ideal weight. Neither man was prime. And Whitaker was a southpaw unlike the orthodox Duran. Chavez was sublime at both lightweight and jr. welter which are more realistic battle grounds for a Duran Vs Chavez match. Julio had an iron chin, accuracy, power, persistence, and stamina. I can see Duran wining the battle on the inside but not without having to earn his pay.

 

Shifting the discussion a bit, but Riddick Bowe is the best tall big man on the inside I’ve ever seen and by a pretty fair margin.