Iran Barkley vs Roberto Duran

I'm by no means a Duran expert, so I'll comment only on the fight.

A couple of months before the fight, I read a very long, detailed inerview Duran granted to veteran reporter James Dusgate, who was close to Duran.
Roberto was making all the right noises, you know...feeling good, training going well, never felt better etc, the usual stuff fighters say.
I was thinking: "Well okay, but he's 37 and about to fight a big middleweight." To say I wasn't convinced would be an understatement, because I had heard these things before from Duran.

But lo and behold, the old fox put up a tremendous performance. His hands looked fast, he moved well, his reflexes seemed great, and he was punching with precision and power. Iran for his part, fought probably better than he ever had. He really put up a great show, and it was clear he had improved markedly as a fighter.
Whether that was due to the styles complimenting each other or simply that Iran had gained a huge boost of confidence after beating Hearns (possibly both) I can't say, but whatever the case, it was an absorbing, sometimes thrilling, fight.

Two moments stick out for me:

1) That left hook Barkley landed in the 8th. How Duran took that shot I'll never know.
2) The clinical and accurate punching by Duran to put Iran down in the eleventh round.

Barkely wasn't even near to Duran in terms of class, but I think Duran gained a lot of respect for Barkley during the fight, and vice-versa.

Later I read a follow-up piece by Dusgate, who paid homage to the old warrior after the fight.

 

Well, if memory serves me right, I think Duran fought a guy in Chicago in Oct. of '88 and Duran was a rotund 166 pounds while winning a listless decision...... Nobody, including KO mag., thought that Duran could get into the type of shape to handle a big 160 pounder like Iran Barkley....

However, by Feb. of '89, Duran was a fit and ready at 156 3/4 pounds and looking real good for age 37..... The fight itself won fight of the year award........... The victory for Duran was / is big on his resume........ Too bad "Leonard-Duran 3" had to stink to high heaven on PPV...........

MR.BILL

 

One of my favorite fights..Vintage Duran, he really turned back the clock. But hats off need to go to Barkley aswell IMO because he gave it his all in there and the result was a very memorable fight.

All things considered its up there with Duran's best wins..Possibly top 5 even.

 

Yeah he was overweight for Jeff Lanas. Because he won that fight, he got that classic fight with Barkley.

Great to see you acknowledge Duran's greatness, Addie. The man was spectacular.

 

:good:good:good

Duran was a tough sob.

 

I love the combination that Duran hit Barkley with to put him down in the 11th round. I can never get tired of watching a shorter fighter knock down a tall opponent.

 

Yeh, what a 5 punch combo, sheer class, Gill Clancy was drooling in his commentary; Quote:

"Watch the surgeon at work":smoke​

Even Iran just laid there & grinned with respect:good

 

Jeff Lanas... That was the guy....... I was too lazy to look it up, but I do recall the fight....... I remember foaming at the mouth when I found out Duran weighed 156 3/4 pounds for Barkley.... Right then I knew Duran was serious.... "Duran-Barkley" is a classic........
:bbb

MR.BILL

 

It was Duran rejuvenated. His performance levels since the first Leonard fight had been somewhat erratic. The Cuevas,Moore and Barkley fights were Roberto's Indian Summer. Even his losing bout against Hagler was quite impressive. A pity about the third Leonard fight,thouigh. I really wanted him to win that one.

 

Duran had no business at all winning the fight. There are just some nights where everything is stacked against you and you can't win.

Sickeningly good gameplan, too. Counter right over the jab, all night, swell the eye, right hands some more. So simple. So difficult.

I honestly get choked up every time I see that fight. When a fighter gives that much, that he has to clinch and hold on, and grimace and retreat to the ropes and flurry just to try and survive it's like you share something intimate with them -- as if they show you something that was private, something you weren't supposed to see. It is beautiful and moves me.

...

Carry on.

 

I think, everything considered, the Barkely fight must rank 2nd behind the Leonard fight. Very good fight too, Ive owned it for about 4 yrs, not seen it in about a year tho.

Duran-Palomino in 1979 is arguably Duran at his very best, its sandwhiched in between his often spoken of 2 best (prime-wise) wins, Dejesus III in 1978 & Leonard I in 1980.

He won 10-0 on my card in beating a very good WWT in Palomino, excellent performance. I watch that fight regular.

 

I think we can all agree his best win is the Leonard fight.

After that you can pretty much rank them any way you like, depending on how you feel about the wins really.

After the Leonard win Id persoanally have it

2. DeJesus II
3. DeJesus III
4. Barkley
5. Palomino

 

Yeh thats about it, each & every one were all tests to the extreame & fraught with danger, it's a % point either way for me, with DeJesus 2 putting him to the real test & DeJesus 3 where he had to silence the doubters once & for all, Palamino being the make or break at WW & Leonard where it was viewed that it would be a miricle & Barclay where "impossible" was the only word that described common sence.

I've got too go for the Barclay fight for me as it still defies all fistic logic that an old 37yr blown up lightweight should even be in the ring with the man that KO'd the MAN that KO'd him & if i'd bet on this fight it would have been with my heart & deff not my head:smoke

 

1. Leonard I
2. De Jesus III
3. Palamino
4. Barkley
5. Moore