is Duran overrated as a lightweight? quality of opposition?

Did you guys live through that era? Most of the lightweights Duran fought as champion had excellent reputations and were very well known.

 

Hill benefitted from the multiple title opportunities and the watered down talent pool of his era. As a fighter he was nothing compared with Duran. Hill could not carry Durans jockstrap in terms of ability.

 

Chavez did? Who? Who did Chavez fight at 130 better than Marcel: Lockridge, LaPorte, Mayweather? Who did he fight at 135 better than Buchanan: old Ramirez, shot Bazooka, Rosario? I don't think so.

 

Just because he was fighting for a long time doesn't mean he wasn't past it. That's just crazy. By the time he permanently moved out of 147, he was past it and had had over 70 fights. He was completely hit or miss above 147. I mean he lost to Kirkland Laing ffs. You claiming Laing is an atg better than Duran? Size wise, he had the exact same physical dimensions as the aforementioned Chavez. I dont remember Chavez fighting above 147, unless he did when he was shot against the likes of ODLH. Just because he fought at 154 before he fought Ray, doesnt mean he was suited at that weight. He just had no discipline and blew up between fights. He was simply never suited to be 154 and above. And as far as your he just fought better guys at 154 and above, just what fighter did he fight there was better than Leonard at 147?

 

Leonard did not fight Duran's fight in their 1st. People LOVE to make that excuse. He was known to fight pressure style and stand in the pocket as well as stick and move. It's the style that he utilized to stop Tommy as when he was "fighting his fight" as you claim, he was getting outboxed by Tommy. He had to pressure and slug Tommy otherwise he would have lost a decision.

 

Duran was an ATG as a lightweight, a great fighter as a Welterweight and very good above Welterweight. Duran at weights above Lightweight had already had a long and very busy career and certainly was past his physical prime.

 

Duran was very old school probably via Arcel. As one example You rarely see the parrying skills Duran had in today's fighters. Simply magnificent. I remember watching Duran fight the very dangerous Thompson and all fight Duran kept turning and parrying and countering until that huge hook in round 8 pretty much ended the evening for the challenger. This was an often overlooked but magnificent skillfull performance by Duran vs a very strong powerful challenger.

 

He beat Buchanan and Dejesus at 135. He also beat Leonard at 147. He also beat ATG Marcel at 130. So we can pretty much assume that at 135 he was the man.

 

Roberto Duran is the greatest lightweight who ever lived, that is the consensus opinion of boxing experts. Ali at heavyweight, Sugar Ray Robinson at welterweight are other consensus picks . Hardly any other divisions offer clear cut picks as these.

 

Whitaker would have outboxed him rather easily. I think Duran is overrated a bit. His resume does not show the best lightweight ever. The competition does not show a Whitaker or a Mayweather or an elite win. That is what Duran's career lacks. He has some good elite fights. Many. Hearns, Benitez,Hagler,Leonard etc etc, but he lacks elite wins.. And that is what we are looking for. Landing a right on Hearns or going 15 with Benitez or Hagler but losing all 3 is not atg ,and his lightweight reign lacks the resume some others had. Even Chavez. Where does the AT best come from?