Jermain Taylor vs. Roberto Duran at MW

A thumb to the eye as a start.

See Duran vs Moore

 

Mantequilla, though surprisingly under siege, is right.

If Duran stepped in against Jermain Taylor in the kind of condition he was in against Hagler Duran will beat him. I have no doubt. Duran laid off Hagler because he was thinking strategically and it worked more than if he didn't. If Duran fought Taylor that night we should assume that he would think strategically but not that he would fight Taylor precisely the same way as he did Hagler. Give him credit, Robbi.

If Duran stepped in against Jermain Taylor instead of Iran Barkley, he would beat Taylor more easily than he did Barkley. If Taylor was aggressive, he'd get countered repeatedly and make no damn mistake, Duran could crack at MW and he could hurt Jermain. If Taylor played boxer he'd have a chance though would look silly doing so. He is a below average boxer -even his last fight against Froch he couldn't last many rounds without his technique imploding.

Duran beating Taylor is ludicrous? Not accepting the very real possibility of an in-shape and inspired Duran beating Taylor is ludicrous. Taylor is an athlete who has conditioning problems and more holes in his style than a sieve. He would be easier to solve than Barkley was that night; frankly I have never seen a Taylor performance rival that Barkley performance in terms of technique, strategy, or wind.

Taylor is 5'11 with a '74 inch reach give or take. Barkley was 6'1 with a 74 inch reach give or take. Physically, Barkley was stronger. Durability is roughly even though I'd give the nod to Iran. Technically that night at least, Barkley. Experience, Barkley. Power, roughly equal.

I'd see this fight as playing out roughly like Duran-Barkley, only I'm less sure that Taylor would survive.

 

Do you foresee any additional difficulty because Taylor has handspeed as well as a very good jab on top of the size difference, Stonehands?

 

If were saying the Duran who fought Hagler, then it also means with the same strategy and beating Taylor with it. I can't see him beating Taylor at all on the outside by jabbing and throwing occasional right hands. Not a prayer.


The Duran who fought Barkley is a different animal. He was far more multi dimensional that night.

 

Was he still the same man, though? Did he like the same things for dinner?


Strikes me as a bit unreasonable, Robbi. To dictate his strategy is equal to dicating the punches he throws or the evasive action he takes -- it is one of the first steps to asking him to copy his performance in the Hagler fight step-by-step wether warranted or not.

I don't think this was the original poster's intention. I feel we should use a Duran that is as physically fit and experienced as Duran was in the Hagler fight -- and leave the strategy to Duran.

 

Barkley had his jab working overtime that night, and the moment he dropped it low at the end of round one, he paid for it. Taylor drops his low as a matter of course, has more balance problems, and is defensively vulnerable to any number of Duran tricks.

That being said, Duran will have a rough time for the first 5 or so rounds just as he did against Barkley, but I see him as landing hard shots that count even when he is getting outpunched. Duran will also be gauging Taylor and looking for and finding patterns that he will capitalize on later.

I like Taylor. He is good young man with plenty of those old Roman virtues, but he has not progressed with his fundamentals. He is an athlete and he fights like one. Duran's savvy, willingness to engage, and power could well prove too much. After watching that Barkley performance it is clear to me that Duran would do well against third tier MW champions -and a few second tier ones- who like to mix it up but come in relying on primitive notions like strength and size. Duran's too smart for them.

 

Robbi, would an inspired, in-shape, 32 year old 156 lb Duran have a real chance against Taylor? That's really the question here.

 

If were saying the Duran who fought Hagler, then it also means with the same strategy and beating Taylor with it. I can't see him beating Taylor at all on the outside by jabbing and throwing occasional right hands. Not a prayer.

 

The question was clear, but I'll make it more clear. If an inspired, in-shape, 32 year old 156 lb Duran trained for a prime MW Taylor instead of Hagler and stepped into the ring against Taylor, which one would you favor?

 

Roberto Duran had no business going 15 with Hagler. He was extremely fortunate to have fought a cautious Hagler, more concerned about winning and going a strong 15 rounds than anything else. The Hagler that fought Hearns, who came to kill or be killed would have massacared Duran.

I have long believed that Hagler lacked a bit of confidence . It showed in the first Vito fight and it showed against Duran. He questioned his own stamina, especially after almost punching himself out in the first Fully Obel fight.

Beating Barkey has nothing to do with beating Taylor.

 

Good point. Let's also assume that Jermain Taylor has Hagler's boxing skill, power and granite chin, since Duran is going to be the same guy that was in there against Hagler. :good

 

I disagree. Duran had an exceptional defense, and did not come out trying to trade Bombs the way Hearns did. Hagler did not have exceptional speed, and that is one area the former lightweight held an advantage in. Hagler was bigger, but could not beat Duran to the punch. If Hagler had overly pursued, he could have heard the announcer give a similar verdict to the one Barkley heard.

 

According to this post, going the distance with Hagler had nothing do with going the distance with Hagler.

Hagler didn't question his own stamina. He questioned the risk of going toe to toe with a man who just massacred a young champion considerably strong than himself and who was known for busting up whoever came close to him regardless of size. Hagler's eye was closing at the end of the fight and he was a bit lucky himself that it didn't start closing 5 rounds earlier. Hagler knew he could outbox Duran and did so. He decided not to risk repeating history by fighting Duran like two other bigger, younger, stronger fighters did. (Leonard and Moore.) (They lost.)

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"Beating Barkley has nothing to do with beating Taylor?" If you said that beating Leonard had nothing to do with beating Cuevas, or beating Buchanan had nothing to do with beating Viruet, I'd understand. But Barkley and Taylor are similar in many ways.

 

The whole idea that the Duran that fought Hagler would do worse against Taylor than the fat middle-aged Duran that fought Barkley is ludicrous.

Duran fought ACCORDING TO WHO WAS IN FRONT OF HIM. If the Duran that fought Hagler (in that kind of shape) was in there with Barkley he would have KO'ed him, no question.

 

I'd like to think that Duran could smack the **** out of Taylor but his only real chance is if Taylor was mug enough to engage Duran in ring centre which would be NEVER as the 1st time he gets clipped he'd leg it, i can't even see the Duran of 83 getting to Taylor.

It would have to be over 15 that Duran could maybe get him down the stretch seeing that Taylor has **** stamina & take those rounds but he had'nt the legs to go chasing people in his 30's, this is a snooze job with the crowd booing & Duran taunting Taylor to stand & fight & Taylor saying **** off come get me, Taylor's just too big & negative to get beat over 12/15 by a MW Duran.