Jose Napoles .Vs. Roberto Duran

Stylistically this is a bad matchup for Napoles. Duran would most likely win by TKO in the mid to late rounds due to Napoles's tendancy to cut. The pace of the fight would be pretty heavy by the time the blood started to flow, which would play into Duran's hands as he was the better infighter. I'll say the ref stops it by the 8th or so in a close call.

If it went to a Decision, I see the pace of the bout favoring Duran, as Napoles never had any qualms about brawling, and Duran would play that card.

Would be even better at LW. Either way, you're not likely to see many fantasy matchups of higher skill level.

 

It would be a very competitive match-up. But I would say that Duran would win. A little better in everything except for boxing polish.

 

Not neccessarily. Duran just had the style to beat Napoles. Napoles had the better footwork and pure boxing ability most likely, though Duran is very underrated in that regard.

 

Robinson v Armstrong at welterweight could hold a candle to it for skill level. Not many though. I sure would like to have seen Napoles at LW.

Regarding fights combining both fighters skills, what fights in history would you like to see the most? They don't have to be wars.

 

Armstrong was less technically skilled than either, though just as effective. Are you referring to their actual matchup or one that involves the two of them prime for prime? Because Armstrong was pretty much shot by the time Robinson got to him. Was said to have carried him as well.

As to your question, actually Duran vs Napoles at LW would be one of my choices. I'd have to think about the others.

 

Prime v prime yes. Wasn't thinking about past prime Armstrong against a prime Robinson. Maybe you were thinking thats what I was on about when they actually met at welterweight. That wasn't Armstrong's prime weight as you probably know.

 

I;ll take Duran, i think he would just edge it and he do actually think he was slightly better and that would be the main reason for the wiin he would record here.

 

I kinda like Napoles here, i think he might be a bit slippery. His countering was extraordinary and he had plenty of power. There wouldn't be much difference in handspeed at 147. Napoles is a very complete and skilled fighter and Duran's punching at the higher weights wouldn't cut him up i don't think. Barring cuts i think there's little between em.

 

I too like Napoles. This could turn out a bloodboth though. In that case, Duran stops him on cuts. Duran was pretty smart.

 

Not smart enough to deal with a motivated and strategically tuned Leonard.

 

I believe Napoles could outbox Duran at 147, but if Duran catches him with one good hard shot and the blood starts to flow, the tide just may turn right there.

 

If Esteban DeJesus could beat Roberto Duran, be it just one time in the manner in which he did, I say that Jose Napoles, who was a vastly superior fighter than DeJesus, and at his natural weight at welter, would have beaten Roberto Duran, who was not as good at welter as he was at lightweight. Napoles would have been true to his nickname of Mantequilla in outslicking Duran and keeping him honest throughout the fight with his hard, accurate counters to win a unanimous decision over 15 rounds. Napoles would have bamboozled Duran, and would have had an answer to anything Duran could have offered offensively, tricking him with feints and on the money counters, even putting Roberto on the deck along the way. Duran was far less consistant as a welter, and even less so the more he moveed up in weight. Those who assume that Duran would have roughed up, cut up and overpowered Napoles are either ignorant of how great the Cuban was at his prime as welterweight champ, or just don't remember. It would have been on par with the way Jose outslicked Emile Griffith in his masterful defense of the title in 1969.

 

First of all, the portion highlighted is just plain wrong in my view. I really doubt a fighter that is going to stand in front of Duran would bamboozle him. There is no way that would happen, in fact. And Duran was one of the best feinters in boxing history, I doubt Napoles gets the better of him there. Napoles could beat an off his game Duran or catch an on his game Duran with a big shot and put him down, but I doubt he's out-tricking Duran in a bout that is set at a high pace, involves a lot of in-fighting and banging, and has a high risk of Napoles getting cut.

Also, Griffith was supposed to have been badly weight-drained in their bout and nowhere near his best.