Just how did Benitez beat Duran..And I believe Duran Fought a great fight!

Addie, one thing Leonard NEVER was IMO was humble and I've watched the fight over and over and I've never been of any opinion that he was "in complete and utter control" Wilfred lost but he beat himself more than Leonard bested him. My weak $0.02.

 

We can disagree on how close the fight was, sure, but we're now saying Benitez lost the fight rather than Leonard won it? Ray always did get **** on in the Classic forum. I thought things may have changed, but no. Sigh.

 

If you think Duran won than go visit an optometrist.

 

And Gregory still loses to Michael Spinks.

 

No, bad point Southpaw. Eddie was his own, filled with demons, enemy.
We all have our opinions but I will forever say that the "Jinx" was a bit overrated.
Boxing greats are filled with stupidity, and Eddie is right in the mix. What was going thru this guy's head? He moves up to a 'pudgy 200+ and fights Snipes???
Then isn't even ready to take on Spinks until he sweats off 10-15+ pounds the day before the fight. Even then he was leading half way thru until (he looked like a shriveled pear when he entered the ring that afternoon) he gassed out. He took that 'Spinks Jinx' late in the fight that knocked him down. Did big bad Mike stop him? NOBODY stops Eddie even with his nonsense.
But, to be fair, boxing history is loaded with 'what-ifs'. Spinks won and has a legacy, tho one I still consider suspect with regards to 'All-time greatness'.
The Associated Press scored that bout a 145-145 draw by the way.

 

Eddie also lost to James Scott, can't trust a guy like that.

 

It wasn't anything close to being a close fight and it's revisionist history to suggest such a thing. There's a difference between being competitive and actually winning rounds, which Benitez struggled to do. Leonard was quicker, sharper, and consistently beat him to the punch (particularly with the jab) throughout the fight. He outboxed him and did so in a decisive manner. Making someone miss a lot is irrelevant when you're still being tagged a fair bit.



Benitez was in his prime, at his best weight, fighting the absolute best fighter he had ever faced at that point - and was shown to be the lesser fighter.

 

And @ Duran fighting a great fight. He was dominated by Benitez, who absolutely feinted (something Duran was usually excelled in) the ever loving **** out of him and reduced Duran to a sparring partner. And when it came time to digging down deep and actually going for broke, Duran failed big time. It might not have worked, but nothing else he tried that night worked, either.

 

Hard to call a barely 21 year old "in his prime". All my buds and I scored fights fairly at the time and, even tho Leonard may have been up on scorecards that fight was hardly one-sided. To say otherwise would be "revisionist history".
My $0.02