Leonard-Duran I (1980)

There was no question that Duran delivered the more damaging blows, and was able to hurt SRL, while the opposite was not true, and Duran was the aggressor. Quality of blows delivered was a crucial factor as I saw it.

 

I like it when people state the obvious in response to rationalizations. Nice post.

 

Duran was the effective aggressor. He had Leonard on the ropes almost the whole night. He buckled Leonard's needs and wobbled him. He almost turned Leonard around with one punch. Leonard rarely caught Duran squarely, as Duran was doing what he is a master at: moving his head a split second before the public arrives. If you watch closely you will see that Leonard rarely lands a punch. You can count punches that Leonard isn't landed. Revise based on the reality of the fight and you will find that Duran outlanded Leonard, as well as landed the more devastating punches.

It's typical Leonard fanboy crap to count punches that don't land. They do it a lot in the Hagler fight as well. Leonard is slapping and people think he's landing because they hear a loud thump. Sorry, but you don't count punches unless the land using the proper part of the glove. The audience even goes nuts when Leonard lands low shots. They are grasping at anything to justify the outcome they want not the actual outcome.

Duran kicked Leonard's ass in Montreal. He took the media hyped golden boy to school. Leonard was clueless. Anybody who thinks Leonard won that fight does not understand this sport. You have no credibility with me, dude. Your arguments are ridiculous. You take the clearest case of a royal ass kicking and try to argue that the man who got his ass kicked actually won. Total absurdity.

 

it was very close but duran won, dont be influenced by the annoucers they where pulling for leanord, watch the look on leanord face when he went to touch gloves, ten rounds to 5 my score

 

10-5 is a good score. Anything giving Leonard more than five rounds starts exposing an unlying bias in favor of Leonard.

 

Look at Leonards eyes and sheepish grin after the fight, when he trys to shake hands with Duran. Leonard knows who won the fight and it ain't him.

But the key thing is, who learned the most from the fight. Six months later it is a porked up Duran with Leonard dancing rings around him and launching bolo punches at Roberto in disdain.

 

it was just 5 months later curtosy of 8 mill dollars

 

Yeah, you be right Smoking Joe.....my Texas brain just can't remember that well due to a few too many Lone Star beers. 5 months it was.

 

If the ringside announcers perform their duties properly, they will articulate the difference between the reality of what is actually taking place in the ring, as opposed to the illusory image conveyed through the reactions of a partisan audience on a television monitor.

The impression I've always had is that Montreal was Duran's city that night. Now, could SRL have decisioned Duran with the right approach?
Vilomar Fernandez and the Viruet boys offered potential ways in which Ray might have been able to get under Roberto's skin, instead of playing directly into his hands.

For me, as for so many others, the question is how the Duran of Montreal would have done against the SRL of New Orleans, and in my assessment, Montreal Duran prevails over Big Easy Ray by another UD win. (Again, with both in peak condition, motivation and preparation, Duran is the better defensive fighter, the aggressor, and the more damaging puncher head to head. He could hurt Ray, who couldn't hurt him. Ultimately Fernandez and the Viruets failed, and so would Leonard.

 

Duran won clearly by three or four rounds, but it certainly was not domination, Leonard did very well in the middle rounds.
Probably Leonard's best performance lol he showed true guts and skills here.

 

As with the rematch, this one was over before it started. In the days leading up to the fight, Duran made it his mission to get inside Ray's head. He couldn't have done a more masterful job at it. So much so that Leonard announced he was going to slug it out with Duran. Duran had to have had a good belly laugh, saying, " I've got this guy right where I want him......."
Sure enough.......

That night belonged to Manos de Piedra. He came in well-prepared and did what he needed to do to win. Nevertheless, I feel that if Sugar Ray hadn't played into Duran's hands and stuck to boxing and moving, he would've won by SD.