Leonard vs. Duran--Stomach Cramps?

Anyway...more from Pep's mate Shep:

This content is protected

 

No matter how many times you post that it always makes me chuckle.

 

He was full of crap in more ways than one. He was crapping so much he went to a party at the hotel for most of the night, until someone said "Listen shitty arse, you won't get paid if you don't go down the hospital and say 'ow ow ow me hurty tummy'".

 

It really wasn't working at that level of subtlety.

As for my serious opinion on the fight, I'm not familiar with the background to the fight, but it was highly uncharacteristic of Duran to quit, especially in such an undignified manner.

 

an article by Barry McGuigan in the paer at the weekend


THE BOXING Hall of Fame in Canastota has at last opened its doors to one of the finest fighters of all time, and my personal favourite, Roberto Duran.

The red carpet would have been out for old Hands of Stone years ago had he quit when he was ahead, but then Duran always did things his own way. There was none more attractive. He was one of the most enthralling fighters you could clap eyes on. Nobody captivated me the way he did.

Duran was unique. He could throw punches from every angle. He would slide into punching range, hit opponents with a battery of punches in a couple of seconds then slide out again. Every punch had destruction written all over it.

Advertisement
From the back of the hall you would think he was taking heavy blows himself, the way his head appeared to snap back. The fact is he moved his head brilliantly.

Opponents would throw a right hand and he would turn his head a fraction before the shot landed.

The spray would go everywhere, flying off that mop of raven black hair, but the sting had gone from the punch. He was so good he could do the speed ball with his head. I saw him do it at Gleeson's New York back in 1983. Incredible.

He had a voracious appetite. He sank a gallon of soup the moment he got off the scales at the weigh-in for the second Ray Leonard fight and ate steak an hour and a half before the bout. That explained in part the 'no mas' incident in the rematch with Ray Leonard in 1980 when he quit towards the end of the eighth round. He was cramping up so badly.

I'm not taking anything away from Leonard. He was brilliant that night. Duran just did not help himself.

He was outstanding as a lightweight. The only man who beat him was Estaban de Jesus, but he came back to avenge that defeat twice. The rematch was just unbelievable.

I was alerted to his talent even before he beat Ken Buchanan for the world lightweight title at the Garden in 1972. My dad used to get old Betamax cassettes sent over from the States. They were poor, grainy copies, but Duran still took your breath away. We met for the first time in New York in 1983 in a Cuban restaurant on 37th Street. I had gone to the Press conference before his Marvin Hagler fight at the Felt Forum, but did not get near him.

His people invited me to the restaurant that evening. He was wearing a light blue suit. He was a fabulous looking guy. I told him that I named my dog Duran, after him. I didn't know whether he was going to punch me.

He threw his arms around me and gave me a big kiss. I then sat at the table with him and watched him eat three chickens. You could see why he battled with the weight. It reminded me of a medieval feast. He just chomped through the chicken legs then threw the bone away. He fought the way he ate, like an animal.

Hagler edged a brilliant fight. Duran then lost to Thomas Hearns, only to come back five years later in the Ring Magazine fight of the year to win the middleweight title against Iran Barkley.

What a fighter. What a man.

 

.... other, more illuminating facts were also attested to. For instance, Duran didn't run out of the ring afterwards like a truly sick man. Later. Duran was partying -completely unphased by the disgrace. Thirdly, he went to the hospital much later. Fourthly, he was seen in the hospital room surrounded by friends and laughing and guess what else he was doing... he was stuffing his face.

Duran was out of shape, made a decision that was supremely stupid and based on frustration. Keen minds may argue whether that frustration was due to Leonard's making faces, showing more mobility, and throwing bolo punches -or Duran's frustration with his own inability to get to him due to poor conditioning. I don't believe that he was so ill that he had to quit.

The inference I take from it all, is that Duran's people, realizing what he had done, strategized a way for him to salvage his reputation. So they brought him to the hospital. It was a bluff -and the media didn't investigate it too closely.

There seems to be too camps here: One is that Leonard's great boxing skill and decision to use the correct strategy against Duran is what made Duran quit. The other is that Duran was at death's door and had to quit for his own health... I reject both and opt for a third, which is partly described above.

 

It was very unprofessional of Duran to eat all that food the afternoon of the fight.
It seems to have cost him the fight.
That should have been another great fight, but was completely ruined by Duran's undisciplined gluttony.

Then again, crazy characters like Duran - warts and all - are part of what makes boxing so interesting.

 

He was in serious distress? It didn't look that way. He walked around the ring, hugged Leonard, then walked out. He could have fought on. There is film of him in the dressing room and he was nervy and embarrassed. I just don't buy that he quit because of cramps.

Your post is conjecture. Mine is as well, but it seems more likely to me considering many factors.

 

Maybe he had cramps but SRL fought a intelligent fight
He frustrated Duran with his slickness ans flashy combo's
He was just to speedy for him

 

Yep, I would agree with this. The ability to prepare correctly is part of any sport.

Duran made a mistake with his preparation, perhaps believing the hype surrounding him for the best part of a decade, and paid sorely for it.

 

Just an interesting side note that people either forget or never knew in the first place, Leonard was a 3-2 favorite in the rematch.

 

ESPN.com: What does New Orleans mean to you? Duran: When I fought Leonard [there], I was just passing by. But then I went to Mardi Gras. It was like being in Vegas. People were having fun. ESPN.com: If you could have one chance to do one of your fights over again, which fight would it be and why? Duran:
If I could, I would fight that first Leonard fight again. ESPN.com: The first Leonard fight? Why? Duran: Because I would beat him more convincingly [Duran won by unanimous decision in June 1980]. [As for] The second one, I didn't have enough time to train

durans espn interview

 

Well, I do know the story about the stomach cramps etc etc.
My take on this thing is that Duran wasn't ready for the fight. Period.

Leonard did very well, convincing a Duran in fiesta mode to fight five months after their first encounter where Duran looked so perfect and so unbeatable.

By the way, tomorrow will be the 27 year birthday of the first fight in Montreal.
I will watch the first fight again (arguably one of the best fight ever).

 

From what I heard Duran had diarrhea. Nobody alive would be willing to have to **** in the ring.