Leonard vs. Duran--Under Perfect Conditions

duran it all ready happened, the first fight, the first fight is always bigger and more important

 

Leonard. He fought the wrong fight the first time.

 

Well, this one is too damn good to end in a KO. However, I call it Leonard by close decision.

 

leanord fought the best fight of his carrer the first time

 

Duran.
He is simply the better fighter.

 

Leonard by decision in a tough match.

 

If Duran had duplicated his degree of conditioning and motivation for Montreal in New Orleans, then I believe his aggression would have resulted in another decision win, albeit closer than their first match. With SRL on his toes, Duran would have been charging Ray, as he did Joseph Nsubuga (in the match which made Montreal a viable promotion). SRL was a tough nut, as he demonstrated in Canada, so Duran would not have taken him out. But when SRL went to his toes, Roberto's rushes would have disintegrated Ray's plan into a full fledged retreat, with Duran pursuing in a wild chase, until or unless SRL put on the brakes to try making a stand (and stem the tide). SRL was never able to hurt Duran, while Roberto stunned Ray for three rounds (by SRL's own admission) with a single early bomb over the top in their first meeting. SRL telegraphed too much, and prime Duran was too defensively skilled for Ray to overcome that deficiency, no matter how fired up and confident he would have been.

 

It wouldn't want to be too much closer, he won by a single point on two cards and just two points on the third. Not much room for a closer fight that is still won by Duran.

 

What I mean is that Duran would not have this match won on the scorecards after nine or ten rounds (as he announced to his corner in Montreal). This time, the scoring would be settled during the championship stretch. Like Holmes against Norton, Duran completely dominated the early scoring in Canada. (I agreed with Arthur Mercante that Holmes should have had the Norton match sewed up with the judges after ten rounds, and I was pulling for Norton in that one.) In New Orleans, a peak Duran would have needed to come from behind to overtake SRL on points late, and I believe he would have succeeded, thanks in some part to his bruising body attack.

 

No worries, we'll have to agree to disagree. Duran fought his best in the first fight and even then his body attack hadn't slowed down a slugging SRL later in the match very much at all. The oddsmakers definitely agreed Leonard's gameplan played right into Duran's hands, installing him favourite for the rematch even after the first rubber.

 

Oh for sure, much faster hands and feet than Leonard

 

Like i said, please don't ever change, or god help us, leave

 

Leonard was a harder hitter at welter and could survive the bombs of Tommy meaning he's more durable then Duran

 

Fair points.