"Montreal" Roberto Duran vs. "New Orleans" Sugar Ray Leonard

Leonard would win. Duran was successful in the first fight not just because of his mindset(as his gameplan was the same in the rematch) but because of Leonard's willingness to stand with him. Leonard by UD if he were to try to fight the smart way, rather than the "manly" way. There would be some rough spots for him at times though.

 

Leonard would win a UD. Movement is the key to beating Duran as seen in DeJesus I and Benitez.:good

 

Leonard.

It wouldn't be easy, of course, but I think Leonard would edge him.

 

Leonard close decision.

 

Leonard by close decision, agreed. Duran from the first fight is going to come at him all night and it will take one helluva performance to win, but i think he would.

 

It would go 15 and the decision would depend on how much credit the judges give Duran for aggressiveness.

 

Wasn't Duran ahead or even on the cards when his "stomach" went south on him in New Orleans?

 

It was either 5-2 to Leonard or 4-3 at the worst. One thing for sure, Duran certainly wasn't ahead. Not even worth debating, he was behind. Personally 5-2 to Leonard seems spot on.

 

I take New Orleans Leonard to win the fight, not only because he implemented movement, but because he was noticabely stronger physically in the second fight.

 

i see it being a very close fight with a very subjective ending like the hagler leonard fight. depends on the judging

 

I think Duran's performance in the first fight couldn't have been improved upon, while Leonard could do better with a few adjustments. Leonard fights his fight the rematch and wins a close decision.

 

I disagree with everyone and would disagree with the whole daggone world if it came to that.

Motreal Duran would defeat New Orleans Leonard. It would always be close but Duran at his best was p4p the better fighter than Leonard at his best. Duran's problem was that he couldn't put together many consecutive great performances after 68 bouts -particularly without the 2 old men. Duran's problem was discipline. What has happened is that people take the Duran of June and equate him with the Duran of November. They take the Duran of June 1983 and equate him with the Duran of June 1984. Duran wasn't anything like Leonard, Hagler, or Hearns in that he was a passion fighter -not a workman.

Again, his fights in the second half of his career look like a manic-depression in the ring. It took him time to climb out of the valleys of his own gluttony, sloth, pride, and "f*ck it" attitude to ascend to the mountaintop.

This inconsistency is glaring... but it should not skew our perceptions.

Anyway... Duran's strategy in Montreal was designed to deal with a mobile, fast, and larger boxer that Leonard was at his best. Most analysts take it for granted that Leonard "fought Duran's fight" but they forget two things that are critical and one little opinion attached as a 3rd point:

1. Hindsight is 20/20. Leonard was the bigger man in there and not by a little. Duran hadn't exactly shown that he was still a KO puncher 12 pounds past the LW division. Leonard was faster. Leonard probably hit at least as hard as damn near everyone else Duran fought to that point. Leonard was younger, fresher... He rightly felt that he was the dominant physical force in there! And I don't buy for a second that Leonard simply decided to get macho because he was mad that Duran called his woman a puta. Leonard was the Bill Clinton of boxing... he was calculating.

2. Duran, for his part, was trained to deal with a bigger mobile boxer. Hell, who's to say that he wouldn't have had an easier time dealing with Leonard on the move? I don't think that Leonard was necessarily able to fight his fight with Duran getting close and inside so fast.

3. Duran, though never hurt by Leonard, felt the force of his shots. I am convinced that Duran was wary of Leonard's power and that is one reason among many why he was not so effective in New Orleans. It also explains why Duran was taking zero risks in III. And why? Because Leonard was planting his feet and setting down on his shots in Montreal.

....bring it.

 

There was nothing special about New Orleans Leonard. Use your imagination people and stop thinking with your hearts.

I see this fight with Leonard being competitive for the first 5 rounds or so and is actually ahead until Duran catches hims with a devastating blow.

This completely changes the complexion of the fight and Duran takes over. Leonard becomes more concerned with survival than winning and lacks the confidence to fight effectively-just like in Montreal. By the time Leonard regains his composure, Duran lands another bomb to the head of leonard and takes him out of it again. this is too much mentally and physically for Leonard to handle in his first big fight.

The pace is also wearing on young leonard. Ray wins a couple more rounds as Duran slows the pace but it's still Duran's fight as he goes on to take a majority decision.

 

I don't. I'm not saying it wouldn't be tough but Duran's chin gives him the edge. Leonard's heart would keep him in the fight and as we all seen in the Hearns fight, Leonard has heart. Not as much as Duran but he can still compete with the best of them. I loved watching that first fight where the little guy is the one putting the hurt on the bigger man. I don't think Ray ever hurt Duran.