No mas : on 30 for 30 today

Some great HD footage there.

 

Looks like I missed it, anyone got a link?

 

Leonard had no guarantees Duran wouldn't show up in top shape.

Sure, he partied after the fight ... but he had done that before at lightweight and gained weight and lost it and fought again in a relatively short amount of time and still been the same, murderous Roberto Duran.

So someone beats you in the biggest fight of your life ... and you want a rematch immediatley. If you wait another six months for it, who's to say he doesn't party for 9 months and do the same thing? Who's to say he doesn't fight someone else -- Hearns maybe -- and lose the title?

You get him in the ring. From the moment the contract was signed they had equal opportunity to prepare. Leonard had to overcome the knowledge that Duran had manhandled him and get himself mentally ready. If Duran didn't do what a fighter is supposed to do to be able to defend a title he has won, that's on him.

And I'm a 100 percent Duran guy.

 

5 rounds to 3 is a schooling? That's one round away from drawatsch

 

He fought Durans fight though. He moved but he didnt fight the same style of fight the second time around. There is moving and then there is moving:hey

 

no...it's not all on him. that's my point. read the biography. it tells the story. his manager hung him out to dry. angelo dundee knew duran's tendencies because he had duran in his gym for years. he and ray both knew they couldn't beat duran in a straight up fight. they both admitted as much in several interviews and on legendary nights. leonards brother was in panama and saw duran had gained a massive amount of weight. he called leonard...and told him to make the fight as soon as possible. these are leonards camps words....not mine. their whole strategy was that he wouldn't have ample time to get into proper shape. they didn't want to face the best roberto duran. duran asked his manager to postpone the fight. his manager told him there would be legal issues if they did. the fight was not on the level. period. and that was part of leonards strategy to beat him. say what you want....that's weak imo. i'm not making this up. it's out there. these are their words.

 

that fight was won for leonard when the contracts were signed.

this is all that is wrong with boxing in my eyes. guys with their bull**** catchweights....stipulations...etc..etc....

fight the man straight up. may the best man win. period.

 

Duran just folded up like a lawn chair. Plain and simple.

 

Duran and his manager took the big money over more prep time. Their choice.

No contract would be enforceable unless Duran signed it. He knew the fight date.

He didn't have to gain weight after the first fight. He could have partied for 2-3 weeks and then started doing light workouts. He made his choices, and choices have consequences.

It's not really different than Duran getting under Leonard's skin before the first fight to try to get Leonard to fight him on Duran's terms -- you can say, "Duran didn't want to fight Leonard at his best, which in this matchup is boxing and sticking and moving, so he did everything he could to get in Leonard's head to make him fight Duran's fight." The first fight was fought on Duran's terms, the second on Leonard's. And Duran agreed to those terms.

 

Your point is moot cause no one put a gun to Duran's head and forced him to sign the contract.

You sign the contract, you prepare for the fight, you fight your opponent and then may the best man win.

No one put a gun to Duran's head to force him to go the buffet, bars and whorehouses either.

 

SRL did not fight durans fight, that's just how the fight would look like when they are both 100% at their best.

Still durans fault for 1. Getting so out of shape between fights and 2. Taking the rematch so quickly

In the 1st fight people act like ray was trying to brawl duran and wasn't using his footwork, they need to actually watch the fight. Ray fought like he always did, and he lost.

 

The first fight was in June the 2nd in Novemeber being prepared on such short notoce after such a 15 rd war is easier said than done . Sure Duran should have been more discipline but lets not act that it was cake walk to be 100 percent afer what they just went through !

 

Duran not being prepared had absolutely nothing to do with the war they previously went through, cause really SRL came out more damaged from it then Duran did.

I dont know why people are trying to find excuses for Duran. He is to blame for his lack professionalism, no one else.

You know, as badly prepared as he was, he still should have given it his all come fight night and finish the fight instead of quitting like he did.

 

Though I agree he shouldn't have quit but he more than enough redeemed himself after that fight ..

 

why did they wait 9 years to have the 3rd fight?