Roberto Duran calls today's fighters mediocre at best!

his quality of opposition at lightweight was mediocre. No better than Virgil Hill who everyone puts down. That does not warrant him best ever or close to it. He is a little overrated. Great fighter, but a bit overrated. Ok so he did not beat the best, so what warrants him so great?

 

are you for real? I am saying he fought the best, he just did not beat them. The Hearns that fought Duran was as close to prime in weight and speed as anyone. He fought the best Hearns there could be I think. Benitez was great at 154 and was on a roll when he beat Duran. Leonard was a little inexperienced at first when he fought Duran, but he was great. Cueves was past his prime and Duran did beat him, I give him that. But those guys Duran fought were great. Hagler was great. Maybe this was a sarcastic post because it did not make much sense..

 

In other words... you have nothing worth while to say? In other words... you accept that fact that you can't argue my facts with facts of your own, all you can do is act like a child? Understood.:good

I am also a fan of Jeff Lacy. Since his resume doesn't stack up to Duran's... does that mean that I can't speak on Duran? You make no damn sense. What the hell does being a fan of current boxers have anything to do with Duran?

Let's be real. You can't debate with me because you know that I leave you dusted and feeling bad about yourself. I know more about boxing than you could ever dream of knowing.

Grow up.

 

I see your point. I think Duran is great yes. Long career, dominant at lightweight and his resume is filled with the greats. I just think the excuses have been too much. He took away from too many greats like Leonard and Hearns and Benitez and Hagler, who are the guys he will forever be linked to no matter what. What Duran is saying that no way Duran can lose normally, it had to be a mistake or something else. I think that sort of machismo is what people like about Duran, but there is a irrationality to that also. Boxing is a great sport where a great boxer or great puncher can win and be victorious without excuses needed or really allowed; with Duran it was always about him. And he did lose legit.

 

Duran was knocked down in the first and second fights with Dejesus in the first round both times. Duran lost the first by decision and tkoed Dejesus in the 2nd and 3rd fights. Dejesus is also one of Puerto Rico's best fighters and had it not been for Duran and Antonio Cervantes, another ATG, Dejesus would of become champion. Benitez did beat Duran, who was a big drinker and there was no excuse for him to lose and he did. but the same Benitez got ko'd brutally in 1 or 2 rounds by Davey Moore, a very good dangerous 154lb fighter who got beat by Duran. fighting bums is irrelevant as to how many fights were fought against the greats and of any significance. those are the ones that count. it's like when your watching football you can't expect every team to be undefeated. nevertheless pickup a mag or lookup in any article Duran is easily in the top 10 list of ATGs and will always be there for the haters to see.

 

To the credit of Duran, Esteban De Jesus didn't knock him out. Although he did drop him, in two of their fights. Also, De Jesus was actually a pretty good fighter. Not an ATG or anything, but he was a pretty good fighter. Although, I think that Duran's struggles with him do show that Duran is highly overrated. Most of his fights at Lightweight were really pathetic opponents. Duran was definitely a great boxer, but just not quite a great as many people like to remember him as being.

 

Duran fought for five decades and had a fight every year except for 1985 and 1990. He is definitely an ATG and IMO correct. Then again I grew up during the 70s addicted to boxing.

 

yeah he is.. Duran's excuses and the nuthugging of Duran fans has made me more bitter about him. It was all about Duran all those years ago, yet Duran's losses to Hearns and Benitez and Leonard were good wins for those ATG's. Hearns always acknowledged Hagler and Leonard's wins against him. Leonard admitted that Hearns did well and Duran outsmarted him in prefight to the fights he had with them. Hagler gave Duran and Hearns credit for good fights, although did not give Ray much credit in 87. But those guys did give a little credit. Duran never did. It was always about how great Duran's wins were, and when Duran lost how his excuses is why he lost. Totally ridiculous. Always had been. I admit he is great, but the fans of Duran and Duran himself sort of degrade him and show him as a poor loser who is bigger than boxing. I do agree with his comments on the state of boxing now, but that comment is what brought up Duran.

 

I don't know why you keep mentioning fighters that beat him, as if they are wins for Duran or something. Also, nobody ever said that he wasn't a great fighter. He is simply overrated by most people. People who act like he is top 5 all time... there is honestly NO reasonable basis for believing that. He was hardly top 5 of his own era... and that isn't exactly a bad thing. There just isn't any need to pretend like he was better than the fighters who were beating him. He wasn't a natural lightweight at that point. People point out how light he was when he started boxing pro... but fail to point out that he was a 17 year old kid when he started boxing pro. As he grew older, his body matured. By the time he was 21 years old, he normally fought over the lightweight limit. He was weighing in as high as 151 by the time he was 25 years old. that isn't a natural lightweight.

 

There are some exceptions to what he is saying right now. Toney just had his 80th fight. Hop, RJJ, Pac, Wlad all over 50 fights.

Duran had 120 fights lol

50 fights is a pretty good achievement this day and age. Most fighters fall well short of that mark.

 

I don't even see why how many fights that Duran had means anything. A lot of them were good yes... but more than half of them were nothing more than what any fighter today would do in the gym. Knocking out a taxi cab driver doesn't exactly make for a solid pro fight. I am just speaking the truth... the man fought so many fighters that were on the level of Charlie Zelenoff that it isn't even funny.

 

pbf and pac could fight anyone anytime and it would be competitive...as for overall duran's time was better but PBF and Pac head to head with even him could have been great fights

 

There are a lot more fighters than that small list that could fight in any era. Joe Calzaghe, Roy Jones Jr, Mikkel Kessler probably (despite getting completely manhandled by Calzaghe, still an excellent fighter), Pernell Whitaker, Shane Mosley, Bernard Hopkins, etc, etc.

 

5 decades?..he fought for 40 years

 

everyone talks bad bout ODLH and cotto quitting...DURAN QUIT a fight!!!! and people think pbf couldn't give him all he could handle:deal