Roberto Duran or Joe Louis ? Whos higher on the ATG List ?

I agree. There would be no fab four without any of them Hagler,Duran,Hearns or Leonard. Each of them filled a space and none of them really dominated everything. Hearns knocked out Duran and Hagler knocked out Hearns and Duran beat Ray and Ray beat Hagler. etc etc. I agree, Duran was needed in the fab four. Those guys are lucky they will be remembered with each other. It makes each of their legacies stronger being linked to the others.

When I talk about Duran it is when I see people say he was top 5 ever. That is a really top spot. Even my favorite guy Hearns I never thought was in the top 5 and never said he was. Duran was great and yeah he was an attraction. Like I said on another post recently, it is not that the fab four could beat the Oscar,Mosley and Tito guys easily, it is that they were more iconic and came to fight more. Something about them was special, regardless of whether those 4 would beat those 3.I agree Duran was an attraction and a great fighter. The only one of the fab four who I think reaches the top 5 level would probably be Leonard. He beat all 4 which is something none of the others could do.

 

Too close to call........ On a global basis, its about even...... You gotta figure Louis will get the nod in North America and Duran will win over the voters down in South America and, prolly Central Ameica as well..... Other parts of the earth will be about even..........

BUT! Duran is / was part of my time, so I favor Duranimal......thumbsup

MR.BILL

 

Anyone who says Duran's opposition at lightweight was mediocre is a ****** who should keep his mouth shut until he knows his sport.

 

All good points. Personally, I feel the tangible and actual disadvantages of size and weight are more significant than intangibles such as experience and stylistic disadvantages, but we are both nit-picking to separate some similarly wonderful wins. :good

 

Duran's competition at lightweight was not great. No way you can say it was. It was mediocre. He was better than everyone there by far. He did not have a Whitaker or Mosley or Delahoya.

 

I curse the ground you walk upon MAG.

 

You don't know anything about that era, so why are you passing judgement on it?

 

I think you are underrating buchanon and de jesus quite a bit. Duran has a better resume than hearns.

 

:goodgotta agree with u on that

 

Duran and it's not even close, in my opinion.

 

what are you talking about. That is the first era I watched and paid attention to leading into 1980's and 1980 and Duran and Leonard. How can you make a statement like that without knowing what you are talking about or how old I am? If I make a statement on ESB it is what I believe and what I have studied. Duran's footwork was plodding. That worked with certain fighters who stayed in front of him and he did great with that style, but a guy who could move like Floyd or had defense like Pernell he would not have beaten. No way. Duran did great against Ray in 1980 in June and then he was outboxed in Nov. Watch the two fights and look at the difference in Ray's footwork.

 

actually he does not. That champions Hearns beat to get his titles were greater than the guys Duran beat. Compare Buchanan,Leonard,Moore and Barkley to Cuevas,Benitez,Roldan,Hill and Kinchen Cuevas was a champ when Hearns beat him. Benitez was champ when Hearns beat him, Virgil Hill was undefeated and 5 years younger than Hearns. Duran was the fellow 154 pound champ and Hearns beat him. Hearns fought numerous former champions like starting with Curry and Weston, then Cuevas. Beat Shields. Sutherland first champ at 168. Duran,Shuler,Medal champ at 154. Dewitt-later WBO champ who beat Davey Moore. Andries,Roldan and Barkley. I can on and on. Duran at lightweight his competition was mediocre. I cannot say poor because it was not poor, but he was much better than all the other guys. Dejesus was the best guy he fought at that time. That resume stuff for Duran is easy to debunk since Hearns fought some of the best guys also at welt and above. Hearns fought Virgil Hill who was better than anyone Duran fought at 135.

 

duran

 

Ali's win over Foreman is better, as is Leonards 'win' over Hagler IMO. Duran moved up twelve pounds, he was a big lightweight and a decent sized welter. He didnt just jump up like Shane Mosley did, he had been fighting in the division for a couple years and had a win over Palomino. So yeah great win, but not the best ever!

 

Probably the worst post I've read this week.