I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was Duran's Mexican blood that made him a great boxer/warrior.
:nut P4P Duran was the best of the 4. Do you realize this guy was in his prime as a LW, and still beat a top WW (SRL), and late in his career won a LMW title and went the distance vs a great, natural MW (Hagler). You say you read some book??? :-(
I don't get your rationale. What makes him p4p the best of the 4?! Both Leonard AND Hearns went through the weights winning multiple titles, both humiliating Duran along the way. Duran won something like 70 fights against boxers no one had ever heard of at the time, fighting like a madman, breaking ever Marquess of Queensberry rule in winning titles in bouts in which he deserved to be thrown out! C'mon, guys, let's look at the facts, and ignore the daft myths that have blown up with every passing year about this above average street hoodlum.....please! He reminds me of an old timers' Ricardo Mayorga!
watch this new duran highlight video it does a great job of showing how great he truly was, there alot more to boxing then boxrec http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zKtj1o41nQ
Im going to go out on a limb and say you are a truly MORON...Manos De Piedras was from Panama.... PS....If you think Duran was overrated you dont know **** about boxing and should stop watching the sport....:good
Not to take anything away from Leonard's ATG status, but he was only ever a real champion at three weight divisions, and one of those is questionable. He was a champ at 147, 154 and 160. Hagler would dispute to this day that he won their fight. it was close and controversial, and Leonard used his clout to reduce it from a 15 round bout that was the norm, to a 12 round bout, which didn't count as championship in that era. However. Let's give him credit for picking up a middlewt title. It is, however, a stretch to recognize him as a 168 or 175 lb champ. He negotiated a Lightheavy weight title fight with Donny Lalonde. Part of the deal was that Lalonde was to come in under 168, so that BOTH the 168 and the 175 bets would be on the line. This weight-draining of Lalonde probably had an effect on the outcome of the fight, thereby tainting both championship belts for Leonard. And, contrary to what you said earlier in the thread, the version of Leonard who showed up for Duran 1 was the best ever Leonard till that point. He was in excellent shape, 24 years old, a natural WW, facing a 29 yearold, former LW. To many, that was the defining fight between the two. In his bout with hard hitting Hagler (who blew out Hearns in two rounds) who was three years younger and a natural Middle wt who once contemplated fighting Michael Spinks (who later took Larry Holmes' title from him), this former LW champion went the distance in a close competitive bout. In his battle with unbeaten 154 lb Davey Moore, Duran demonstrated both skill and ferocity at three weight divisions above his greatest weight. He lost to Hearns admittedly. He was caught with a perfect flush shot. ( It happened to Lewis against Rahman, and others) But some time later, he defeated Hearn's daddy, Barkley, in an epic bout, winning a genuine title at 160. And I haven't even touched on his 135 lb career wher he ruled for years. IMO, and the opinion of most observers, given where he started in weight and in years, he was the greatest of the four. I rank them: Duran Hearns Leonard Hagler. With very little separating the four. And as for this little gem: All I can say is you are embarrassing yourself. And not in a small way.
He was kicking Buchanon's ass prior to the suspicious stoppage which I do agree was bull****, but Buchanon was having his ass handed to him on a stone plate. He also beat Viruet who had amazing boxing skills. Beat DeJesus twice. Chased down and carefully timed the running annoying **** that is Lou Bizzaro (one of the most annoying fights to watch). Beat Leonard and faced Hagler and so on. The guy started at 118 FFS. If you cant see the guys skill then you need to get your eyes checked. Just rewatch his LW reign. He beat many many styles. Not just one style, but many.
I beg to differ. Most of this video just endorses everything I've written so far. Fighting like a street thug. No finesse. Winging wild hooks. Outrageous use of elbows, knees and low blows. Good with a skipping rope though, I'll grant you.
Winging wild hooks? :huh If you knew anything about Duran, its that he typically started most combinations with an uppercut and had short compact hooks. His "winging" hooks came from the most awkward angles that caught a large majority of his KO victims off guard. Just because he doesnt have a text book style doesnt mean he's overrated. Its who he beats and the glory that comes with it that makes him valued...some boxers get too much for certain wins and others dont recieve ****.