Roberto Duran vs Davey Moore

Duran was masterful that night. Slipping and countering Moore in the pocket.

Davey Moore was bigger, younger and talented. He was viewed as a future star .Maybe eventually a challenger to Hagler as he gained experiance. Moore only had 12 pro fights under his belt when he took this challenge.

12 fights or not Davey had a title belt and that is a problem when your facing an alltime great with over 80 fights. Duran took him to school.

 

Following weeks headline read: DURAN the GREATyep:happy

 

1983 was an excellent year for 'Hands of Stone'
His best since '80.

Victories over Pipino Cuevas and Moore,plus a good go against Marvin Hagler,the pound for pound best in that year.

 

For what it is worth, I don't think that the first round thumb was deliberate. I hadn't seen the fight for years so I watched it earlier today, and that thumb was accidental. Duran jabbed, Moore slipped but didn't get all the way out of the way and caught the thumb. Nobody complained, the action wasn't stopped, it wasn't intentional.
More damaging to Moore, it seems to me, was a right hand early in the 2nd round. They both threw rights and Duran's landed flush and before Moore's did. I don't think that Moore ever really recovered from that punch, and by the time he did clear his head, some vicious body punches had taken his legs.

 

He had "surgery" for a couple of teeth that broke off while he was sparring a couple of weeks before the fight.

 

Been awhile, but read he had some dental surgery previous to the fight.

 

well done . u asked and u answered . sounds like what i posted , i believe i read it in n interview with davey moore himself , probably in ESB .

 

I read it myself this morning after you mentioned it.

 

Here it is
In 1984 Moore spoke about the Duran fight and his future.

Moore claimed that the experience factor had nothing to do with him losing and it was all down to Duran thumbing him in eye. Moore also claimed he may not have been at his 100% best due to having oral surgery before the fight due to getting his teeth knocked out in sparring.

Moore said if he were to meet Duran again he would beat him. Moore claimed now a days Duran just fights on knowhow, and not the hunger he fought when he was a Lightweight.

Moore even claimed after Duran had defeated him, he was still a finsihed fighter.

Moore claimed two weeks before the fight he was sparring with Terry Crowley. He got caught with a right hand and heard his teeth crack and it started to hurt. Moore claimed it was a freak accident and he had his mouth piece in.

Moore went the dentist and found out that his teeth were fractured and they would have to come out. Moore said this was all happening a week prior to the fight. Moore claimed he was in surgery for 5 hours and was back in training just two days later.

Moore also said why he was bleeding so much in the fight, was due to Duran hitting him with a uppercut in the first round, and they broke the caps which were plastic. From there on, Moore said he felt from then on the fight slipping away.

Moore said Duran thumbed him intentionally, and said he almost read his mind, saying it was like he did it so slow and pressed it and pushed it. Moore said from there on the fight went out the window.

Moore claimed that Duran knew that he cound't beat him straight up, he also said Duran was a master at thumbing.

Moore said Duran was probaly the strongest puncher he'd face up until that point. Moore also claimed he really wants a Duran rematch.

Going into the fight, Moore said he had never been stopped or even knocked down amateur or pro, and felt embrassed with his performance against Duran.

Moore then said Duran is only borrowing the title for the time being and he is just letting Duran hold it for a little while before he gets it back.

He also spoke about Mike McCalllum not being able to take pressure, saying he's a girl. Saying as long as McCallum's on top that he's not fighting anybody.

He said Fred Hutchings was a good fighter and hungry due to not earning no money.

He said Mugabi was a good puncher, but it takes a smart boxer to beat him. Saying those African guys ain't that smart. He then said he's all one way and who would want to stay there and trade with him.

He said Hearns was a good fighter and seems like he's getting his head together now. Moore then said that Hearns thinks he can knock everybody out. He's got a really good jab, and right hand. Hearns I thinks is ok.

He's the best of the lot and Moore says Hearns will beat Duran.

 

Moore didn't have good management that's for sure.

Incidentally i think it was really a combo of Duran,Drayton and not having the right kind of people around him that finished Moore as a top fighter...not solely the Duran fight.Moore looked very good after it, but kept taking dangerous fights instead of slowing things down and working on his flaws.

Drayton, bfore he got older and lost a step. was really not someone you wanted to force into a high-tempo fight or be steadily aggressive with if you were relatively easy to hit.Unless you were a really elite talent or granite chinned.Moore's chin was solid not special and Buster outlasted him in a great brutal boxer-puncher fight.

 

I really thought Davey Moore was going to destroy Robert Duran.

Davey took apart (at the time) the unbeatable Charlie Weir in South Africa with
such ease.

Charlie could punch, and Moore took his best shot without flinching.

What a Shock,,,,,,,,,the way Roberto Duran destroyed him.

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But ppl will never accept d truth . They call it Xcuses . Did it change your perception of Duran's "win" and its magnitude ? y r fights ruled as NCs / TDs only after headbutts and not thumbs , low blows , etc ?

 

Because u , like almost every1 else , didn't know about Moore's pre fight injury and that he was going 2 get a bonus thumb 4 it .

 

I know what your saying but it's always been part of the game. Moore was throwing late punches after nearly every bell. Look at the controversy round Duran's win over Buchanan as well.
Despite all that I still think it was a great performance by Duran, don't know how old you are but at the time Duran wasn't given a chance, considered finished and he boxed brilliantly on the inside, you've only got to watch it to appreciate his skills.

 

He hit Buchanan low and butted him throughout d fight and who knows who else ? so just like ali & hopkins , when considered done and underdog , duran pulls a thumb over n injured (Moore) opponent and pulls d "upset" , just like he butted and hit low when he was young vs n old opponent (Buchanan) these were was his biggest skills cuz once 1 thumbs/hits low&butts n injured/old man , 1 can look great against him , shoot all of those beatiful looking punches with little fear of getting something back , u know what i mean . 1 must appreciate these capabilities , no doubt . just like ali kod foreman and hopkins decisioned and tkod all of those nobodies .