Roberto Duran vs Floyd Mayweather

The point that I'm trying to make... Is that in his era and with how often and long he fought it's easy to look past some of his losses. Mayweather wouldn't have a perfect career if he fought as often, opponents at their peak, and didn't have BS clauses always in his favor.. (Fans acting as if he can't do any wrong) I see this exact phenomenon with Mayweather fans in this very thread and on this forum for the better part of the decade! Yeah, what about Maidana and Castillo? Those fights aren't factored into things? You're insane if you think Duran would just sit there for 15 rounds as Mayweather danced around like a fairy throwing out pillow fisted jabs and right hands. He'd be in Mayweathers wheel house taking the fight to him... The "slick" guys with movement gave Duran a lot more to think about just their movement than Mayweather would have...

 

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Floyd easily beats him, just as Floyd would beat SRL and possibly Hearns. Maybe Marvin too if he went to 160.

 

You act as if PBF is trash. The guy has one of the highest ring IQs that I've ever seen in the ring. "Pillow fist right hands" as you call them are fine when you're not there to be hit and you score and don't take damage in return. He will make adjustments to Duran who he would fight tall against and look to stick and move with his huge reach advantage he enjoys in this fight not only that he's a 15 round fighter who doesn't fade. Maidana and JLC I already addressed earlier in this thread two fights he won I might add.

 

Duran would get on the inside just like many of Floyd's inferior opponents. Duran is possibly the best feinter in history and would close the distance suddenly enough times over enough rounds.

Nobody lesser than Floyd outboxed Duran except for DeJesus who Duran beat twice after.

But fighters lesser than Duran gave Floyd hell on the inside and came close to beating him.

Floyd can beat a less motivated version in a rematch or trilogy, or maybe even the same one, but that first fight, Floyd is getting cornered and bested at close quarters. I don't see an argument for the fight not ending up on the inside the first time around.

 

No I don't... I just don't look at him with this sort of aura of invincibility as his fanboys do. Of course he has superb ring IQ, skill and is without a doubt an ATG and first ballot HOF. But his being unbeaten as much to do with careful selection of opponents at the right time, BS clauses as it does his being great. Mayweather is not a complete con or a fraud as some suggest, but his handlers have definitely steered if not outright manufactured a large portion of his career with these sorts of tactics(it still takes a sublimely skilled fighter for this to work) Duran NEVER did this....... He fought the best at any weight, any place at any time and under any circumstances. He was fearless, and that's why he's viewed with more respect compared to Floyd who is great in a purist sort of way, but not in the kind of way that the common man can relate to. That's not relevant to how the fight would go, but it relevant to how both are perceived by boxing fans and the public.

Mayweather BARELY won those fights and the first fights in both cases(especially Castillo) are hotly contested by many fans, pundits etc.... But here's the thing... Castillo and Maidana care certainly no Duran! If you're mentioning Durans struggles with "slick" fighters (pure boxers is the better and less nauseating term) Why not mention those 4 fights that Floyd had? After are all.. They are the best Barometer/measuring stick/glimpse in his career how a fight with Duran could go.

 

feinting won't work if a guy is out of range. Just ask Leonard or Benitez. Duran was not good vs. the movers and quick fighters. I see this a rather easy fight for Floyd. And I am not a Floyd fan. I think he wins almost every round if he fights his fight. It is funny, people talk about Duran demolishing Floyd. Did Duran ever beat a great fighter and demolish him? Did he ever knock out a legend??I don't recall. Moore and Barkley don't count. Dejesus was not in Floyd's level.

 

Duran feinted and countered his way into Leonard's space, which is how he backed him up over and over.

Floyd got backed up more often than Duran was outboxed. Saying Floyd would win every round against Duran when he couldn't do the same against Augustus, Castillo, De La Hoya, Cotto, Maidana is appalling.

Buchanan was great, Palomino was great, Marcel was great, De Jesus was great, and he beat up Leonard who was greater than Floyd. Floyd never fought a fighter as great as Duran.

 

Duran never beat a fighter as good as Floyd. I don't think Floyd is an all time great, but his style. And he would not fight Duran's fight like Ray did. You have to fight perfectly when you fight Duran. Benitez almost won all the rounds regardless of scores. Leonard beat him easily two times. He would not get close to Floyd. Duran had flaws against speedy guys.. Which seemed to completely shut him down. a bit of a front runner.. Give him a guy who is in front of him he does well, but a bad style and he seems to shut down.

 

lol What? Leonard is greater than Floyd. Duran beat him when both were at their best in the 1st meeting over 15 rounds. Ray didn't "fight Duran's fight", that was a myth, he fought like he always had. Floyd would fight relatively flat-footed just like he fought Castillo and Maidana the first time.

Again, Floyd struggled against pressure more often than Duran did against movers.

 

**** off with agenda *****...toughen up

 

Toughen up and give Duran excuses.. Okay. I'll do that. Lol.