Roberto Duran vs Juan Manuel Marquez

I'd pick Duran at any weight.

But at LW or 140, I think this goes the distance.

 

Hard to see JMM landing the more telling blows and winning the war of attrition over 12 or 15, but I think he matches well with Duran stylistically. Both excel at punching with their opponent and using lateral footwork + low-centered head movement to counter while getting in position on the inside; Duran more-so on the front-foot, Marquez more on the back-foot. It would be beautiful for however long it went. If Marquez moved up to lightweight sooner, I'd be more inclined to favor him, but the version we saw at LW, while still excellent, doesn't seem like enough to stop Duran from having it his way in a majority of rounds.