Roberto Duran vs Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao all the way. Duran's too static.

 

Take away SRL and Pac has about 568 more quality wins than Duran. Pac fought much tougher competition pre WW than Duran. Duran lost all his big fights at WW except for one, lost to Kirkland Laing. Unless you're a pole smoking Duran worshipper, there's nothing wrong with making this comparison and choosing Manny, and 20 years from now Manny will be remembered as the better fighter.

 

Duran ****ing quit.

There's no quit in Pac.

Pac is a ****ing beast at Welterweight.

:deal

 

lol

 

Duran at 135 would probably stop Pacquiao, but 147 Pacquiao is too complete.

People forget that Duran lost out of the 4 kings because he was a naturally smaller guy than all the rest. After the first Leonard fight he was a lot of hit and miss.

 

I took these comments from a boxing historian, Monte Cox. (he has a great site by the way) and the list came from the top 10 non heavyweight fighters, and Monte rates Duran 9th. The International Boxing Reach Organization, who are boxing historians, rate Duran 6th on the ATG list.


Roberto Duran (Lightweight Champion 1972-1979, Welterweight Champion 1980, Jr. Middleweight Champion 1983, Middleweight Champion 1989).
Called "Manos de Piedra"-the man with “hands of stone” by his contemporaries, Duran was one of the greatest fighters the ring ever saw. Often over-shadowed at his peak because he fought in the Ali era, he was nonetheless, perhaps the greatest fighter of his time. He was nearly unbeatable for 13 years reaching a peak record of 71-1 with 56 knockouts, during which time he reigned undefeated as world lightweight champion and also won the world welterweight title. He made 12 successful defenses of the lightweight championship. Duran was known as a strong puncher, but he was also a smart boxer taking apart any opponent who dared to stare into his baleful eyes. A fine technician Duran would move his head, slip punches, stay in punching position, feint and counter with deadly accuracy. Perhaps the best fighter since Robinson at his peak and some would say better.

Pac never did anything close to this in terms of accomplishments and I defy you to put forth any claim that he did. 71-1 is something way beyond Pac because he already has a couple of losses, nor did he defend any particular title for any length of time.

Nothing wrong with likely Pac but put it in perspective. The comments above totally ignore the fact that Duran beat the regarded 2nd best Welterweight of all time when both were in their primes. Pac beat Cotto and Margo and and over the hill ODL, impressive yes, but it's far from beating anything close to a prime Leonard. Than Duran went the distance with Hagler of all people, who is regarded as a top 5 middle weight. So unless you really don't like Duran and wish to focus only on his losses, who cares how he did at WW, when he ended up jumping he division and beating Moore, and giving Hagler all he could handle and then later on beating Barkley in what I personally consider one of the greatest fights I've ever seen. Duran looked like a child in the ring compared to Barkley and he stood in the pocket, took Barkley's best shots and ended up decking him in the 11th and winning the fight. It was pure boxing genius.

 

No he wasn't. He went all the way up to 175 before his career was over, and he was fighting at SMW by the time he was 30. He was hit and miss because his competition was better at WW. His competition at LW was crap compared to Pac's at FW and SFW, and to think Estaban De Jesus can beat Duran at LW but Pac has no chance is just stupid.

 

Well, this thread decended into idiocy pretty quickly.

I'm not going to complain that some people favour Manny - he's proven himself as a truly great fighter and with his skills, it's possible he could do it. What is sickening is people trying to dismiss Duran as "too static", "a brawler" or *shudder* a "small Margarito".

We're talking about two all time greats - show some ****ing respect. Pacquiao wouldn't get smashed without Duran breaking sweat, just like Duran wouldn't get dominated by Pac.

 

lol! Yeah, his 'baleful eyes' would certainly get the job done v. Pac.

What's more likely here: SRL had an off-night and flukishly lost a very close match fighting Duran's style one time, or Duran is a better fighter than SRL even though he got destroyed in the two rematches, quitting once? He also got destroyed by SRL's contemporary in Hearns, and totally outclassed by Benitez. He lost to Kirkland Laing yet we're supposed to take it as a given that he beats Cotto, Clottey and Margarito?

People absolutely fall in love with Duran because of his Latin King look, his weight skipping and that one great victory. That one victory over an ATG isn't even close to bringing his resume to Pac's level, who has victories over THREE ATG fighters at a minimum, and also won the rematches to prove it was no fluke.

 

You're actually comparing Hearns to JMM are you out of your mind or do you just not understand the sport? Who has Pac fought that even comes close to resembling a Hagler? or a Hearns? or SRL comparing those fighters to anyone Pac fought is totally ridiculous. Do you think Pac would beat Hearns? Hagler, or SRL, give me a break, this is almost clueless if it weren't such a pathetic reach.

Now I'm a huge, huge fan of Pac so I'm going to end this conversation, because I really don't like knocking the guy. He's the best thing to hit boxing in a decade and I love watching him fight. But no way do I think he has a hope against the Hearns, SRL and Haglers of the world, it's just a completely different size differences. Hell he admitted getting hurt in his last fight, so I don't think he'd do all that well against any of these fighters..

 

Pac is 0-100-1

W-L-D in fanstasy fights

 

Bill Gallo also had the nerve to say it too. What does he know about boxing? He was only the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America, born in 1922 and was live witness to many of boxing's ATGs.

This content is protected

So now we have a gym full of great lightweights - we'll just stick with this division for now - to compare with Pacquiao. Take these:

Is he as good or better than: Tony Canzoneri? My opinion - better. Barney Ross? Better.

This content is protected

This content is protected

What about Hernry Armstrong who held three titles at the same time? Wasn't he in the same class in throwing punches in multitudes? Didn't Armstrong fight somewhat like Pacquiao?

My answer: No. They are different fighters. While Armstrong would bury his head into his opponent's chest, firing lefts and rights to the body and head, Pacquiao is a thinking, deliberate puncher who rarely misses. I see Pac as the better fighter.

 

Duran would be a nightmare for Manny. His attack wont let up. He would swing with Manny at every turn. He also had good footwork and was not that easy to hit even when he fought close. He would seriously put a beating on Manny.

 

In that case.. I have Pac now at #2 on the ATG list!! Coz I have SRR, Armstrong then Pac.

 

You cant swing with Pac or he will strape you with straight lefts!! Style wise, Durans style will be easily beaten by Pac's style.