Roberto Duran vs Sugar Ray Robinson

Well LaMotta used his size and physicality to trouble Sugar Ray. He had a solid weight pull on Robinson In all those fights except that one. That wasn't uncommon for Ray to give up weight it's just that Jake had the tools and mentality to exploit it.

With that said LaMotta won 2 of those fights and Ray won 4. They were close fights. He put Ray down in the 2nd and 3rd fights.

Duran was a better boxer and a better puncher than Jake. He wouldn't have a size and strength advantage the way Jake did.

I would guess that Duran could win 1 perhaps and Ray wins the series. Sugar was in his Prime and not somebody you could outbox.

I don't think they would be as close as the LaMotta fights foe the reasons I stated.

 

Durans prime wasnt at WW it was at LW. So asking how he would do over an 8 yr span at a weight that wasnt his prime weight is already set up to fail.

 

LaMotta's six-fight rivalry with Sugar Ray Robinson was one of the most notable in the sport, but LaMotta won only one of the bouts. Although each fight was close, LaMotta dropped Robinson to the canvas multiple times.

Duran probably mirrors that one victory on a SRR off-nite, and a fight distance that favors Duran.

 

I'm one of the few who thinks Duran wasn't past prime at welter, and if he was it was very little. Sure he did his best work at lightweight ( and that's debatable because he beat a prime Leonard, and a very good and underrated Palomino at welter, who did he fight that was on their level at lightweight? That's what I thought) But R.Robinson was a lot more experienced and explosive Than R.Leonard. Though Duran was in the skills dept a mile ahead of the crude Lamotta, Lamotta was a natural middleweight . And fought in a style that would give any smooth boxer problems. Duran would look better against Lamotta than Robinson, so in a six fight series, Duran may win one against Robinson. But, Robinson would defeat Duran a lot more convincing than he was able to do against Lamotta. And, Duran probably beats Lamotta a lot more convincing than Robinson did. Again, styles make fights.

 

Duran little chance against SRR .. And at MW I don't see him beating LaMotta either ..

 

Let me get back to this question and look at it another way. All things being equal and both in there prime. I'll make it at WW 3 a peace. That's how good I think a prime focused Duran is. He has all the skills to go even with Ray IMO

 

Duran by a 7th rd KO. BUT CALAMITY COONEY WOULD take him in 1

 

i dot understand how Robinson could win 5 and lose one of them 8-2 in rounds

perhaps he was hurt

 

I think a strong case can be made Jake won the 3rd bout. LaMotta didn't dispute any of the fights except that one. As you said all of them were good close fights.

 

Duran was a bum

 

Robinson would beat Duran nicely imo. He fights in the pocket better than Leonard and has a fair bit more power tho Leonard is no slouch. He'd fight Duran off when he had to. His gifts at 147 were almost unfair.

 

Greetings ETM!
Jake won ONE fight (early career) with The Greatest being substantially outweighed. They fought again 20 frigging days later (can you imagine any current crop of fighters even attempting this??), again outweighed, and won virtually every round. Proceeded to win every other s c r a p in the forties (outweighed). Oh, the "St. Valentine's Day" massacre!
I assume your talking a welter Duran. Ray wouldn't be fighting someone larger than him.
A forties SRR welter against a prime Duran at welter? I'll give Roberto perhaps one IMO (probably the 1st one). A prime SRR in Duran's prime? IMO the table's RUN...0-6 with a tough s c r a p in their somewhere.
Eras aside, in modern times, they would have fought (AT MOST) twice a year; PvP let 'em fight every month or so and Ray has him for lunch at welter.
My $0.02

 

My bet is Duran would win 2 out of the 6.

These 2 fighters are top 5 ATG's, but Robinson has to much weight and other physical advantages for Duran to compete in a drawn out series .. Duran had that magic, and he would surprise you like no other fighter could, so I think he could take the first fight. Then one other down the road later. Overall he is to little to hang with SRR.