I wrote this in the Boxing Forum as well I'll take Whitaker at 135-147 (If I put money on fights I would), It is closer at 154 (I don't think I would put money on this) Duran had outstanding boxing skills but Whitaker's were much better. I think the most intresting match-up is at 135. It is both of their best weight and the weight that either of them can score a knockout, Whitaker had decent power at 135. I don't think a ko is going to happen. It will be an exciting fight with Whitaker wining on the score cards 8-4 and 7-5. At 140 and 147 Whitaker lacks the power he has at 135 and would not take as many risks at these weights that he might have at 135. I beleve that a boxer beats a puncher. Yes it is true that a puncher can knock a boxer out but he has to catch him first. I don't see Duran catching Whitaker. As good as Duran's boxing skills were he could not out box Whitaker. at 140 and 147 Whitaker wins 9-3 mabey 8-4. 154 is realy an unknown. Duran has more experance and some good wins but he also has some losses. His tittle fight record at 154 is 1-2 Whitaker less experance than Duran two fights a win in a tittle fight and a loss due to injury in a failed comeback. Whitaker in tittle fights at 154 is 1-0. If your going with the man with the size advantage, Duran is 5′ 7″ with a 66 reach. Whitaker is 5′ 6″ with a 69 reach. hree inches in reach is not a huge advantage but it would give Whitaker a cushion to work with. I starded writing this knowing that I would pick Whitaker at 135-147. As i have been writing I have been trying to drcide who I would take at 154. It is not the best weight for either Whitaker or Duran. I'm going with Whitaker he is the better boxer and I think he can expolit the 3 inch reach advantage and out box Duran.
Very brave call indeed. Whitaker at 135lbs is not knocking out Duran as you believe above. Scoring a flash knockdown would be a tall order for him, never mind a KO. Duran is more complex offensively than Chavez, defensively as well for that matter, although the comparison is not entirely accurate considering Whitaker fought Chavez at welterweight. I'm saying that with a lightweight match in mind, not welterweight. Duran isn't outboxing Whitaker as you said. If Whitaker was to keep this fight at long range more often than not, which I believe he has the ability to do, then Duran comes off second best. Duran would obviously be forcing the issue during the moments when Whitaker was constantly creating distance on him. Duran was great at cutting off the ring, feinting, and getting things his own way in there. But he's not quite the superman some will lead you to believe. You actually see Whitaker domintating Duran even more so above 135lbs, why? You said 7-5 or 8-4 at 135lbs and 8-4 or 9-3 at 140lbs and 147lbs. IMO Duran's best attributes dazzled more than Whitaker's at 147lbs and he looked closer to his prime than Whitaker did at the same weight. Be rest assured, Duran finds Whitaker more with his fists at welterweight.
When really looked at this is of the hardest to pick ever, i take Duran personally, but this is likely the only 135 pounder i may consider over Roberto, maybe that statement could still stand vice versa also?
Whitaker was much too flat-footed at 147 IMO to beat the best welterweight version of Duran. Whitaker goes the distance and takes a few rounds, but loses a clear decision at 147. At 135, however, it is much closer. Quite honestly, I can't decide. I will say that at 135, I think what happened to SRL would possibly (maybe likely) happen to Whitaker. I never saw Pernell in a fight as fast-paced as Duran-Leonard I, and SRL had never been in that type of fight before either. I think Whitaker could very well be overwhelmed by the pace and intesity that Duran would bring. I can't really decide, but if I were to lean towards either one I'd take the best Duran at 135 over the best Whitaker at 135.
Well Whitaker was naturally better at fighting off the backfoot than Leonard, and would've undoubtedly applied that gameplan from the outset, so I don't think it'd be too comparable to the first Leonard fight.
Clearly, but I still think Pernell would struggle a bit with the pace. against Nelson, there were a few moments when Pernell wasn't in complete control and Nelson got the better of Whitaker for about 20 or 30 second spells due to the pace of Nelson's pressure. It wouldn't neccessarily look like Duran-Leonard I, but Pernell would be facing the kind of intensity that he never saw before, and a pace that he never fought at.
I go with Duran by close UD. Pea might pull out an upset on a given night though. Possible, but not likely.
I think Whitaker's style would make Duran hesitant and his punch output would drop, thus his overall workrate gets nuetralized. When Leonard found the face tough in Montreal he simply covered up, flurried back, held on, etc. And his jab from the outside was not thrown on a regular basis to outscore Duran when they were at distance. The jab of Whitaker was piston like when moving laterally, coming forward, and backing up in straight lines. He brings much more to the table defensively. First of all he pulls out of range better, and usually did with his left glove up tight to his chin while in the danger zone where he could still be hit. Leonard was hardly adjustable from the waist up, Whitaker on the otherhand crouched and slipped with the best of them.
All true. I'm not denying Whitaker's superior defensive prowress, in my first post I said I couldn't decide between these two, but I personally feel Pernell would struggle a bit more (struggle may be a bad word choice, have difficulty with) the way in which Duran would go about his business, the intensity of Duran's pressure and the pace he would set. I'm not so sure Pernell could outmaneuver Duran with footwork. He'd of course try to keep the fight on the outside and would have success with it, but as I said I don't think Whitaker was quite good enough with footwork (even at 135) to make sure Duran isn't on top of him, and as great as Pea was on the inside, I've never seen a better inside-fighter than Duran, I think Whitaker would either be to focused on defense to create an offensive response to Duran's or would willingly mix it up on the inside where Duran gets the better of the action. I can't see Pea keeping all of this fight, or even most of it, on the outside because the speed and intensity of Duran's brilliant attack would force what I described. I may be wrong, I've never really tried to analyze this fight because I can't see a clear winner, but I see Duran sustaining the kind of pressure that Nelson had brief success with for a few moments.