Terry Norris vs Roberto Duran @ 154

I've only seen John Thomas in the "post a pic of yourself" thread. However, I have been speaking to him. He told me that when he gets his hands on you that he's going to use your head on the fairway with his golf driver. It's a new one he's recently bought.

 

Have I? Check out the last 30 seconds when Terry goes to work, it's all Norris from then on. I understand that Ray was doing what he had to do to win and it was a good strategy but with Terry it makes him shift into higher gears which few can possibly hope to fare against

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAC7mS-cpMI

Viewing this clip I dont see any evidence that suggests Leonard was in decline

Now compare that with

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBa9BxfYpHA


and you'll see that Ray was in excellent shape. He just got his ass kicked that day by a better opponent

 

Hi Redrooster,

I understand that you really like Terry Norris and I wont take anything away from him or you, he was a great fighter. Leonard is a favourite of mine and Ali is my biggest favourite.
I also think that SRL vs Hagler was probably SRL´s best fight together with the second Duran fight.
but if I compare these two fight´s and compare them with the second fight with Hearns or third Duran, he didn´t look as fast and sharp. That´s normal, he was older and probably not as hungry anymore, he couldn´t do those things he could in his prime and that was what I meant comparing him to Ali in his prime and Ali in the late state of his carrier.
I won´t say that Terry Norris was a bad fighter with pure luck, Terry was good, real good
and would give any fighter big problems, but it was easier to beat the older Leoanrd than the Leonard in his prime.
I think it´s easier to beat Terry Norris today than when he fought Leonard (bad joke, I know).
However, we have two different favourites and that is the problem in this, would be nice to hear someone who don´t care about them both at all and see what they think.
I don´t like when people say that Lennox Lewis could have beaten Ali, I can´t even see it happen if he fought Ali before the exile, can´t even see it happen before the thrilla´.
But probably I am to big of an Ali fan to see this clearly.
okay SRL and Norris fought that´s for sure, but we will never know what would have happened if they both where in their prime, we can only speculate, your guess is as good as mine and I still think that a prime Leonard beats a prime Norris. but as always, this is just my opinion.
All the best
the predator

 

Rooster, I wasnt debating on who won the rd, I said you have ****ed yourself because in one sentence you said `I have Ray winning this rd on workrate` then a couple of lines later you say `rd 2 to Norris`

It was very clear you were talking about the same rd so who won the rd ?
Leonard or Norris ?

Thats my confusion.

 

I had Ray winning the round close based on his workrate but that was until Terry put Ray on the floor.

For some reason people believe that a prime Leonard would not have felt the blows of Norris or that if he had, it wouldnt have been enough to prevent ray from winning a decision. But I think Terry's power would have put Ray in a defensive shell much the same way it had in their actual fight. Simply put, Ray Leonard floors Leonard at any age.

Ray was already beaten by early round three. The fight was decided purely by the hurt Terry put on him and nothing else. Same thing happened in the Curry Lloyd Honeyghan , Sandoval-Chandler and Foreman-Frazier fights in which the outcomes were decided early.

 

Completely agree. This whole argument that Ray was a washed up old man when he fought Norris, is just a way to take credit away from Norris. Leonard was not shot, he was a YOUNG 34 years old. He put very little stress on his body by only fighting every so often...Less than a year earlier he went toe to toe with Hearns and was in very good shape for this fight. I can't imagine that if youth was on Ray's side that the outcome of him vs Norris is completely different. Prime Ray would be more competitive against Norris but the outcome could potentially be very similar to what transpired in 91.

 

Duran's great victories at above 154 lbs came against brawlers like Moore and Barkley.

Norris had all the attributes that troubled Duran after his initial fight with Leonard.

The Norris that beat Leonard against any 154 lbs version of Duran, I'd pick Norris by comfortable decision.
Norris at 154 lbs was just too quick, fast and powerful.


I'll say this about Norris.....his achilles heel was his chin, but boxistically speaking, at 154 lbs they dont come any better than Norris.
I can only think of Hearns at the moment that I'd pick to outbox Norris at 154 lbs.
Norris over a prime Leonard at 154 lbs I'd probably make a pickem fight.....maybe I'd lean slightly toward Leonard because of Norris' weak chin and Leonards finishing abilities.....but I'd be inclined to believe that like in Leonards fight with Hearns at welter, Norris would be outboxing Leonard before the stoppage.

 

Ray was only off a year and wasnt so much a retirement as between fights.

I am aware that the Hagler fight was 4 years previous but was facing the ringrust and the higher weight. vs Norris the rust had long since come off and he was at his more comfortable weight. also, in the Duran fight, just the fact that ray was moving about the way he did for 12 rounds and delivering combos in such a manner tells me was anything but shot or over the hill.

Now this is a fact you cant deny. They ran an article by Steve Farhood boasting that ray fought the perfect fight. How does one fighter dominate another fighter like Duran if ray is shot too??

Also I remember Tim Ryan going up to him congradulating Ray and telling him "that was an absolutely masterful performance"

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And when was the last time you ever seen a shot fighter moving non stop as Ray had? For 12 rounds??

 

because he kicked his ass in the ring-that's how :yep

 

This is a tough fight for Duran. If (and this is a BIG if) Norris uses his speed and legs to box Duran, he could pull it off. However, Norris liked to think he was a bigger puncher than he was. And you have to think at some point, he would look to exchange with Duran. Which could prove to be his undoing. Duran (at 154) had a lot of ring savvy, and if you got careless... And he had just enough pop to get it done. So this could go two ways :Norris UD, or Duran late rd KO.

 

The Duran who beat Moore and in the '83 would beat Norris. Duran, who had everything, combined with Terry's poor temper would give Duran the advantage. Duran could get in his head before the fight. Either Duran KO's him or UD's him. Yes, Duran had trouble with slick boxers, but those fighters fared the best. In shape Duran would beat him, after being outboxed to some degree, IMO.