The Gold standard in each weight class.

Duran took a loss at 135. He was beatable.

Edit: nvm it was at 140

 

Sometimes I wonder who should rate over who in the old Duran vs Benny Leonard debate.

 

Nov 17 1972, non title bout against Esteban De Jesus, loss by unanimous 10 round decision.

 

Correction: It was a Jr. welterweight bout, so Duran gets a pass.

 

You are correct, both weighed 138 lbs , I sure do remember that fight. Duran defeated De Jesus in a WBA Title defense on March 16 1974 by TKO 11 and on Jan 21 1978 in a title unification match, WBA/WBC, Duran won by TKO 12.

 

Depends how strict you are with the ‘unbeatable’ criteria:

Sugar Ray Robinson is generally considered unbeatable at welterweight. Technically he lost one fight as a welterweight (where he weighed in inside the welterweight limit) but that was against a fully-fledged middleweight who he beat on every other occasion he fought him during his welterweight years.

Roberto Duran is generally considered unbeatable at lightweight but lost one fight during his lightweight years. Technically it was over the lightweight limit but was against another lightweight who would go on to be his biggest rival at the weight and to whom he would never lose again.

Ezzard Charles at his light-heavyweight peak was pretty close to unbeatable but still lost fights at the weight in his overall career.

Roy Jones never lost as a super middleweight, but arguably missed a few risky assignments that could have threatened that (I don’t believe he would have lost but they’d have been tougher fights on paper than some of his defenses).

Willie Pep never lost at featherweight in his prime years (he went 135-1-1 with his only loss at lightweight) and you could argue only lost fights there because he was a career featherweight who just got older and that Sandy Saddler managed to catch him at the right time. But you could also argue that Saddler would have beaten him at any time because he was Pep’s physical and stylistic kryptonite.

I think those five at those weights were as close to ‘unbeatable’ as any fighters have been but under the strictest criteria only Jones was unbeaten.

 

Actually, I should definitely add Wilfredo Gomez at 122. He never lost. Only blemish during those years was against Sanchez but that was at 126.

There’s really no-one who I can think of who could beat Bazooka at 122 and no-one ever did.

 

It depends what you're rating them on.

I don't often comment on H2H cross-era fantasy fights, I prefer to compare apples with apples. That said, it would be hard for me to envisage anyone being transported via time machine, from their era straight onto the scales, weigh 135lbs, fight Duran that night & be favoured to win. Most would pick Duran over Benny, H2H.

If p4p based on fights at all weights, it's close, imo, with Duran being my #7 p4p fighter of all time & Leonard my 8#. I give a clear edge to Duran based on his superior (relative to Benny) work above LW.

Based solely on fights contested in & around LW, based on what they achieved in their own era & completely discounting cross era fantasy H2H fights, I honestly don't think it's close, Leonard takes it by quite a margin, imo:

Duran

• Record - 36-1
• World title - 13-0 during 7-year reign
• Best wins - Esteban De Jesus (2-1), Ken Buchanan, Ray Lampkin, Hiroshi Kobayashi, Hector Thompson, Edwin Viruet x 2, Vilomar Fernandez & Lou Bizzaro
• Prime losses - De Jesus avenged x 2
• Other notes - Beat every fighter he ever faced at LW

Leonard

• Record - 141-9-5
• World title - 10-0 during 8-year reign
• Best wins - Freddie Welsh (2-1), Jack Britton, Lew Tendler x 2, Rocky Kansas x 4, Lockport Jimmy Duffy, Ritchie Mitchell x 2, Johnny Kilbane (1-1, loss aged 19), Johnny Dundee (5-2-2 losses aged 18 & 20), Philadelphia Pal Moore, Charley White & Patsy Cline x 2
• Prime losses - Arguably none, his only losses at LW post his teens were both aged 20, vs Freddie Welsh, avenged (2-1 final series tally) and Johnny Dundee, avenged x 4 (5-2-2 final series tally).
• Other notes - During his final 81 fights at LW, which included all his world title fights and most of his best opposition, Leonard went an utterly absurd 81-0.

Title reigns are relatively close in length & defences, whilst Leonard has the only win(s) over a top 10 all time LW, in Freddie Welsh. Duran has quality wins over 2 x borderline top 20 all time LWs, in De Jesus and Buchanan, but after that, Leonard has the greater depth by a huge margin.

So, purely at & around LW, Leonard has by far the greater win resume, as well as that insane dominant run to end his career of 81-0.

Btw, I have Gans # 2 at LW & Duran #3. I could see my #4, Packey McFarland, ahead of Duran, before I could see Duran ahead of Leonard or Gans. I rank Duran the highest of them all, p4p, based on fights in all weight divisions through their respective careers.