What do you personally make of the No Mas fight?

Duran was out of shape, he had a lot of fun in between their 1st and 2nd fight. I also feel that Leonard didn't get a chance to show how much he had really improved for this fight. Leonard was in great shape and well prepared even if Duran was not. Had that version of Leonard fought Duran in their first fight... I'd pick Leonard. I think Leonard's loss to Duran has a lot to do with Leonard not sticking to his fight plan... although Duran was in great shape, well prepared, and fought a great fight.

 

Fight was fixed.

 

Why not beat the **** out of the clown then? After all this is boxing.

My interpretation is Leonard hurt Duran, possibly later with the uppercut at the end of the round before the fight was stopped.

Duran was not only hurt, but he was being embarrassed so he quit rather than risk being knocked out by punches from Leonard who knew he had him and could afford to show boat during the process.

Duran has a dubious distinction for quitting without a major injury and getting KO'd early by one punch. Granted he was at his best at light weight, not welter or middle.

 

I agree, the best way to have dealt with Leonard's clowning around would have been to beat the **** out him, but by Leonard's account, Duran never had the power he had in the first fight and the punches, weren't nearly as hard. As for Duran being hurt, I've been discussing this fight, on and off, for about 15-20 years now, and you are the first one to have mentioned this. Mind telling me exactly when he was hurt?

 

Simple.

Duran beat himself in the second fight,

but,

the megalomaniac Leonard and his insignificant fanboys try to convince themselves he beat the Panamanian.

Duran went on a binge and ignored the fact that Leonard had the say in when the rematch should occur, until it was too late. Spending half of a 6 week camp just trying to lose 50lbs in weight is never going to get you in good fighting shape.

Hence Duran beat himself.

 

My take is very similar but shorter: Leonard used his legs; Duran got frustrated and quit.

 

He quit, plain and simple. I saw the bout on closed circuit back in the day and I can tell you that the theatre audience was shocked speechless.

I recently read a biography about Duran. His handlers said that he went party crazy after beating Leonard. Ray knew about it and got the fight scheduled for a quick rematch.

Leonard psyched him out by clowning around and throwing bolo punches. Duran couldn't do anything to make Ray stand and fight.

It was all Durans fault by 1 not staying in shape and 2 quitting cause his macho brain could not handle being humiliated in the ring.

Duran quit.

 

It was a legitimate tactic from Leonard and Duran shamed himself by not having the discipline to stick it out.

Nevertheless, Duran's victory was far superior and I admire Leonard's performance in Montreal far more than his performances in either of his victories.

 

It was a moment of indiscretion that Duran wishes he could take back but it was too late. Duran acted like a kid who is mad at his friends at the park and decides to take his ball and go home out of frustration. Only this was a championship fight and he was the champion. It was a mental lapse on Duran's part. This fight just wasn't fun like the 1st one was. He wasn't in the shape he should've been in and Leonard was fighting the way he should've in their 1st encounter which frustrated Duran. The fire simply wasn't there. Roberto wanted to get the hell outta there and in a moment of indecision and frustration he did by saying "No mas". He had already been paid before the fight so take the money and run instead of hanging around and continue being embarrassed and losing. Street mentality not the warriors code of going out on your shield. For the record I wanted Duran to win. I wasn't a big Leonard fan at the time though I respected his talent. Duran embodied the warrior that we all love...at least he did up until that night anyway. He never should've quit. He gave his title away meekly and it haunted him from then on.

 

Then Leonard should have kept his big mouth shut in the build up to Montreal, instead of giving it large about what he was, and wasn't going to do to the smaller Duran, shouldn't he?atsch

Then again, how would it have sold if he admitted he was gonna hit and run, because he was wary of mixing it with the former Lightweight?

 

Why not beat the **** out of the clown then? After all this is boxing.

My interpretation is Leonard hurt Duran, possibly later with the uppercut at the end of the round before the fight was stopped.

Duran was not only hurt, but he was being embarrassed so he quit rather than risk being knocked out by punches from Leonard who knew he had him and could afford to show boat during the process.

Duran has a dubious distinction for quitting without a major injury and getting KO'd early by one punch. Granted he was at his best at light weight, not welter or middle.

I think Duran is a little over rated as a puncher north of Lightweight too.

You did ask a good question, I'll start out by saying the fight was close enough prior to Duran quitting.

One judge had it 68-66 for Leonard and two had it with 67-66 for Leonard.

Leonard did not allow Duran to brawl this time. He used his legs. Duran chased Leonard around but could not catch him.

In the 7th round Leonard landed some good body shots, and counter rights to Duran's head. Fighters never like to show they are hurt. They do their best to hide it, but they do know when they are hurt.

Its one thing to get knocked out, its another to be embarrassed during the process. Somewhere in the 7th round Duran I think was hurt and decided he's better off walking away. There was no injury.

I think he didn't want to get stopped, and that would have happened had the fight gone a few more rounds.