What really went wrong when Duran met Hearns

Same outcome. More or less.

 

For what it is worth.......Em. Steward said Duran would always be real
quiet around Hearns even before they fought......kinda like he had respect for hhearns and knew they would have to fight some day. And Duran's style was not based on "respect" for his opponent.

 

I thought they both showed respect in the ring as well, they kept touching gloves which seemed odd.

 

What really went wrong was that Duran's chin was in the trajectory of Hearns' right.

 

Shortest distance between two points is a straight line, especially
with 900 ft-lbs of force behind it?

 

Not even a Soviet tank could have absorbed that shot. Hearns made me feel sorry for his future opponents. I'll go as far as to say that if Hearns landed that particular shot on Marvin Hagler with the same angle, speed, power and trajectory the fight ends then and there.

Hearns was one of the best pound-for-pound punchers there ever was, and it was the best shot he ever threw. Excuse Duran for going down, and fear the fact that he was making small efforts to raise himself.

 

I truly remember that fight well and watch it often. I was and still am a big fan of Hearns that started after the 1st Leonard fight. When he koed Duran after Hagler fought him,I was on an all time high,even saw his next fight live in Saginaw MI against Fred Hutchings. Was crushed after the Hagler loss. I'm not going to get into the excuses,but a rematch would have been great,say the Hearns that fought Shuler a year later would have done much better against Hagler. Why did Hearns look so dominateing against Duran? Styles,why did'nt Hearns last very long with Hagler (he did break his hand,who knows what the outcome would have been?),and yet Duran went the distance with him? Again styles. Though Marvins desperation to win in that third round was pretty intimidating as well. Box Tommy Box! Great war

 

I'd say Hearns did land that shot on Hagler, in the opening seconds. The shot that had enough power that it almost toppled Hagler over to the side.

 

From my recollection, the reports just a couple of weeks leading to the fight read that Duran was well overweight and looking sloppy in sparring.

An in shape Ray Leonard had a difficult time getting inside of Hearns reach as it was......
Now try envisioning a bloated Ray Leonard trying to get inside of Hearns reach?????
:yep Exactly, and that is what happened to Roberto Duran!

 

Always take what Emmanuel Steward has to say with a grain of salt, especially when it comes to a fighter that he trains.

Emmanuel Steward also gave us a bull**** excuse about not being in Tommy Hearns dressing room when Hearns was recieving an ill advised leg massage......all a bunch of baloney coming from a sour grapes loser.

 

Honestly? I think Duran just got caught, it's that simple. **** happens. Bearing in mind Hearns' destructive power and how sweetly he caught Duran...that's all she wrote folks.

 

By the sound of you post, I'd guess you did'nt see the fight.

No, Duran did'nt just get caught. The way Duran was moving and manuevering the ring, Hearns could'nt miss him.

Duran was really in poor shape.....but imo the only thing that an in-shape Roberto Duran could have bought, was a few more rounds.
The Duran past the No Mas fights just was no longer mobile or able to close distance rapidly.
If you cant do that, you cant get to Hearns.

When you're up against a fighter with a huge height and reach advantage, being able to manuever and close distance is vital.
....and Duran just was'nt capable of it any longer.

 

I saw the fight at the time it happened and many times on youtube.

People can go on and on with fancy explanations all day, to me he was simply caught and never recovered. Sure, height, reach, conditioning etc. all played it's part, but that's all part of the game.

 

It could have happened in the first round, or the 3rd or the 4th or the 5th and so on. Things just happen like that against in such mismatches.