Which of these past lightweights would you have most liked to see Roberto Duran fight?

One not mentioned, A.Arguello. But from your list Chavez, Hammerin Hank, William's. And Mayweather Jr. ( just to see Mayweather avoid that fight like he thought Duran had the plague lol) But not one defeats prime Duran including Arguello. Best bet to actually defeat Duran wouldve been Whitaker In my opinion.

 

Duran didn't like guys with movement. I think people are underestimating how well Whitaker would've fared against Robbie, same with a Pretty boy version of Mayweather.

I actually favor both of them to beat Duran. Roberto liked guys who would trade in the pocket with him or guys he could bully around. He didn't like fighters who were in perpetual motion. By all accounts before his initial retirement, the Ghetto Wizard was also someone that fought similarly to Floyd and Pernell and would also give him fits.

 

A guy who arguably lost to Jose Luis Castillo at LW is NOT beating prime Duran.

 

Obviously you'd pick his worst performance out of 50 fights which is fine, but he did tear his rotator cuff a week before the fight, I believe 2 muscles in the rotator cuff group (comprised of 4 muscles in the group altogether). He decided not to postpone the fight and took a cortisone injection right before it which wore off by the second round, hence why he only fought with one arm. He had surgery a couple weeks after the fight after the inflammation subsided, but yea lets pretend like he was 100% going into that fight.

Funny how people don't want to take the best versions of the fighters in these hypothetical matchups. You scour through the guys 50 fights and pick the one fight where he was injured going into the match. That's called spinning a narrative to fit your bias.

But say what you want since it fits into your pro Duran narrative. I've seen most of the guys on the list fight so I say this with complete confidence. If anyone could employ the same tactic as Leonard did with Duran in his second fight, and even more efficiently than Leonard did, it would be Mayweather. If you consider that fight to be a one off, than look no further than Duran losing to Wilfred Benitez.

I maintain my stance, guys with movement and sublime defense can frustrate, and beat, Roberto Duran. How about you take the best version of FLoyd rather than when he was injured going into singular bad performance? Genius.

 

Yet everyone seems to ignore Pacs shoulder injury. How ironic

 

Modern greats Pernell,Otiz,Chavez, would all be classics ,infact all the guys you mentioned would be.WHEN hands of stone was fighting I always hoped he fight Rodolfo Gonzalez Mando Ramos

 

Duran vs Joe Gans,,,,Sam Langford said Gans was the best of all time, Bob Fitzsimmons said Gans was the cleverest fighter he ever saw and Joe was the idol of the great Benny Leonard . I rate the list :

1. Joe Gans
2. Ike Williams
3. Benny Leonard
4, Henry Armstrong
5.Pernell Whitaker
6. Ortiz
7 Mayweather
8 Chavez
9. Welsh
10. Ross

Fact is no lightweight could fight these 10 guys and be undefeated, somebody will get you.

 

Burt is pure class

 

Gans, Chavez, Whitaker, Mayweather, Ike .. all terrific fights and many tougher and closer than one might think ..

 

Pacquiao would be a good one too.

 

Whitaker, Armstrong and Chavez.

 

I'm still upset the world never got to see Duran vs Pryor. Would have been a war.

 

Pernell Whitaker or Ike Williams for me since they are the only ones I think have a chance against LW Duran. Whitaker's boxing wizardry and Ike Williams' power and aggression would make for interesting fights against Duran.

Would also have loved to see a fight with Jose Napoles. Although I'm not sure if Napoles was as good @ LW as he was as a LWW or WW.

 

Hank, all day money.

 

That would have been an ATG fight...Duran wears him down, coke or no (I'm kidding...kind of).

Prior stopped in 14. Prior was the definition of relentless. Duran invented the word itself.