Who was more skilled: Sugar Ray Robinson or Roberto Duran

I was thinking about this today and the question is who was more skilled, for me that would be Duran. His matches with Palomino, DeJesus 3 and SRL show an incredible ability to slip punches on the way in, feint and get inside, spin and grab people and some brilliant boxing off the back-foot at range.

Now, from these matches we see what I would call a peak Duran. We can't see a peak SRR on film so I can't make a completely confident decision.

But Robinson seemed to use his physical tools (which I'll talk about) more than his skill, but he was also incredibly skilled when we saw him at MW. He could shift from one foot to the other whilst throwing a combination to get full rotation and snap on each punch, he had brilliant footwork and was an offensive animal. But so was Duran, and I think that Duran had an extra layer or two to his game.
Both had brilliant punch structure but I'd say that Robinson has the edge.
Two of the most skilled fighters ever, no shame in either pick.

Now when it comes to physical attributes, this is when Duran is fighting a losing battle. SRR was just as hard a puncher pfp (as in at WW compared to Duran at LW) and was much quicker. He was also bigger with quicker feet, had a longer reach for his weight and also the better chin. It's not really a contest in that regard imo.

I'd say that both are clearly top 5 pfp talents with probably Charles, Jones and maybe Whitaker? I'm not too sure about the 5th spot as Benny Leonard, Ali, Mayweather, Pep or Burley all have cases.

 

Duran most certainly has the better defense IMO.

 

The Leonard-beating Duran was as good as Sugar Ray Robinson ever was imo. And yeah, I know it was early in Leonard's career, but to all the doubters I say just watch the Boxing Miracle that SRL most certainly was before this fight. Ray was already a borderline supernatural sensation in the boxing world.

Overall of course, Sugar Ray Robinson was the Greatest pfp.

 

Not that cut and dry. They each have skills where one is better than the other. It's very close for me. It's easy for some to just say its hands down Robinson. While I think Robinson may hold a couple more advantages its very very close IMO.

 

I greatly sympathize with this.

 

Robinson

 

Both were skilled in their own way, as stated above SRR was more versatile in that he could be the aggressor, play the counter & had one punch KO power.

 

While I think that Sugar Ray Robinson was the more skillful, Roberto Duran, had his own skills, but he intertwined this with a bit of street fighting, example, a right cross followed through with an elbow. Or a knee, low blow, a la Ken Buchanan, 1972. Robinson was very fluid, mixed with speed and outstanding ring generalship.