Who Wins Chavez V Duran At Lightweight :And Why?

There is a huge difference between starting slowly and taking your time: Chavez took his time and so did Duran. Good fighters take their time because you learn and study and plan in those first 2 or 3 rounds when the uneducated think that you should just spring into action and start throwing punches.
In this fight there would be 3, 4 rounds of careful boxing highlighted by some sharp exchanges. Both of these guys can fight, both can box and, ultimately, both are thoughtful, even cerebral, practitioners. There would be a lot of jab, step in, step out, feint, a sharp exchange here and there.
Once they warmed up...When they fight inside, Duran uses his arms more, while Chavez uses his shoulders to create room and, I think, is the more effective short range puncher. In my opinion that is a matter of functionality; when you use your arms to wrestle inside you take away from your capability to get your hips into your punches. How that will play out between them will be one of the things that makes this fight a potential gem.
In my opinion, the inside fight is going to favor Chavez- I really don't believe that Duran would be stronger inside and I think the Chavez punches better shorter. Yes, Duran outfought Leonard inside but Ray was still very much an amateur when it came to inside fighting- his skills were way way inferior to the skills Chavez put on display against Rosario. In short Duran will have a hard time manipulating Chavez inside like he did Palomino or Leonard- maybe he can do it, but I am dubious.
Ultimately, the fight is going to be a mid range to long range fight. Duran won't like the inside game or how it looks to play out for him so he will create distance while Chavez will box with him and try to get close. After early cautious rounds, then a couple very brisk rounds in close, they will settle into a fight where Duran looks to keep some room and Chavez looks to get closer.
Duran won't be running, it isn't in his nature and he will be looking to punch hard. But he will want to keep some room between them. Chavez is no slouch at this game, though Duran is better. The fight will come down to how you score the early jousting, what style you favor in the up close game, and who gets the better of the battle over distance as the fight hits the climax.
This fight will go the distance- two very solid chins in there. Chavez will be the harder puncher in close, Duran may have an edge at midrange. At 135 Chavez did not believe that he could lose, Duran already had. Either way it will be a tough grueling fight, probably moreso mentally than physically, though both guys will wake up knowing exactly what happened the next morning.

 

I think this fight ends in a knockout, maybe earlier than many think. Chavez has to come forward , he simply can't come to Roberto Duran at 135 pounds round after round. I'd say this ends before the 10th in a brutal slugfest that Julio can't win. As others have pointed out Duran does everything better than Chavez and as I've said , he will be coming to Roberto so Duran will be able to land serious bombs on him

 

Whether I agree or not, I’m glad someone picked Chavez. I’ve always thought that Chavez would give Duran all he could handle and that it’s not the foregone conclusion a lot of people seem to think.

 

I spent an afternoon w/ Braverman one day when he was matchmaker for DKP. He had zero doubt it would have been all Duran.

 

Good post.

 

I have to go with Roberto Duran at 135 lbs with no debate. Duran reigned as WBA and later WBC undisputed World Lightweight Champion on Jan21 1978 with his destructive 12 th round TKO of WBC Champion Esteban De Jesus in their third and last meeting. Duran also had a better corner consisting of Ray Arcel and Freddie Brown. Duran could box and he could hit, Joe Frazier once remarked that Duran reminded him of mass murderer Charles Manson with his cold soul less eyes as he was pounding his opponent. Duran reigned as World Lightweight Champion from 1972-1979, had 12 successful title defenses before moving up to 147 lbs in 1979. Julio Caesar Chavez as dangerous as he was had not faced a well schooled champion as Hands Of Stone Duran who defeated really good lightweights as Ken Buchanan, Guts Ishimatsu, Hector Thompson, Esteban De Jesus, Ray Lampkin, Lou Bizzaro, Leoncio Ortiz, and Vilomar Fernandez. Later defeated Pipino Cuevas, Carlos Palomino, and WBC Welterweight Champion Sugar Ray Leonard. Chavez only made a brief stop at 135 Lbs, winning the WBA Lightweight Title with a brutal stoppage of WBA Lightweight Champion Edwin El Chapo Rosario in November 1987. I see Duran schooling Chavez, who is also very talented. Duran, a former street fighter would use every trick in his arsenal to score a very tactical decision win over Chavez, Duran was more cunning and downright meaner.

 

My worry would be Chavez would be smaller then Duran. Most were afforded the advantage of at least being bigger then Roberto as he climbed but here someone’s coming up stairs…

 

I don’t think we would have been much smaller. Chavez was 130 and then 135 but he carried the extra weight well at that point. Size really only became a significant factor for him above 140.

 

Possibly, I just always felt Duran was a naturally much bigger man then 135lbs. More a small 147lber. But that’s just me.

 

A mouthwatering hypothetical classic with this one,Fergy.

Both great fighters with great skillset but Duran just a little better in all ways.

 

I see Duran coming out trying to KO Chavez. That would lead to Julio putting Duran on the canvas with a lefthook counter. Duran would get up and rally winning a 15 round decision in a barn burner.

 

There aren’t that many matchups I’d want to see more than this one.

 

Unbelievable matchup between two complete master box/fighters.

I have to favour Duran just because it’s his natural weight and he was a more dynamic fighter. Skill vs skill it’s close.

 

I think Duran's power would make the difference and he'd win