Who's Greater: Roberto Duran or Muhammad Ali?

I gotta go with Ali for two simple reasons.

Ali would never have pulled something like " No Mas " and also for the fact that Duran was knocked cold by Hearns.

Ali was never counted out despite being a heavyweight which is without a doubt the puncher's division.

Unlike a lot of boxing fans I actually rate heavyweights higher than the lighter divisions for one reason. The heavyweight champion is the king of the sport, the fighter who can beat all comers. The little blokes might be better technicians etc but in a fight they lose to the heavyweight.

Cheers All.

 

Their opposition is comparable, but Duran impressively beat fighter of the next decade (Leonard) at his prime and won titles at four divisions. With all my love and respect to Ali, my vote for Manos de Piedra

 

Duran easily

 

I think p4p Duran should probably rate a little higher.

 

Ali's 29-0 in the 60s pre exile is superior to Duran's LW run. He looked more unbeatable and beat better/greater fighters.
Ali's post exile career is much better than Duran's post LW career.
Ali won his super fights more often than not, Duran lost his super fights more often than not.
Ali was never knocked out despite facing serious bangers, Duran was flat on his face against Hearns.
Ali had no quit in him, Duran...

If you ask who was a better fighter, a finer technician etc etc then Duran without a doubt in my opinion. But excuses aside, I really struggle to see Duran as having been the greater fighter.

 

I have to go with Duran, here. Though, I would not argue with those going with Ali, whose numbers I strongly suspect look better than Duran's.

However, I think Duran is the best boxer I have ever seen in my lifetime and, in my opinion, he is the holder of the greatest victory ever achieved.

Added to that and whilst he and Ali each went through their own kind of extended career low-points (Ali in exile; Duran post-No Mas), I find Duran's redemption more endearing than that of Ali's.

Not exactly a scientific outlook, I know. Rather, a subjective, experiential point of view, from which I consider Duran as representing the most cultivated practitioner of two-fisted violence to enter a boxing ring.

 

Ali never beat someone as good as Leonard.

 

Here you go:

1. Sugar Ray Robinson
2. Henry Armstrong
3. Willie Pep
4. Muhammad Ali
5. Joe Louis
6. Roberto Duran
7. Benny Leonard
8. Ezzard Charles
9. Harry Greb
10. Sam Langford

 

It's not set in stone - my top 20 names are just reshuffled periodically - but it's the same names that I'm moving about.

 

Duran without question for me. Better fighter and greater overall career.

 

You can make great arguments for either. There's no wrong answer. Personally i might have Ali a spot or two ahead but that could easily change.

 

You’d be hard pressed to find anyone w better names on their resume then Ali. Ali may not have looked that great out of prime but he found a way against some damn good fighters. My pick is Ali for this reason.

 

Greb and Charles.

 

Charles for sure. Greb? Idk the skill set then wasn’t what I would call great. But even Charles list is close.
Edit not insulting Greb as a fighter as what he accomplished is one of the best records ever