Why Was Duran Intimidated By Tommy Hearns?

If you think the Duran who showed up against Hearns was the same one that fought Hagler you're not paying attention. Duran may have seen Hearns clobber Cuevas but so what he did virtually the same thing to Cuevas a few years later.
Duran's psychology was basically "Leonard stopped Hearns, and I beat Leonard, Hearns can't beat me." Again if he was intimidated which he never was against anyone why would he take the fight? Steward put his own opinion on this and that's fine but that doesn't make it a fact. Duran after the first knockdown knew he had partied too much and should have prepared again the big grin as he got up. It was a major mistake on his part as we know what happened. Why would Duran take a fight against Barkley after he kod Hearns? Because again he had not prepared for the Hearns fight and this time against Barkley he trained his ass off.
Hearns got a great win, the best of his career and should be applauded for it, however the idea that he does the same thing against a 1980 Duran, or the Duran who fought Barkley is a big stretch.

 

Leonard had just retired again and any incentive Duran had went out the window with it. Duran looked great vs Hagler and I think the enthusiasm and adrenalin of Redemption after Moore & Hagler was spent. Duran had proven his point and was ready to call it a night.
Meanwhile Hearns was a killer who Roberto would always have trouble with. Foster-Tiger all over.

 

He took the fights he took because they offered money and opportunity to make more of it.

Do you operate under the delusion that no fighter takes a fight they think they will lose?

 

Not the point. THe whole idea is Duran was scared of Hearns. He had just come off one of the best years of his career, why would he then fight a guy he was so "intimidated" by? Not buying it.

Btw, "delusion" why so hostile?

 

For money. That’s why.

Because he’s a professional fighter and they offered him more to fight Hearns than he was going to get for another fight at that time.

Are you suggesting Floyd Patterson wasn’t intimidated by Sonny Liston? Then why fight him? And why fight him again in a rematch where Floyd is so sure he’d lose he brought a disguise so people wouldn’t recognize him after the fight.

Why did he do that? Because he was a professional fighter.

 

Also the alternative was to fight McCallum (who wasn't much of a draw) for a lot less money and potentially losing the Hearns money altogether.

 

Short answer is:No

Long Answer is: You dksb Roberto Duran.

Duran was eight years old fighting in the streets of Panama. He wasn’t afraid of men, he was afraid of poverty.

 

Yes one of the absolute greats in every respect.......even if he was a bit scared of Hearns................

 

Nah crap I don't buy that for a second. Duran went toe to toe with Marvin freaking Hagler but he was scared of Hearns? Please.

 

Duran doesn't seem scared of anybody or anything

 

I'd take alot of what Emmanuel Steward say's with a grain of salt, like many story tellers he often exaggerates stories for effect to suit his agenda.
I can see even a ferocious in a bad mood Duran backing up if someone of Hearns height tapped him on the shoulder.
Duran would turn around and be looking straight at Hearns chest, to wish Duran would back up so he can look up at the person without feeling like he himself is a midget.

The story about Hearns legs being weakened because he got a prefight massage is another tall tale Steward likes to tell. Hearns never used getting his legs massaged as an excuse and neither should have Emmanuel Steward.

 

Hearns intimidated everyone .

 

Except Hagler.