there certainly is a consistent pattern there IMO his "lack of motivation" was more a consequence of his lifestyle choice. When younger he could get away with the partying and the weight gain between bouts. It simply got much harder to pull off when older. Of course he's motivated in terms of wanting to win but that lifestyle takes its toll. I pointed out before that your comment about Duran fighting at 154 preLeonard does not support your assertion that he is a naturally larger fighter. That was a tune up fight against an insignificant opponent. He was 154 because he wasn't in top shape and he didn't need to be against a minor opponent. As far as comparative weights, Duran was closer to about 120 when he began his pro career. He may have been as low as 118. He only gradually moved up to 135 later. For example in 1970, when he was almost 19 years of age, he still fought at 128. Compare that to what Benitez weighed at that age. Bodies do get more muscular with age, maxing out at around 30, and he certainly looked lean at 147 in Montreal unlike his physique of the later 80s. IMO 147 is the max weight for a lean Duran. At higher weights he was flabby. Back to the original question of Duran vs Benitez: First of all even though it was a unanimous decision, Duran did give a reasonable account of himself. He didn't quit as he did against Leonard, and he was surprisingly humble after the loss. Of course Benitez is a difficult opponent for anyone, but he is beatable as Leonard demonstrated. Could a faster and leaner Duran follow Leonard's gameplan and KO him in the late rounds? Otherwise it would be a close decision.
I don't get into people's personal thing in a fight. He is paid to be in shape and he had a lot of fights, he knew what he had to do. It was just an excuse. It took a Leonard, who was a mirror image of Benitez in someways to beat Benitez. I don't see Duran ever beating Wilfred. Stylistically, Benitez would probably beat him at 140 and 147. 140 would be tougher, since he was younger and not as experienced, but I see a similar fight. This really was about the excuses.
The Duran from the Leonard fight as great as he was that night was slightly past peak and above his natural weight and still put on one the the best performances ever overwhelming the bigger faster stronger younger Leonard who was fighting at his natural weight. That being said prime Benitez gives anyone in history problems. A great fighter with uncanny reflexes and defensive ability. A boxer I tried unsuccessfully mind you to mimic when I first started this sport. You really cant teach what either man had. Duran very late TKO in a 15 rounder at WW.
What I meant by pattern was your constant denial on a number of issues: 1. That Duran was a naturally smaller fighter who really had no business fighting at middleweight. IMO it was remarkable that he could even stay in the ring with these much bigger guys. You have been trying to say that he was a natural middleweight because he allowed himself to be overweight in a couple of fights before Leonard. Duran weighed 119 in his first fight. He gradually got bigger a and stronger, but he was still only about 124 at the end of his first year. At almost 19 years of age he was still only 128. Benitez on the other hand was already moving up from 140 to 147 at 19. Fast or slow, size does make a difference. 2. That Duran’s lifestyle impacted his career. Of course it did. Not an ‘excuse’, a fact. The point being that Duran was a much fitter fighter in the 70s. He was not like Evander Holyfield who moved up in weight by manufacturing a more muscular body. Duran simply got fat. 3. That Duran in his prime had very good speed. You have been saying that he could not handle the speed fighters like Leonard and Benitez. He was somewhat slow in the Benitez fight, but certainly not in Leonard I, where he frequently beat Leonard to the punch and actually out boxed him at times. The older Duran did seem slow at times, but if you look at the fights of the younger Duran, he wasn’t slow at all.
I guess Hearns had no business at lightheavyweight. Duran fought at 168 and weighed after retirement what looked ike 250 pounds, since then he has lost some but gone a little up again. That is where I differ with you. I think Duran handled 147 and 154 well. 160? He was a little smaller, but still he could pound with that right. Even at 168 he could hit. Fighters move up in weight. Big deal . Hearns did. Leonard? He did to 160, That Lalonde fight was a joke. Benitez moved up.. Wasn't big enough for 160, or at least fought the wrong fighter in Hamsho which then led him on a downward track. It doesn't matter what lifestyle Durn had. That is an excuse and I don't get into them much except to say they don't matter to me. A fighter lost he lost. Excuses are a dime a dozen after a loss. I don't think Duran lost as much speed he fought faster guys. He sneaked in a couple of right hands on Hearns He was hitting Hagler with right hands. Yet people don't excuse when he could land. Ray fought his fight from the get go and was not in the frame of mind to box and move. He was in a brawling mode. In the second fight he was in the boxing mode and the fight was different from the get go. Very.
Duran would have been motivated. Wilfredo being from Puerto Rico. They had a rivalry that would bring out the best in both.
LOL. Are you suggesting that Durán was a natural heavyweight? As far as Hearns is concerned. He was better off at 147 and 154 where nobody could match his combination of reach, power, and speed. When he moved up to 160, he found that he couldn't KO everyone as easily. So yeah, LHW was a challenge for him. He did surprisingly well against certain opponents like Virgil Hill. At one point Hearns' ego got the better of him, and he boasted that he could challenge Mike Tyson.
Benítez didn't even fight his own fight against Durán. He didn't do a Leonard II. He was surprisingly aggressive, and he only got away with that since he was the bigger guy. "Youth and weight were two of the factors that allowed Benitez to dominate the tempo. Benitez, a 23-year-old Puerto Rican known for his quickness and counterpunching, not only kept Duran off balance with straight right-hand leads but scored effectively with aggressive left jabs and combinations." From NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/31/sports/benitez-outpoints-dur-an-unanimously-keeps-title.html
I would be adding that he "got away with it" because he was noticeably sharper and quicker too. He comfortably outslicked Duran whilst fighting quite aggressively. Size sure didn't hurt but it wads only one facet of multiple that night.
It would be a tough fight at welter BUT I can see Benitez pulling it off by dec. Unlike Leonard, Benitez wouldn't allow Duran to pull him into a war mentally. That's were Leonard lost the fight, by being baited into trying to take Duran's head off with almost every punch he threw at him in Montreal. Fighting flat footed, and fighting angry. Benitez was unflappable , and wouldn't allow himself to be taken out of his game plan by insults and bluster. I can see Benitez pulling it off, but wouldn't bet my mortgage on it though.
Palomeno took him out of his rythem with aggression and body punching. The heat got to Palomeno in that fight. Benitez had a very tough time that day. Duran was light yrs ahead of Palomeno. Durans game would have been similar aggressive body punching mixed in with smart boxing similar to DeJesus III. Like I mentioned previously Duran late TKO
Like I said I wouldn't bet my mortgage on it. And you wouldn't either, but I can see Benitez being disciplined and skilled enough to win a dec.
