duran vs leonard 3- a sad sight to see

[Tony Trick-Pony]

I just saw the highlights and i've lost some respect for sugar ray leonard, i felt sorry for duran because he was outclassed and all leonard did was mug to the crowd and beat him to the punch. I saw duran was discouraged and sometimes it almost seemed like he was bullied by leonard because duran just couldn't beat the **** out of him.
Leonard showed signs of their second fight of how he humialted him into the 'no mas' scenario.
I was glad when duran gave him a fat cut in the last round on his eye.
Go DURAN!

Duran's 38-year-old legs weren't going to chase him for twelve rounds. He got in there for a big check and landed the only significant punch of the fight. A real waste.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

Roberto Duran is in my very humble opinion is one of the greatest fighters that has walked this earth and was robbed by Hector(love to hate him) Camacho in his last comeback fight.

The Camacho robbery was el terrible.

[rightsideup]

this is an incredibly old thread duran came off a great performance against against barkly. against barkly he was fighting a guy he did not have to chase and also some income tax leins appeared from fights all the way back to montreal surfaced I am sure all this stress hamper duran prep or at 38 he was simply to old in june of 1980 at 145.5 may been durans perfect weight age and experence level to beat ray

[Joe Beamish]

Duran was 38 years old when he fought the third fight with Leonard. Not saying he wasn't still a good fighter. But his best years were WAY behind him. Just sayin

[The Old LefHook]

The longer the viable career of a boxer, the more information historians have to work with in placing them on mythical lists.

One of several reasons that Langford remains legendary is that his record shows he continued to beat top men above his own ideal weight while past his own prime. The exact same is true of Duran. In a sport which has for decades been in very short supply of men willing to take the big challenges in a timely fashion, Duran simply could not find enough mountains to climb.

Add his career up and there is only one minor and one major deduction, for no rematch against Buchanan and the quit job in Orleans. The rest was pure entertainment, guts, skill and ferocity.

He left nothing in doubt about how great he was. Most greats do leave some doubt, some unfinished business--there is someone they should have fought, someone perhaps they avoided; or they retired too early, or died too early. Duran had the full career, too full, but that will not affect the legacy in the least.

Compare that to Leonard, who indeed fought six big fights against five different opponents, going at it in a timely rematch only once, of course against the only man to clearly beat him out of those five. The rematches against Hearns and Duran were past expiration dates.

It doesn't matter if the reason was health as in a detached retina, or whatever else was going on--he did not have the durability of the stone hand, if that is the case. For that matter, he did not have as deep a bag of skills, either. What he had was athleticism like few others ever. Like Roy Jones or Mayweather, he would have excelled at anything from ping pong to gymnastics and been an Olympic star. Old age always exposes a lack of skill in boxers, where it is to be found, and a lack of chin. They get hit more as they grow older, then we get to see. Mayweather had the stellar talent and a deep medicine bag of traditional skills. He lacked the big punch though.

Duran showed everything he had in him for a long time. If everyone gave as much, historians would have an easier job. He will not slip in the rankings much because he left no doubts, no unfinished business. He gave us second and third and fourth looks to make up our minds, and passed all tests. Just about everyone else leaves a lingering doubt here or there.

[soul_survivor]

I just saw the highlights and i've lost some respect for sugar ray leonard, i felt sorry for duran because he was outclassed and all leonard did was mug to the crowd and beat him to the punch. I saw duran was discouraged and sometimes it almost seemed like he was bullied by leonard because duran just couldn't beat the **** out of him.
Leonard showed signs of their second fight of how he humialted him into the 'no mas' scenario.
I was glad when duran gave him a fat cut in the last round on his eye.
Go DURAN!

I don't understand...you disliked Leonard for schooling Duran?

[rightsideup]

I don't understand...you disliked Leonard for schooling Duran?

why was not Duran schooled in June 1980 in Montreal?

[Willy Wanker]

I remember seeing in a documentary, probably 30 for 30, when Duran asked Leonard why did he wait so long to give him a third fight. Leonard responded with something like, "I just wanted to **** with your head."

[soul_survivor]

why was not Duran schooled in June 1980 in Montreal?

Because Leonard fought the wrong fight. Instead of moving, jabbing and catching Duran on his way in, he decided to stand and trade. Plus, for a guy who was only 24, he went toe-to-toe with a legend and only lost a close fight. There's no harm in that.

When Leonard went 100, he made Duran look a fool AND made him quit.

Anyway, this was over 30 years ago, learn to accept it and move on.

[rightsideup]

Leonard was stunned in the first fight in the second round and fought on the inside he came back to make the fight close. Amazing display of courage. To say he fought the wrong fight is idiotic.