leanords thoughts on duran

Got this from a boxing site thats is in the east Jim Rome conducted a 30 minute interview segment with Leonard on his radio interview a few years back......they talked mainly on Leonard's career......The question was posed by Rome of who was the best fighter that he ever fought......Leonard did'nt hesitate, he anwered "Manos de Piedra", the Hands of Stone, Roberto Duran.....Leonard answered exactly as I just printed it. Hearns was the most difficult style matchup for me, but Duran was the best! Leonard talked fondly of Roberto Duran in that interview....as Leonard was describing the things Duran did to him in that fight in Montreal, (legal or otherwise ).....Leonard said, something to the effect of knowing what I know, I dont know that I would pick anybody in history to beat that Duran. Rome then posed this question, The best ever Ray Leonard against the same Roberto Duran that beat you in Montreal??? There was a long pause by Leonard before he answered......Leonard finally said, "I'd like to think that I could have beat him. I think I could have had I fought a perfect game plan, but it would'nt have been easy. Duran was just an unbelievable figher that night, it's just undescribeable....he was in a zone that few fighters in history ever get a chance to experience." Any fighter is beatable, continued Leonard, but to beat Duran that night would have taken the perfect style and the execution of a perfect game plan!

Comments (20)

americanspirit

Leonard/Duran was one of the mosty purely exciting fights I've ever enjoyed. The crowd was fanatical about Duran. Leonard showed as much athleticism- trying to keep up with Duran's onslaught as any fighter, ever. Leonard was flurrying with LIFE and DEATH urgency. Duran was so vicious that night. His counterpunching was ridiculous. That was two superheroes at war! That fight transcended normal levels. EXCITING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

19y ago

shortright

Some of you mention that Hagler was out of his prime/ was old but forgot to mention Leanord came out of retirement and fought after 3 years of his retirement and had 2 fights in 7 years while Hagler was active. Leanord was'nt in his prime either. its true but hagler was worse in my mind, i was watching sportscentury marvin hagler and the guy who used to run the vegas state athletic commison said that leanord was yelling to hagler in the locker room your a fucken old man you a fucken old man your not winning this fight, plus hagler was so danm slow, i recently watched hagler duran and hagler leranord and he was ten times slower in 87 when he fought leanord then in 83 when he fought duran i was actually kind of shocked how slow he was

19y ago

shortright

But its swings and roundabouts. SRL fans will say SRL was more past his best than Hagler. Nothing can be proved. Hagler before fighting Leanord wasnt seen as past his best as far as i know. SRL had come off a layoff. Hagler in the opininons of the refs lost. Hagler lost to a great welterweight so may be hagler aint as good as people as say. Even though he was great. Maybe there is a case for their being better middleweights than Hagler. its sad that haglers legacy is somewhat tarnished, cause in my opinon it would of meant much more in there primes, they it did

19y ago

hugh_grant

19y ago

shortright

Hagler was no more past his best than SRL was? When you get close matches that go to the score cards you are going to have controversy. Hagler could have been years younger but if it goes to the scorecards it depends how the judges see the fight. Hagler was a great middleweight. So was Monzon. So is Hopkins. Take your pick of who you think is the greatest. i agree with you hagler was past it but so was leanord, although i think hagler more so

19y ago

hugh_grant

19y ago

shortright

you lost to a lightweight in your prime, you wouldnt be top ten in my era "floyd mayweather jr"

19y ago

freedom213

anyone got that 1st fight between Duran and leonard or know where i could dl it?

19y ago

Franko6909

It was a very close fight, but nowhere near a robbery, you could score it 1/2 rounds either way for either fighter, depending on how you score rounds and who you were watching.. but to say Hagler was way over the hill is an overstatement, that Hagler would still beat any middleweight fighter today. I don't think that Hagler was way over the hill, but he was past his very best by the time he fought Ray Leonard IMO.

19y ago

kayjay

Marvin Hagler wasn't at his best when he fought Ray Leonard. Leonard knew that and that is why he came back to fight him. I was at a sportsman's dinner a few months back where Leonard was the guest of honour. He talked about Duran in a similar manner to the post on this thread, but he talked even more about how great it was to come back and beat 'Marvellous' Marvin Hagler. He stated that no one gave him a chance against Hagler, but he knew he'd beat him as he wasn't the Hagler of old. I think coming out of retirement to beat Hagler was a great achievement, however, i still think that the the decision over Hagler is debatable. You have to give Leonard credit for being honest. Also he admitted that the second Duran fight was bullshit as far as Duran not being ready.

19y ago

Franko6909

That's pushing it a bit too far, he wasn't the same as he was in the late 70's/early 80's, but he was still a terrific fighter.. similar to how Hopkins is now, he's not the fighter he was 5 years ago, but still one of the best. Marvin Hagler wasn't at his best when he fought Ray Leonard. Leonard knew that and that is why he came back to fight him. I was at a sportsman's dinner a few months back where Leonard was the guest of honour. He talked about Duran in a similar manner to the post on this thread, but he talked even more about how great it was to come back and beat 'Marvellous' Marvin Hagler. He stated that no one gave him a chance against Hagler, but he knew he'd beat him as he wasn't the Hagler of old. I think coming out of retirement to beat Hagler was a great achievement, however, i still think that the the decision over Hagler is debatable.

19y ago

monkeyboy

Duran is probably my personal favourite fighter of all time. That man just LOVED fighting. When you see someone so gifted but also so suited mentally for any activity it's a thing of beauty. The fact that he had such a long career just testifies to his will.

19y ago

Left2body

Dude, right after the Thrilla in Manilla Ali said the biggest overstatement evr in regards to boxing (apart from some I've read here about Tony) "He's the greatest of all times right next to me" or some shit. But then again, he had just been given a terrible beating, so he was definitely not thinking right. He also said that he was mad tough and shit. Whatever. You can kinda discount what a fighter says right after a fight because they are almost always gonna try and build up the guy they just beat because it makes them seem better. Its kinda the obligatory "He's a great tough fighter, I just got a little lucky....etc etc.....I will also like to thank God for allowing me to beat up another fellow humanbeing"...LOL. Anyway I saw Frazier in a show and he was borderline nasty when talking about Ali. There were a lot of antic's that Ali used to promote the fight that I dont believe Frazier ever forgave him for.

19y ago

American_Ninja

I remember that night in Montreal, Duran entered the ring, when he took his robe off he looked totally different physically than in his previous fight. I couldn't believe how much he had changed. He was in shape to go 20 rounds. I knew he would win the fight. In the rematch, again he looked different physically. soft was the best description. Leonard looked rock solid. But that's a whole different story. One thing that sticks out in my mind about Duran, actually 2 things. First, His eyes. If you've ever seen him in person, training, he had the black eyes of a demon, and he looked right through you. The 2nd thing is the sounds he made when sparring. He had a high pitched hmm hmm hmm, that went even higher as he turned up his intensity.

19y ago

joeytrimble

duran was something special ..a one of a kind ..the joe louis of the lightweights ..the total package of brutality defense offense with just the right mix of class not to much not to little

19y ago

Tha_Greatest6475

good, what do all you Hagler fanatics say now? Hagler was way over the hill when he fought Leonard, fucktard.

19y ago

tito_yuca

Frazier and Ali never can be quite coaxed into giving each other respect there seems to be a lot of animosity that still lingers there. Dude, right after the Thrilla in Manilla Ali said the biggest overstatement evr in regards to boxing (apart from some I've read here about Tony) "He's the greatest of all times right next to me" or some shit. But then again, he had just been given a terrible beating, so he was definitely not thinking right. He also said that he was mad tough and shit. Whatever.

19y ago

Animal_Squabbs

good, what do all you Hagler fanatics say now?

19y ago

shortright

he shoul just be outright all the time though duran was in the michael jordan kind of zone that night only the best can do it, if hewas honest about the second fight all the time it would be better, in his heart he basically beleives that durans the best fighter that ever lived he jut said,knowng what i know, i think he beats anybody that ever lived, thats what he said

19y ago

Not_Monty

Great fighter aside, Leonard, I think, did a good job selling himself as a nice guy when really he's always struck me as a huge, egotistical, manipulative asshole. So, its nice to hear him give Duran some props, especially since their meetings caused such a cloud (a far too dark one in my opinion) on Duran's record. Definitely earns him more respect, as a man, in my eyes.

19y ago