How significant was Duran's win over Barkley?

[Underboss]

In terms of Duran's legacy?

I really, really like this fight, but when you get threads about Duran, it's rarely mentioned. I don't understand why really, as Barkley was good, and this fight took place well past (15 years maybe?) Duran's prime and 25lbs over his best weight. It's overlooked. Barkley was good, and everything was against Duran going into the fight.

I'd say it's the most significant win in his entire career. Probably ahead of Leonard and the success later in his career. It's similar to George Foreman's career. Moorer is his most significant win, I'd say. Him destroying Norton and Frazier was good, but he was partially expected to. He was outside of his prime with everything against him and he did the job, as did Duran.

[Exciterx30]

Duran is one of my favorite, if not my favorite, fighters ever. I would have to agree that this was a tremendous achievement considering he was the older, smaller man in this fight, plus he was facing a fighter who had stopped the dreaded Thomas Hearns, who had stopped Duran in 1984. I don't know if it's his biggest win ever, because Duran had several signature fights including Buchanan, Leonard, and Moore. I would have to say it's either the Barkley fight or the Davey Moore fight.

[oldgringo]

How significant is it?

Just imagine...oh...Floyd Mayweather jumping up to middleweight to beat up, knockdown, and score a decision over....hmmm...Edison Miranda.

Yeh, wouldn't happen. That win was incredible for Duran and anyone who can't realize the significance of that win is crazy. Barkley was no top flite fighter or anything, but he had a hard punch and a ****load of determination.

That is one of my favorite all-time fights.

[wmute]

I would pick Leonard 1 as he most significant win, because he moved up in weight to take on the welterweight king, and what welterweight king. but yes the victory over barkley is awesome.

[wmute]

Just imagine...oh...Floyd Mayweather jumping up to middleweight to beat up, knockdown, and score a decision over....hmmm...Edison Miranda.

to be fair to mayweather you would need to pick a jr. middleweight, but there is no one with barkley's traits in that division right now.

but the craziest part (to be fair to duran) is: Duran was 38!!! so it would be like mayweather 8 years from now.

as you said... not gonna happen

[oldgringo]

to be fair to mayweather you would need to pick a jr. middleweight, but there is no one with barkley's traits in that division right now.

but the craziest part (to be fair to duran) is: Duran was 38!!! so it would be like mayweather 8 years from now.

as you said... not gonna happen

duran did fight the first few years of his career below the lightweight limit, so it really wouldn't be THAT much different...ya know?

yeah i didn't even factor in that whole age thing either. crazy stuff...

[wmute]

duran did fight the first few years of his career below the lightweight limit, so it really wouldn't be THAT much different...ya know?

yeah i didn't even factor in that whole age thing either. crazy stuff...

he fought below lightweight, at an age in which pbf was an am. check it out.

compare ages and weights through their careers, you will agree me

[oldgringo]

he fought below lightweight, at an age in which pbf was an am. check it out.

compare ages and weights through their careers, you will agree me

how old was floyd when he turned pro? 18? 19?

duran fought below 135 until he was 20 or 21...

it's pretty much the same thing, unless im way off as to when floyd turned pro.

[titoi]

Duran / Barkley was the icing on the incredible cake of Duran's career.

But the win over a bigger, stronger, faster and younger prime Leonard was the fight that defined his career and really set the tone for the next decade's worth of fights in that weight neighborhood. Even in that first fight with Leonard, Duran was already well past his best years.

[wmute]

how old was floyd when he turned pro? 18? 19?

duran fought below 135 until he was 20 or 21...

it's pretty much the same thing, unless im way off as to when floyd turned pro.

it is just splitting hairs here, but let's go on

but duran turned pro at age 16 and some, mayweather turned pro at age 19 and some.
also i never knew about it, but i heard it on mayw's media roundtable vid. when he was an am, he skipped two weight classes or something like that.

Duran won his 135 crown at 21
Mayweather his 130 crown at 21

anyway forget these boring numbers, to me Duran at lightweight looked like a huge lightweight, mayweather looked pretty normally sized.

if there is a hard hitting jr. middle at 154 in 8 years and mayw. beats him, i will be veeeeeeeery surprised

edit: boring for boring, and abusing boxrec (my bad), duran fought for the first time above 130 at 19 (and he never went down again of course)