More Skilled, Duran Or Floyd

[GJC]

I don't know. One thing that is strange is how an offensive fighter is immediately labeled less skilled because he comes forward and goes for the kill. I would pose the question 'Does it take more to skill to go all out on offense and take many risks while rarely getting hit and using the same 'old school' skills such as feints, rolling, slipping, countering etc etc or use those same skills while being purely defensive and only waiting for mistakes rather than making them happen?'

Think about when Whitaker went on the offensive. He was often dropped in those fights in which he fought particularly aggressive. I'm 100% certain that if Duran wanted to back up and fight defensively he would do it as well as any fighter. Hell, he walked straight at a bigger, younger ATG who was easily one of the fastest fighters ever and rarely got hit with a clean shot. Floyd also got hit a lot in his more aggressive fights.

I think a lot of the skill Duran uses is not seen as clearly. He short inside counters are a thing of beauty as are his feints. He used feints better than anyone in the game today by a country mile.

I'd suggest watching Duran against De Jesus in their third fight. Watch it closely and you'll come away with a very different point of view if you think Floyd is 'way more skilled'.

I don't know to be honest. I will say though that Duran's skill is less obviously noticeable to the untrained eye. Floyd's is very obvious to see because of the way he fights. Floyd is one of the best defensive counter punchers of recent times. Duran was one of the greatest fighters of all time period. He had the ability to do everything brilliantly. Defense, countering, offense, power, speed, feints, boxing blah blah blah.....Yet, most would see his fights and see a madman wading in. With Floyd you can see him sitting and waiting for the mistake. Staying away until it's made and then capatalising on it.

Their styles are too different to truly make a proper judgment. It's too hard to compare properly. Unless we can take into account the difference in style, which very few obviously are as noted by the 'Floyd easy lamo pwn', responses. Not only that but they both had different skills and used them differently. Duran used feints a hell of a lot better than Floyd. He also slipped punches just as well, but he did it coming forward.

It's a great question but very hard to answer I think.

Good post, for some reason some people seem to have this view that Duran was purely a brawler. Skill isn't poking your chin out or doing windmill impressions, skill is fighting on someones chest and slipping punches

[BigStereotype]

Duran is a very, very skilled fighter. Excellent at getting inside and beating the living **** out of you. But Floyd is sick, inhuman levels of skilled. Never seen somebody control range like him, roll punches perfectly, fight so well on the inside, etc. Everything Floyd does looks like it comes out of a textbook, he's so good. Duran still wins that matchup, though.