The myth of Roberto Duran being an exciting fighter

[JAB5239]

You always think the worst of me,mate.I assure you this thread has absolutely nothing to do with me pushing my luck or trying to be a smart arse.I simply thought it would make an interesting debate and I wanted other's opinions on it.


You're more than welcome to join in,my man.

We do have quite a bit of history though. That said, I think this thread is fine. Some of your opinions on this I agree with, others I don't. But you've presented them all in a respectable and logical way. If you could do that more and lose the hostility you often have we'd hardly ever have a problem.

[THE REED]

It wasn't really about ducking in the sense as in Haye ducking the klits or others. It was really just a list of contenders that Jones did not fight and objectively as such. There might have been various reasons as to why the fights never happened, but I'm not that familiar with all the circumstances surrounding all those match-ups that never was.

If I remember correctly I did use the word 'duck' in exclamation marks (?).

I don't know... doesn't really matter.. point is, you explained yourself.. hence the thread I felt was valid..

[BennyST]

The first Duran-Viruet was certainly fought at a much faster pace than their rematch,I'll give you that.The commentators(Chuck Wepner and some other guy) seemed to share your opinion of how great a fight it was,although I didn't see it myself.It's not a fight in which I thought Duran showed much skill in,either.He deserved the decision,but he was very reckless against Viruet and was caught quite often as he was charging in by Viruet.



You've never seen him hold in fights? Never seen him lock an opponent's arm up close? Seemed that's all he did for 15 rounds against Wilfred Benitez - absolute stinker of a fight that was.These clinches were happening often back when he was a lightweight,too.Seems it was done more so against the fast speedy types than the slower,more stationary heavy guys.



I guess what I'm looking for is simply clean,consistent,decisive punching.The type of punching that's easy to follow,with no overly smothered work to kill a fights.And this isn't me being biased against Duran a fighters inside work.If it's clean,if it's consistent,and if there's enough punching room - I've got no problem.I already complimented Duran's work in his fight with Davey Moore.



And honestly,benny,did you really find Duran-Hagler to be an exciting fight? I know it's all about opinions here,but I just don't understand that one at all.

It was Jerry Quarry commentating from memory. He did a lot of Duran fights.

I know what you mean about the holding, but it didn't happen very much and certainly not like Hatton or something. It did happen when he was getting older and moving up because he changed his style from inside counter puncher/boxer/pressure fighter/whatever to counter puncher/boxer basically. He didn't have the stamina, strength, height/size and youth to do that with the bigger guys he was fighting, so he tied up to get a rest.

The Benitez fight was not a good fight. Duran came in looking flabby, off balance and as if he had too much weight on him, which he did. It made it a bad fight, I agree.

Well, it depends what you call a good fight? If you want a Gatti type brawl, then no, it wasn't that good in comparison (Hagler fight that is). If you like a closely contested fight that has good action throughout and is back and forth, then yes it was good. Of course it wasn't some amazing fight of the year or anything but it was still a very good fight. I thought it was anyway.

The clinches at lightweight, in my opinion, were not often and they were to get him into punching room and to move the opponent to where he wanted him so he could get his combinations off. He rarely smothered his work on the inside though.

I don't know. Like I said in the other post; it depends what you're after. I find him exciting on the whole but anyone in as long a career as he has had is going to have some bad fights, especially when he gets over thirty and is fighting way above his proper weight and isn't in great condition. I think the majority of his LW fights are great though.

[BennyST]

You always think the worst of me,mate.I assure you this thread has absolutely nothing to do with me pushing my luck or trying to be a smart arse.I simply thought it would make an interesting debate and I wanted other's opinions on it.


You're more than welcome to join in,my man.

Not that I want to ruin this thread or get your back up mate, but it's not often you make a thread like this. It's usually full of hostility and maybe a tinge of patronisation to most of the guys here.

This is a good, interesting thread and if you could keep others on this track I don't think you'd ever have a problem.

[prinzemanspopa]

It was Jerry Quarry commentating from memory. He did a lot of Duran fights.

Jerry Quarry did alot of colour commentary work for CBS through the mid to late 70's.The version that I watched definately had Chuck Wepner as the colour commentator.

[Scott9945]

Jerry Quarry did alot of colour commentary work for CBS through the mid to late 70's.The version that I watched definately had Chuck Wepner as the colour commentator.

Quarry was an excellent boxing commentator. His honesty probably ended up hurting him. Back then that wasn't what the networks were looking for unless you were Howard Cosell.

[BennyST]

Quarry was an excellent boxing commentator. His honesty probably ended up hurting him. Back then that wasn't what the networks were looking for unless you were Howard Cosell.

He was. He really was. Of all fighters that commentate, him and Carlos Palomino are the best I've heard by far. Tarver is ok today, but both those guys were clear, articulate, intelligent and had the proper mix of boxing talk and just commentating.

[wmute]

I defintely see what TS is saying. Personally I take pleasure in seeing negative fighting, too. In recent days, I enjoyed the subtleties of Mayweather taking away opponent's best weapons one by one, even if that translates in boring fights, and I enjoyed Hopkins ability of butting, clinching and fouling on the other side of the ref. But in general he is right that most boxing fans like punching rather than non punching, and prime Duran did more holding (and in general manhandling) than later on when he had to rely on other skills.

[Toney616]

I enjoyed Hopkins ability of butting, clinching and fouling on the other side of the ref.

Its funny that you say that, those are the reasons why I cant stand hopkins.

[wmute]

Its funny that you say that, those are the reasons why I cant stand hopkins.

I mean... I like watching Pryor throw 1000 punches per round. Or Roy Jones moving at the speed of light while throwing triple hooks. But I can definitely sit and appreciate Hopkins' perfect roughhousing. Even though the rules say otherwise, it is quite clear that it's a skill a complete fighter needs to master, so I try to watch what he is doing and understand, and in that way I don't get bored/disappointed.