Roberto Duran Vs Henry Armstrong

[Barn]

maybe p4p, but do you really think Armstrong would have beaten Leonard?

He didn't exactly deal with Durans pressure fantastically, I think Armstrong outhussles him to a 15RD decision victory.

[Steak]

He didn't exactly deal with Durans pressure fantastically, I think Armstrong outhussles him to a 15RD decision victory.

hmm, Im just going to have to disagree there then, based on the trouble Armstrong had against Lou Ambers.

[Terry A]

Of all the fantasy-type match ups, this is one of the hardest for me to pick. I really want to say "D15" but I know that violates our unwritten rule that says pick one or the other.

I'm picking Armstrong W15. I think his work rate is what finally edges Duran. And even though both had great chins, Armstrong had the better chin of the two.
But what really tilted me towards Armstrong was something that I had to factor in. Duran had that loss to Leonard where he said "No mas." No matter what was going on in a fight, I can't ever envision Henry Armstrong out & out just quitting.
Nobody doubts this would have been a close, "pick'em" fight. So when they're that evenly matched up, go with "will to win" or heart.

He also struggled with DeJesus, who I think Armstrong beats handily. I read Steak's posts & he has a very good point with Lou Ambers. But I think that Duran can be outboxed or, in this case, out worked by the busier Armstrong.

Duran is one of my all-time top 10 favorite fighters. I've seen roughly 50 of his fights. From the little film I've seen of Henry Armstrong, I'd have to give Duran the edge in ring generalship. All those little shoulder feints, all those moves he accumulated over the years, the quality of his opposition taught Duran how to slug or box. Armstrong had that one style of his....full speed ahead & all out. I think of Aaron Proyor or Harry Greb jacked up on Mountain Dew or something.....

I think the fight stays close until the later rounds. Then I can see Armstrong stealing some rounds as Duran winds down.

This has trilogy written all over it.

[Wild Blue Yonda]

Duran by decision in a close excellent fight. Duran was just a bad style matchup for Armstrong, who would be coming right at him...Duran feasted on guys like that his entire career.

Armstrong surely aint your average come forward fighter by any means, but I think Duran on top of having a style advantage was naturally larger and stronger. The only fighter that was able to outhustle Duran at close range was Hagler, and no offense to Armstrong, but he wasnt a middleweight Hagler.

I don't think the style match-up favours Duran so readily, but in any event, size is hardly gonna be an issue for Armstrong. You could find but a handful of fighters through all of history for whom size prevents fewer barriers than Arsmtrong (perhaps the likes of Langford, Walker, or Walcott, but hardly any others).

[New England]

Armstrong's work-rate wins him a narrow decision in a fight which brings the house down.

I think Duran's offense would suffer under the weight of Armstrong's phenomenal output in ways a lot of people may not see coming.

exactly what i was thinking. i certainly don't think either man is being stopped
and armstrong's work would be considered better by the judges simply because there was more of it, and obviously it would be of quality.


but what the hell do i know?
one thing i do know: i would be completely sauced by 8:00

i wouldn't call it much less than an even fight either way
hell, i wouldn't be surprised in the least if there was a split decision
those two, at their absolute bests, would have killed each other for 15 rounds
what a fight it would be

[Barn]

Of all the fantasy-type match ups, this is one of the hardest for me to pick. I really want to say "D15" but I know that violates our unwritten rule that says pick one or the other.

I'm picking Armstrong W15. I think his work rate is what finally edges Duran. And even though both had great chins, Armstrong had the better chin of the two.
But what really tilted me towards Armstrong was something that I had to factor in. Duran had that loss to Leonard where he said "No mas." No matter what was going on in a fight, I can't ever envision Henry Armstrong out & out just quitting.
Nobody doubts this would have been a close, "pick'em" fight. So when they're that evenly matched up, go with "will to win" or heart.

He also struggled with DeJesus, who I think Armstrong beats handily. I read Steak's posts & he has a very good point with Lou Ambers. But I think that Duran can be outboxed or, in this case, out worked by the busier Armstrong.

Duran is one of my all-time top 10 favorite fighters. I've seen roughly 50 of his fights. From the little film I've seen of Henry Armstrong, I'd have to give Duran the edge in ring generalship. All those little shoulder feints, all those moves he accumulated over the years, the quality of his opposition taught Duran how to slug or box. Armstrong had that one style of his....full speed ahead & all out. I think of Aaron Proyor or Harry Greb jacked up on Mountain Dew or something.....

I think the fight stays close until the later rounds. Then I can see Armstrong stealing some rounds as Duran winds down.

This has trilogy written all over it.

That was at WW when he had to come down from a reported whopping 230Ibs, by this time he had also admitted he hated training and his heart wasn't in the sport.

I automatically presumed this fight was at Lightweight. Duran was hungry for it at this point and was quitting to no-one.

Besides Hank wouldn't frustrate him in the same way Leonard did by showboating.

[Daddy T]

This fight has to be at lightweight ...

Anyway I don't know Duran was a beast at lightweight he literally terrorized the division and utterly dominated it ... I don't know I think this fight is so close and awesome that we have to call trilogy on it rather than just a once off. That way we can give both guys a win - cause I for one can see how either guy can get the win. I'm gonna stick with Duran 2-1 in that case. And I guess its simply cause I've seen so many of his fights compared to Armstrong and when things get this close you kinda tend go with the guy you know better, its like if your a brit and some guy you have been following for years and have seen all his fights goes up against some American superstar who you know is awesome but who you've only seen 4 or 5 times. But man oh man this would have been incredible - imagine if Armstrong had actually been around during the Fab four period wow.

[Barn]

This fight has to be at lightweight ...

Anyway I don't know Duran was a beast at lightweight he literally terrorized the division and utterly dominated it ... I don't know I think this fight is so close and awesome that we have to call trilogy on it rather than just a once off. That way we can give both guys a win - cause I for one can see how either guy can get the win. I'm gonna stick with Duran 2-1 in that case. And I guess its simply cause I've seen so many of his fights compared to Armstrong and when things get this close you kinda tend go with the guy you know better, its like if your a brit and some guy you have been following for years and have seen all his fights goes up against some American superstar who you know is awesome but who you've only seen 4 or 5 times. But man oh man this would have been incredible - imagine if Armstrong had actually been around during the Fab four period wow.

Both competed at Welterweight.

[Daddy T]

Both competed at Welterweight.

i see duran being at his best at lightweight and I like to think of thhe guys being at their best when doing these fantasy matchups

[Steak]

I don't think the style match-up favours Duran so readily, but in any event, size is hardly gonna be an issue for Armstrong. You could find but a handful of fighters through all of history for whom size prevents fewer barriers than Arsmtrong (perhaps the likes of Langford, Walker, or Walcott, but hardly any others).

why not? even in his mid 40s at middleweight Duran still ate smothering fighters for breakfast.

watch Armstrong's fight(s) with Lou Ambers. Ambers had a lot of success by using a short left hook and a right uppercut. Duran was actually a master of those two punches and could put them in combination, most notably shown in the Palomino fight. Ambers was a quality fighter no doubt, but Duran was on another level. If Ambers could give that kind of trouble to Hank using those weapons, Im positive Duran could do it even better.