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We have a lot of discussion on new Orleans but how did the underdog duran win this entertaining fight? Prior to the fight Durans performances at welter were uneven.
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Duran won because pre-fight his trash talk got under ray's skin and made him angry... Leonard was determined to go out and beat down duran, but in reality it fell right into duran's plan.. Leonard standing and trading was exactly what duran wanted.. Leonard performed great and proved his toughness, but he wasn't beating Duran in a brawling fight..
Leonard learned and in the 2nd fight, easily schooled duran behind the jab, speed and movement.. Had leonard done that the first fight, there would be no rematch and duran's ATG status would be diminished -
You see these types of style matches throughout the years,,
Roy-toney
Floyd-marquez
But floyd and roy didn't make the mistake of sitting in the inside and standing toe to toe..
Leonard could have easily outpointed Duran had he just boxed from the outside, but he got suckered into a fire fight and got beat by Duran..
Had roy or floyd stood toe 2 toe with toney and marquez, those fights would have had drastically different resultsComment
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sugar Adam have you read Leonards bookComment
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I believe the one I had was titled the fight. I guess the reason I bring this up is although I agree with you that roberto got under Leonards skin during the pre fight build up. Leonard admits duran hurt him badly in the second causing him to hold on and expressed that he held on to clear his head for two to three rounds. He has stated in his career when asked who hurt him through out his career his answer was duran,hearns and Marcos geroldo. Duran hurt him from the outside. People do not give duran credit for his versatility.Comment
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I'm not trying to discredit Duran, just that in the 2nd fight, leonard showed he could outbox Duran... Yes he wouldn't dominate every round, and a great fighter like Duran is going to have his moments, it's just that leonard got to fight his fight and used great ring generalship unlike the first fight when he was content to just stand and trade...
And no I don't believe I read that book but I will look for itComment
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And I'da been champ myself if'n I'da...
Like someone ran to the dressing room for a glove in Ali Cooper I, Leonard trounced Duran is an observational myth. Duran/Leonard II was very close up until the time Duran quit. This is what happens in a fight with not much action. The only thing Leonard did was make it a very close fight again of a different nature.
People who think Leonard trounced Duran need better vision. It was in no way a trouncing and in no way a runaway.
His Mayweather tactics provided a bum fight and a bum win, further confounding the issue of who was better once Duran quit, since the fight was indeed, upon inspection, well contested.
It was not Leonard's tactics which so frustrated Duran but his change of tactics from the first fight.
He expected the kind of fight they had in Montreal. He turned into a brainless brat when he did not get his way. If those same tactics had been emplyed by Leonard in Montreal Duran would have expected them. Even if he didn't, he would have fought with renewed fury against this upstart and I still think we would have seen a close fight in which he would never, ever, ever quit.Comment
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Duran hurt Leonard with a left hook in the second and thats what changed the fight for Leonard!
The second fight was Duran not being physically ready due to Leonards management catching Duran not prepared properly which became his M.O.
from that fight on. Thats why Brown & Arcel departed, when it was time to
"feed off the top" and take the money contracts for the sake of the purse alone his team begged off. Arcel & Brown were like that, they were pro's!
Duran later picked up every penny he could at his own expense at times.
RayComment
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