Is Roberto Duran the best lightweight of all time?

[DELETED ACCOUNT 06]

Duh!!!?

Its Amir Khan.

Khan>Duran

[Panamaniac]

My grandfather fought Duran in panama for the WBA lightweight tittle but he was ko'd in 8th of 15

Mind devulging your grandfather's name?

[BennyST]

Mind devulging your grandfather's name?

That would be the great Hector Thompson. One of the greatest Australian lightweights. Gave Duran a very rough fight, hurting him to the body a couple of times before being taken out in the 8th round! Thompson really only lost to the best guys out there at the time. He his biggest fight against Duran and his other big shot against Cervantes unfortunately.

[BennyST]

Duh!!!?

Its Amir Khan.

Khan>Duran

Without a doubt! Amir Khan is the greatest lightweight of all time! No one can even compare. Duran is like a baby against Khan. His win over Earl was the stuff of legend and his greatest achievement!

[Panamaniac]

That would be the great Hector Thompson. One of the greatest Australian lightweights. Gave Duran a very rough fight, hurting him to the body a couple of times before being taken out in the 8th round! Thompson really only lost to the best guys out there at the time. He his biggest fight against Duran and his other big shot against Cervantes unfortunately.

Thanks for sharing that...

[boxing fanatic]

This is a rediculous thing to try to prove. And now someone claims that Hagler is the best middleweight ever? Says who? There were a lot of great middleweights, the division was probably the strongest one of them all. If Hagler (or any of them) was the best it was only by the smallest of margins.

Same with Duran. There were too many guys at lightweight who were AWESOME complete fighters. Duran also quit in the middle of a fight where he was being outboxed. I do not recall any of the other great lightweights doing this. And don't bring up that Duran was passed his prime or fighting at a higher than natural weightclass for him because heart does not fade with age. The Duran that quit versus Leonard was mentally the same as the lightweight who won the title from Ken Buchanan.

just remember that the same guy that quit against leonard is the first guy that also kicked his ass and that loss is the one that hurt the most .ha ha .!!

[Nostromo]

Is Roberto Duran the best lightweight of all time?

Duh.................................

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

YES, Duran at LW was unstopable

[StarshipTrooper]

No question in my mind Duran was the best ever at lightweight. The only two I'd put in his class were Benny Leonard and Pernell Whitaker. Duran was a complete fighter. He could outslug you or outbox you. At Lightweight his power was dominating and his chin about as good as they come. It was rare I ever saw him hurt at that weight. Duran did all the little, subtle things that win fights for you but often go unnoticed because you have to really be looking for them to see them. He'd murder you inside or take you apart brick by brick from the outside. Wrap it all up with the greatest smouldering intensity I've seen in a fighter and you have clear "best-in-weight" fighter.

Poet

[Panamaniac]

No question in my mind Duran was the best ever at lightweight. The only two I'd put in his class were Benny Leonard and Pernell Whitaker. Duran was a complete fighter. He could outslug you or outbox you. At Lightweight his power was dominating and his chin about as good as they come. It was rare I ever saw him hurt at that weight. Duran did all the little, subtle things that win fights for you but often go unnoticed because you have to really be looking for them to see them. He'd murder you inside or take you apart brick by brick from the outside. Wrap it all up with the greatest smouldering intensity I've seen in a fighter and you have clear "best-in-weight" fighter.

Poet

Intelligent and concise analysis, as usual. However, I would beg to differ on your classification of Sweet Pea. I have a personal blind spot to defense-oriented-counter-punching boxers. My bias favors fighters who run with the wolves; fighters who take the offensive initiative.

I would never rate the Benitez, the Byrds and the Whitakers of the boxing world - no matter how skillful - in the top echelon of any category, except for when the overiding criterion is defense. As for the lightweights, I would place Joe Gans in the third slot behind Duran and Leonard (Benny, that is).