Roberto Duran vs. Manny Pacquiao@135

[The_Demon]

Outboxes Duran?

Man, be serious. Pac could never outbox Duran. He doesn't have anything that would seriously trouble him. At lightweight Duran's timing, speed, combination punching, counter punching and especially his defense would blow apart anything Pac would try.

Leonard was the only guy who could outbox Duran and that's because Leonard had a four inch height and an eight inch reach advantage and his jab was about ten times more effective than any jab Pac has ever thrown. Besides that, Duran was simply a much better boxer than Pac. He had a more educated jab, angles, combinations, defense, counter punching on offense or defense.

Duran would slip Pac's left without much trouble and his right hand wouldn't be enough to do anything either. If Buchanan, who is a better boxer with a better jab than Pac could ever have couldn't outbox him, there is no way Pac is doing it. Besides that though, Pac just doesn't fight that way. He is really a purely offensive fighter and Duran just doesn't lose that fight.

Pac is seriously great but there are a few styles that he just doesn't win against and Duran's style would tear Pac apart. But, to think Pac would outbox him is laughable. He isn't nearly a good enough boxer to beat a 135 Duran. He doesn't have anything that could keep Duran from getting in and Pac doesn't fight well at all going backward for an entire fight. He can't fight going backward and although few realise it, Duran was as good at countering as a pure counter puncher like Marquez. Bad fight for him.

i cant believe some people are actually saying it would be an even fight,and all they can say is 'people over-rate the guys from the past'
its ridiculous,maybe they should learn about duran before saying pacquioa would beat him,delusional idiots.

[switch44]

How dare you compare Duran to Pacquiao at 135? lol. Pacquiao has only fought once at that weight. DURAN is the king of LIGHTWEIGHTS. No one can beat a prime Duran at lightweight.

[BennyST]

i cant believe some people are actually saying it would be an even fight,and all they can say is 'people over-rate the guys from the past'
its ridiculous,maybe they should learn about duran before saying pacquioa would beat him,delusional idiots.

Yes, it's quite strange. I mean, it's not as if Duran was fighting in the '20s. The skills that he shows are simply hardly done today and quite simply, because of the amount they fought many of them actually had more skill than guys fighting today. Duran had a greater skill-set than anyone fighting today apart from Toney, Mayweather and Hopkins and it is only the type of skill you get from a huge amount of in-ring experience.

His feints, counter, slipping, defense on the inside etc are well beyond anyones today, apart from Mayweather. You just don't see those type of skills as much anymore and it has nothing to do with revering older fighter, you just need to go watch them fight. See it for yourself, they do more and have more in their bag of tricks.

Go and watch all his lightweight fights and you'll see the skill difference. It's the only reason a guy that was so small was able to hang with huge middleweights/supermiddleweights and not only not get knocked out but win all but the fights against the very best, and this is when he was in his forties and fifties.

People are amazed when a forty year old Hopkins beats guys his own size, but what about when a little guy moves up from his best days as a lightweight and fights the middleweight champion at forty and wins too? That's not amazing, that's freaking unbelievable. Or what about when he moves up and beats the future champion at 46 years old?

That just shows it has nothing to do with thinking old guys have better skills. You can see it and understand it all for yourself because when someone fights across five decades and finishes fighting in this era, he isn't old school. The only reason he was able to do that as such an old small guy was because his skills were so high. His defense, feints etc even as a fat, old man against huge, prime guys was astonishing. When he was in his prime, you could see those same skills but in him doing it in proper shape.

So, yes, I agree. I don't understand it when people say "New fighters could beat the old fighters and it's just people revering the older guys" because that has absolutely nothing to do with it. The simple fact is that during his main era in the seventies, the skills level was higher in general than it is today. The whole shoulder roll defense was in wide use and guys like Toney, Hopkins and Mayweather with those same skills were in abundance. The skill of fighters then was exactly the same, in fact it was better, and nothing has changed between then and now. Training etc is still the same.

All you have to realise is that when someone says that "you just think he's better because he's old school" they have no idea that he fought in todays era! If he was competing at the highest level in todays era against much younger, bigger guys, his skills must have been pretty damn good, and you can then understand how good he was in his prime. Again, you only need to go and watch him take apart De Jesus or Buchanan. It's in color so it can't be that old and you can see the skill level right in front of your own eyes!

[The_Demon]

Yes, it's quite strange. I mean, it's not as if Duran was fighting in the '20s. The skills that he shows are simply hardly done today and quite simply, because of the amount they fought many of them actually had more skill than guys fighting today. Duran had a greater skill-set than anyone fighting today apart from Toney, Mayweather and Hopkins and it is only the type of skill you get from a huge amount of in-ring experience.

His feints, counter, slipping, defense on the inside etc are well beyond anyones today, apart from Mayweather. You just don't see those type of skills as much anymore and it has nothing to do with revering older fighter, you just need to go watch them fight. See it for yourself, they do more and have more in their bag of tricks.

Go and watch all his lightweight fights and you'll see the skill difference. It's the only reason a guy that was so small was able to hang with huge middleweights/supermiddleweights and not only not get knocked out but win all but the fights against the very best, and this is when he was in his forties and fifties.

People are amazed when a forty year old Hopkins beats guys his own size, but what about when a little guy moves up from his best days as a lightweight and fights the middleweight champion at forty and wins too? That's not amazing, that's freaking unbelievable. Or what about when he moves up and beats the future champion at 46 years old?

That just shows it has nothing to do with thinking old guys have better skills. You can see it and understand it all for yourself because when someone fights across five decades and finishes fighting in this era, he isn't old school. The only reason he was able to do that as such an old small guy was because his skills were so high. His defense, feints etc even as a fat, old man against huge, prime guys was astonishing. When he was in his prime, you could see those same skills but in him doing it in proper shape.

So, yes, I agree. I don't understand it when people say "New fighters could beat the old fighters and it's just people revering the older guys" because that has absolutely nothing to do with it. The simple fact is that during his main era in the seventies, the skills level was higher in general than it is today. The whole shoulder roll defense was in wide use and guys like Toney, Hopkins and Mayweather with those same skills were in abundance. The skill of fighters then was exactly the same, in fact it was better, and nothing has changed between then and now. Training etc is still the same.

All you have to realise is that when someone says that "you just think he's better because he's old school" they have no idea that he fought in todays era! If he was competing at the highest level in todays era against much younger, bigger guys, his skills must have been pretty damn good, and you can then understand how good he was in his prime. Again, you only need to go and watch him take apart De Jesus or Buchanan. It's in color so it can't be that old and you can see the skill level right in front of your own eyes!

his skill set was amazing and he was tough as hell,like you said it all comes with in-ring expierience so too compare duran (possibly the best lightweight ever) with a guy who only fought at the weight once is a bit of an insult too duran imo

[-Lowkey-]

it would be a truly epic fight for the rounds it lasts but duran at 135 wow i cant pic anyone over him at that weight duran k.o mid rounds he would k.o pac at 140, 147 to

[Snuff Armstrong]

I was just watching Duran vs Esteban De Jesus on youtube..I think both of these guys would of beat Pacman.

Now that you mentioned it, I couldn't agree with you more. I too think De Jesus would give Pacquiao the business let lone Duran.

[-Antonio-]

Everyone saying Duran by easy KO is ridiculous. He wasn't some unbeatable beast at 135. A great great Lightweight, probably the best ever, but he was tested more than once and beaten as well.

[BennyST]

Everyone saying Duran by easy KO is ridiculous. He wasn't some unbeatable beast at 135. A great great Lightweight, probably the best ever, but he was tested more than once and beaten as well.

Yes, an easy KO is more or less ridiculous. They are both great, tough guys and I would say it would most likely end up a decision for Duran. If there was a KO, it would come via a body shot from Duran most likely. Pac has been hurt numerous times to the body, KO'd once from a body shot and Duran would hit him with more and harder body shots than ever before in his career, so if it did happen that would be my guess. A brutal body shot late in the fight. I would still bet on a decision though.

[hugh grant]

I dont know Durans lightweight record by memory. So he lost before at that weight? I dont know if they had p4p tables back then. But im assuming he would have been considered the best boxer on the planet p4p. Even with guys like SRL and Hearns active and in their primes at the time.

[Snuff Armstrong]

The top ten lightweights ranked when Duran reigned probably would have defeated Pacquiao.