SRL-Duran 1

[MoneyMay1]

I have a question. I know in the SRL-Duran 1 fight, that Duran was moving up in weight to face SRL. My question is.. Why did SRL fight such a ****** fight? He did not try to use his God given talent and speed in this fight. I guess he thought he could just stand there and trade?

He proved in the rematch that he was the superior fighter. Why in the world did Ray not fight like that in the first fight? I will never understand this.

[Shadows]

I have a question. I know in the SRL-Duran 1 fight, that Duran was moving up in weight to face SRL. My question is.. Why did SRL fight such a ****** fight? He did not try to use his God given talent and speed in this fight. I guess he thought he could just stand there and trade?

He proved in the rematch that he was the superior fighter. Why in the world did Ray not fight like that in the first fight? I will never understand this.

Duran got in his head, and forced him to fight. It's not easy when the other guy, Duran, calls your girl a ho.

In the next fight, SRL do a reverse and sort of got in Duran's head. Duran quit because really, he thought it was a joke, and told the ref he didn't want to fight the clown (SRL) anymore. Plus, SRL stated he wanted to have a quick rematch because at the time, Duran was startubg to blow up in between fights.

I gotta say though, I think you're slighting Duran just a bit. You can argue that SRL is better, but Duran was pretty ****in talented.

[Thread Stealer]

Duran had left 135 two years before.

Duran played some mental games on Leonard, and was all over Leonard as well.

Leonard usually didn't dance around like he did in the rematch and against Hagler. He was generally a flat-footed boxer, but had the great ability to adjust and box on his toes.

He probably should've tried it a couple rounds into the fight in Montreal, as Duran was winning in the exchanges up close, although it's easier said than done.

[MoneyMay1]

Duran got in his head, and forced him to fight. It's not easy when the other guy, Duran, calls your girl a ho.

In the next fight, SRL do a reverse and sort of got in Duran's head. Duran quit because really, he thought it was a joke, and told the ref he didn't want to fight the clown (SRL) anymore. Plus, SRL stated he wanted to have a quick rematch because at the time, Duran was startubg to blow up in between fights.

I gotta say though, I think you're slighting Duran just a bit. You can argue that SRL is better, but Duran was pretty ****in talented.

I'm not running Duran down. I know he's a great fighter, and I have him tied with Chavez of being the greatest Latino fighter that ever lived.

[Shadows]

I'm not running Duran down. I know he's a great fighter, and I have him tied with Chavez of being the greatest Latino fighter that ever lived.

Got ya. I read the last part out of context.

[Steak]

people seem to forget that Leonard did try to keep Duran off with his jab part way into the fight...but Duran kept countering the jab with his right hand, so Leonard gave up on it.

Duran was a different type of pressure fighter. he didnt really cut the ring off as much as other pressure fighters, but more stalked his way in, and forced his opponent to throw so that he could counter. either that counter would land or Duran would use his foward momentum to get the fight at close range. either way, a plus for Duran.

[The Noose]

Maybe Leonard thought being the bigger man he could take Duran out.

He admits to being hurt in the 2nd round and only getting his head together a few rounds later. Maybe by then it was too late to change his style.


I give a lot of credit to Leonrad for trying to out fight the fighter. Im not sure he knew how good Duran was on the inside until that night.
Leonard is the type of fighter that always wanted to prove himself.
He wasnt content to win a comfortable UD like PBF. He would go for the KO.

One of my favourite fights.

[BennyST]

I have a question. I know in the SRL-Duran 1 fight, that Duran was moving up in weight to face SRL. My question is.. Why did SRL fight such a ****** fight? He did not try to use his God given talent and speed in this fight. I guess he thought he could just stand there and trade?

He proved in the rematch that he was the superior fighter. Why in the world did Ray not fight like that in the first fight? I will never understand this.

I think you need to watch more Leonard. He always fought like that. The big myth about this fight is that Ray fought a different fight than usual. He absolutely did not. Go watch his fights and you'll understand. He fought as he always did but just had a guy that could negate a lot of things he had always been able to get in, like his jab and his flurrying combinations. None of them worked.

The rematch was the anomaly. In all his fights up to the Duran and after, apart from Duran 2 and Hagler fight, he fought the same way he did in the first Duran fight.

That was Leonard's style. He just got beaten by someone that was better at it than him and so he changed it up in the rematch and won. Simple as that. He also did use his jab often but it was ineffective. Not only was it being countered but it was also being neutralised by Duran's own jab and his ability to slip and counter so well.

[BennyST]

Maybe Leonard thought being the bigger man he could take Duran out.

He admits to being hurt in the 2nd round and only getting his head together a few rounds later. Maybe by then it was too late to change his style.


I give a lot of credit to Leonrad for trying to out fight the fighter. Im not sure he knew how good Duran was on the inside until that night.
Leonard is the type of fighter that always wanted to prove himself.
He wasnt content to win a comfortable UD like PBF. He would go for the KO.

One of my favourite fights.

That's another good point. Maybe by the time he thought "I can't win this way. Let's change it up" he had already been ****** up to the body too much and just didn't have the legs to keep moving. Either way, he fought the same fight he had in nearly every single fight up to that point in his career. The rematch, Duran 3 and the Hagler are the exceptions, not the first Duran fight.

[black.ink]

He chose to fight Duran at the right time in the second fight. Duran was still in party-mode from beating SRL in the first fight, and he was treated like a king in Panama, Leonard made a huge offer, and Duran had to cut a lot of weight in a short period. The rest is history.

Duran was the smarter man in the first fight, Leonard was smarter the second. Both fights were won before both men entered the ring.