Old School Experts Thought Duran Was Good Not Great

[SouthpawRight]

Nostalgia is a mofo. Based on these reviews you wouldn’t have expected Duran to have top 10 atg potential

Cus D'Amato

While Duran may have been outstanding in his time, there is no comparison with the type of opposition he faced as compared to the others.He had much fewer top class fighters to box. D’Amato listed his top nine choices of all-time lightweights, “not necessarily in order,” as Jack Blackburn, Charley White, Benny Leonard, Tony Canzoneri, Henry Armstrong, Barney Ross, Jimmy McLarnin, Joe Gans, and Kid Lavigne. In D’Amato’s opinion, Charley White and Barney Ross would have been a “toss up” with Duran. The other seven, he felt, would have beaten him.

Teddy Brenner, matchmaker and president of Madison Square Garden Boxing Department, 1959–78

“I don’t think Duran could have beaten a Billy Petrolle or a Sid Terris and they never became champions…. Duran, to me, was an exciting, colorful hard punching charismatic fighter but I think he suffered from a genuine lack of competition. While he held the title, the fighters in the lightweight division were at the lowest caliber in the division’s history, and he smartly avoided some of the better mediocrities. The best lightweights I ever saw—and their great records against great opposition will bear me out—are: Canzoneri, Armstrong, Williams, Ross, Beau Jack, Montgomery, Ambers, Jenkins and Duran. I doubt whether Duran could have survived their competition. Look at their opposition….”

Chris Dundee

Duran was a great lightweight, but I cannot compare him with Canzoneri, who was the best lightweight I ever saw. I knew (Benny) Leonard, but never saw him box, but I did see Tendler, as I’m from Philly: Ross, Williams and Armstrong would have to be rated over Duran in my book. “Duran boxed for me three times; Saoul Mamby gave him hell. Ordinary Vilomar Fernandez almost went the 15 round distance with him. Can you picture Vilomar going as many as ten rounds with Lew Jenkins, Brown or Beau Jack? Duran beat nobodies.

Jack Fiske, covered boxing for San Francisco Chronicle

When I try to place Roberto Duran in a one-to-ten listing, I can never wipe out the memory of his title defenses against Lou Bizzaro, Leonico Ortiz and Vilomar Fernandez. Bizarro lasted 14 rounds, Ortiz went the 15 round limit and Fernandez was in there until the 13th. Bizarro, without a doubt, was the most pathetic lightweight challenger in history, although a great runner. Ortiz, at the time he met Duran, had a 22–5–1 record. Fernandez, 19–5–1, had only knocked out five men. Ike Williams would have knocked out all three in one night with none of the fights going beyond three rounds. Ortiz may have taken longer, but not much longer.

The best (lightweight) fighter Duran ever met was Esteban DeJesus, who beat him one out of three. Probably on a par with DeJesus was Ken Buchanan, from whom Duran won the title on a controversial blow (fair or foul?) in the 13th round. Duran’s manager would never honor a commitment for a return bout contract with Buchanan after that.