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He was definitely not a flat footed plodder at 147 and below. He had very quick feet in fact and his footwork and movement was sublime and incredibly agile. You're thinking of his higher weight fights.
From HOF welterweight great Carlos Palomino in the Best I've Faced series Best overall: “It has to be Roberto Duran. I always had the idea that he was just a brawler. What surprised me was that the guy could really box –- going in and out, the feints, it was just a surprise to me. It impressed me how quick his shots were and how much power he had. And his movement surprised me.”
Fastest feet: “Duran. Watch him in his prime, with Ray Leonard or my fight with him. Watch him as a lightweight. He had the ability to move in and out so quickly. I’ve said that Manny Pacquiao reminds me a lot of Duran.”
Best defense: I would say Benitez and Duran (tie) again. As I said, it was like Benitez had a sixth sense, like he knew what was coming. Duran was very hard to catch also. I was trying to counter what he was doing but I couldn’t because of his quickness. They were both good defensive fighters."
You've got memories of his fights at 154 and above when the absurd weight gain did lead him to become flat footed and slow, but that was night and day compared to him at 147 and below.
People often say Pac would win at 147 because Duran was slow, plodding etc there thinking of him as an old, fat guy like when he fought Hagler, Hearns, Leonard III, Barkley, Moore etc, while forgetting he only lost one fight at 147, and that to an incredibly tall, big welterweight that is undoubtedly one of the fastest, greatest welterweights and ATGs ever, but.....he also happened to beat that same fighter with incredibly fast hands and fast footwork, his only prime loss, the like of which Pac has never seen.
At 147 Duran had more practical footwork than Pac. He used it to feint, turn, get angles and to set up counters significantly better than anyone Pac has fought or could ever fight, bar Floyd.
Anyway, it's Durans defense, feints and great counter punching would win him this fight at 147. It's this stuff that stood him above the other great offensive machines to make him a top ten ATG.
From HOF welterweight great Carlos Palomino in the Best I've Faced series Best overall: “It has to be Roberto Duran. I always had the idea that he was just a brawler. What surprised me was that the guy could really box –- going in and out, the feints, it was just a surprise to me. It impressed me how quick his shots were and how much power he had. And his movement surprised me.”
Fastest feet: “Duran. Watch him in his prime, with Ray Leonard or my fight with him. Watch him as a lightweight. He had the ability to move in and out so quickly. I’ve said that Manny Pacquiao reminds me a lot of Duran.”
Best defense: I would say Benitez and Duran (tie) again. As I said, it was like Benitez had a sixth sense, like he knew what was coming. Duran was very hard to catch also. I was trying to counter what he was doing but I couldn’t because of his quickness. They were both good defensive fighters."
You've got memories of his fights at 154 and above when the absurd weight gain did lead him to become flat footed and slow, but that was night and day compared to him at 147 and below.
People often say Pac would win at 147 because Duran was slow, plodding etc there thinking of him as an old, fat guy like when he fought Hagler, Hearns, Leonard III, Barkley, Moore etc, while forgetting he only lost one fight at 147, and that to an incredibly tall, big welterweight that is undoubtedly one of the fastest, greatest welterweights and ATGs ever, but.....he also happened to beat that same fighter with incredibly fast hands and fast footwork, his only prime loss, the like of which Pac has never seen.
At 147 Duran had more practical footwork than Pac. He used it to feint, turn, get angles and to set up counters significantly better than anyone Pac has fought or could ever fight, bar Floyd.
Anyway, it's Durans defense, feints and great counter punching would win him this fight at 147. It's this stuff that stood him above the other great offensive machines to make him a top ten ATG.
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