was Roberto Duran really that great?

[wpink1]

I do apply the same standard to floyd and Chavez and Leonard. I will break it down like this. Duran is one of the greats, so is Chavez, so is Mayweather, Leonard etc... I have viewed Duran in action during his prime. I simply do not think beating the fighters he beat at lightweight, allows us to automatically assign Roberto Duran as better than any other fighter that ever lived, especially when we see the repeated ass whipping he got when he traveld north at the age of 29. You say judge Mayweather the same, Mayweather is undefeated at Lightweight, and jr welter, and welter an super welterweight.
Duran lost at lighweight, welter super welter.. all by the age of 33....And still round 1/3 of the fights he fought at lightweight after becoming a champion were a joke,,and you can not find fighters on Mayweather or leonard resume after they became champions that have records of 1-4.

[Wiley Hyena]

I do apply the same standard to floyd and Chavez and Leonard. I will break it down like this. Duran is one of the greats, so is Chavez, so is Mayweather, Leonard etc... I have viewed Duran in action during his prime. I simply do not think beating the fighters he beat at lightweight, allows us to automatically assign Roberto Duran as better than any other fighter that ever lived, especially when we see the repeated ass whipping he got when he traveld north at the age of 29. You say judge Mayweather the same, Mayweather is undefeated at Lightweight, and jr welter, and welter an super welterweight.
Duran lost at lighweight, welter super welter.. all by the age of 33....And still round 1/3 of the fights he fought at lightweight after becoming a champion were a joke,,and you can not find fighters on Mayweather or leonard resume after they became champions that have records of 1-4.

No...you are clearly not applying the same standard because you see some fighters with losing records on Duran's resume. This is comparing apples to oranges. Who cares if Duran lost one fight out of 71 at lightweight? That's still 71 fights. Twice as many as Floyd's whole career and in a time when boxers' records were not groomed as they are today. Mayweather cannot compare to Duran at lightweight and that was Floyd's most dominant phase. After Castillo II (135) Floyd fought 5 absolute bums in a row, skipped fighting the true champ of 140 in Tszyu, and then has cherry picked and ran from crap after that.

You're a statitician and I very seriously doubt that you saw Duran in his prime at all. I'll give you Ray Leonard, even though he did lose to Duran, but mentioning Floyd in the same breath with Duran is suspect. When Floyd moves up to middleweight and defeats a fighter of the caliber of Iran Barkley, then we can start talking about Floyd as being in the same ball park with Duran. However, I'm absolutely sure that will never happen. I suspect you are too.

[5burowz]

I just got some new fights into
my collection. I got the one with
Roberto Duran against Tommy Herns.
My uncle keeps saying Duran was so great.
I saw the tape when Duran quit against Sugar
Ray too. Now seeing Tommy Herns knock him out
with one punch. Why do people keep saying Duran
is so great especially old people.

Yes, he really was that great, and I'll give you just one reason why he was so great:

He started his career at 118lbs. and his last fight was at 175lbs. He climbed weight divisions and continued to win as he rose in weight. The guy was a freak.

[them_apples]

No...you are clearly not applying the same standard because you see some fighters with losing records on Duran's resume. This is comparing apples to oranges. Who cares if Duran lost one fight out of 71 at lightweight? That's still 71 fights. Twice as many as Floyd's whole career and in a time when boxers' records were not groomed as they are today. Mayweather cannot compare to Duran at lightweight and that was Floyd's most dominant phase. After Castillo II (135) Floyd fought 5 absolute bums in a row, skipped fighting the true champ of 140 in Tszyu, and then has cherry picked and ran from crap after that.

A lot of dodging went on back then to, don't kid yourself. A fighter can't fight everyone.

Duran was a good fighter no doubt, be like all old fighter he get's over rated to the extreme by old fans.

Fighters back in the day sometimes had 3 fights per month, but nowadays we have health checks which won't allow this. Still, every fighter spars every day so it's no difference.

[SkillspayBills]

Flawed analysis. Many of Floyd's opponents that you listed were just bums with padded records themselves. Bruseles for instance 21-2-1, was an overrated punching bag. Anybody that watches boxing knows that. Back in Duran's day, fighter's records were not nearly as groomed as they are today.

Furthermore, Duran had over 100 fights during his career. Mayweather had 38and retired. Much greater percentage of bums on Floyd's resume than on Duran's, IMO.

Duran >> Floyd. Absolutely no comparison.

Times are different you may never see a 100 fight fighter ever again, especially one of Floyd's caliber. Mayweather fights in MEGA fights. These fights take 4-6 months to promote AT THE LEAST. That means you can only see him fight twice a year even though he wants to fight much more it just isn't possible.

[wpink1]

When have i ever said Mayweather is as good as Duran, even though I think that his style would cause Duran all sorts of fits at any weight. Mayweather is better defensivly than Leonard ever was, and would not go toe to toe with Duran. I do think Duran would be more dominant than mayweather would be. You say I am a statitician..Does that poition pay good money...LOL

I think you have to look at the facts when objectively discussing these fighters, then add in subjective reasoning. Also your right that 70-1 is all time great...That is not my point, my point again is look at the quality of fights Duran had...lets say this from the time Duran beat Ken Buchanon..and yes I watched duran during this time.... he was fabulous, dominat, very quick and had great defense..The total package..but he was not invincible....he could be beaten by a boxer. From the time duran became a champion he faced 22 fighter who had records that ranged form 0-3 to 18-6-2.... This was during his peak years, at his peak weight, not tune ups..Simple fighters that Duran had no business scheduling a boxing match with, and these fights have to be factored in when people are hyping up all this praise on durans lighteight record...... You do not see these type of fights on most other modern fightrs. If they did, you would have a new website blasting leonard or Maywether for scheduling a fight with a figher with a record of 1-4.

I never hear anyone discussing that,or how Duran got beaten repeatedly when he moved north. Duran fans cant and wont discuss it becasue it is factual, the only thing they attempt to say is that Duran was past his peak, but the they go on to review Chavez's Leonard etc for fights they had at the same ages....Chavez had 100 fights too, Leonard had 150 amateur fights....Duran is not some god he simply is a great fighter and a top pound per pounder but is not what you all make him up to be.

[Wiley Hyena]

When have i ever said Mayweather is as good as Duran, even though I think that his style would cause Duran all sorts of fits at any weight. Mayweather is better defensivly than Leonard ever was, and would not go toe to toe with Duran. I do think Duran would be more dominant than mayweather would be. You say I am a statitician..Does that poition pay good money...LOL

I think you have to look at the facts when objectively discussing these fighters, then add in subjective reasoning. Also your right that 70-1 is all time great...That is not my point, my point again is look at the quality of fights Duran had...lets say this from the time Duran beat Ken Buchanon..and yes I watched duran during this time.... he was fabulous, dominat, very quick and had great defense..The total package..but he was not invincible....he could be beaten by a boxer. From the time duran became a champion he faced 22 fighter who had records that ranged form 0-3 to 18-6-2.... This was during his peak years, at his peak weight, not tune ups..Simple fighters that Duran had no business scheduling a boxing match with, and these fights have to be factored in when people are hyping up all this praise on durans lighteight record...... You do not see these type of fights on most other modern fightrs. If they did, you would have a new website blasting leonard or Maywether for scheduling a fight with a figher with a record of 1-4.

I never hear anyone discussing that,or how Duran got beaten repeatedly when he moved north. Duran fans cant and wont discuss it becasue it is factual, the only thing they attempt to say is that Duran was past his peak, but the they go on to review Chavez's Leonard etc for fights they had at the same ages....Chavez had 100 fights too, Leonard had 150 amateur fights....Duran is not some god he simply is a great fighter and a top pound per pounder but is not what you all make him up to be.

I'm not making him out to be a "god." No fighter in history is a "god." I haven't checked the stats in a while, but unless I'm mistaken, Duran fought 4 or 5 fights a year at lightweight. Don't undervalue the fact that he was busy. I don't think Leonard was that busy. Mayweather is two fights a year at most.

But, in the end we have facts. IN Duran we're talking about a guy who started around 120 lbs and after his prime beat Iran Barkley at middlewieght. (the same Barkley that destroyed Hearns twice). That's astounding. You want to talk about Duran's losses after his prime. OK, fine. But, do you think I could degrade Duran for getting KOd by Hearns or quitting against Leonard. I cannot. This is like Mannie Paquiou going thru the ranks to eventually become middleweight champion of the world. Unheard of!

[F.O.S]

Roberto Duran is p4p the greatest fighter of all time.

His weight range and ability to fight in these ranges make him one one of the all time greats !

[col Blake]

simple answer is yes he was.

[wpink1]

Duran was so good he quit, got knocked out, beaten,,,smacked around by fighters all before he was 33..I think not...he was simply a great fighter no where near a Ali, or a Robinson. You all talk about he was able to go up in weight and win...hmmm but you leave out the repeated ass kickings he got...