Just How Physically Big Was Duran?

[GrandpaBernard]

He began his career at 17 years of age weighing less than 120 pounds but managed to be effective all the way up to middleweight. Was it just skill that allowed him to be that effective?

[StarshipTrooper]

He began his career at 17 years of age weighing less than 120 pounds but managed to be effective all the way up to middleweight. Was it just skill that allowed him to be that effective?

Skill and experience. He was a natural Lightweight that started to eat his way out of the division as he got older (ballooning up to well over 200 pounds between fights). A newer example would be James Toney.

Poet

[TheGreatA]

Duran was a strongly built lightweight who you felt was going to be effective even up to 147 pounds, although the question remained whether his aggressive style could have the same success against bigger men.

It was his skill and will alone that carried him up to the middleweight division (along with eating habits). He could look very out of shape at 160 pounds, in his best middleweight fights he weighed in around 154 lbs and wasn't exactly in peak physical condition.

[them_apples]

He began his career at 17 years of age weighing less than 120 pounds but managed to be effective all the way up to middleweight. Was it just skill that allowed him to be that effective?

you aren't done growing at 17, you can grow all the way till you are 19-20.

Duran was a big and strong lightweight, big skull, broad shoulders. When he moved up to WW he fit in nicely.

He got by on skill and a rock hard chin.

[Anthony342]

How can someone turn pro at 17? What's the youngest age someone can become a pro boxer? I heard Barrera and Chavez were 15 when they had their first pro fights?

[StarshipTrooper]

How can someone turn pro at 17? What's the youngest age someone can become a pro boxer? I heard Barrera and Chavez were 15 when they had their first pro fights?

Wilfred Benitez won a championship at 17.....over an ATG champion to boot.

Poet

[Scott9945]

How can someone turn pro at 17? What's the youngest age someone can become a pro boxer? I heard Barrera and Chavez were 15 when they had their first pro fights?

Lots of Mexican boxers start in their mid teens. Pipino Cuevas and Antonio Margarito are two others.

[forget]

Duran made up for his lack of size with skill and
Machismo, alot of both!

[New England]

size is what it brings you in a boxing match

size is what it affords you

duran did not have a huge frame even at LW. it was big, but he's not ali funeka.

he did have what his size afforded him, though. a great chin and a great punch.


the man had zero business fighting at MW. zero. he didnt grow into the division. he basically ate his way there. it was a great chin and cuteness that allowed him to compete with such larger men. he also carried enough punch to get a man's attention. he wobbled iran barkley, one of the biggest MW, and he even got the respect of marvin hagler, a career MW with an iron chin.


he would have certainly had the ability to become a legitimate welterweight given his size.

when he was a LW and smashing everybody he was young.


tape dont lie, either
he was 5'7"ish with a 66 inch reach according to the boxrec. i thought he looked longer than that from his LW footage, but the tape generally doesnt lie. sometimes people fudge with the numbers.

[New England]

you aren't done growing at 17, you can grow all the way till you are 19-20.

Duran was a big and strong lightweight, big skull, broad shoulders. When he moved up to WW he fit in nicely.

He got by on skill and a rock hard chin.

muscular men and men with large bones actually gain weight naturally all the way into their early 30's. everybody hits the man strength years in his early 20's. perhaps once in a blue moon you'll find a small guy who has peaked physically by 20 years old, but it's pretty rare.

just check out all your friends in your high school yearbook. lots are fat now, sure, but even the fit ones are tens of lbs bigger.