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Back in the 70's Monroe Brooks seemed to be a welterweight on the move upward. As a young boxing fan I had my eye on him, expecting big things. He had a few spectacular wins and was a dramatic puncher. He swung so hard that when he missed he practically coiled around himself three times. He had enough gifts and skill to look like a champ in the making.
Then Duran began his run through the welterweights. Duran was not going on a cherry picking tour, so he sought the tough guys immediately upon entering the division, skipping junior welterweight altogether. He saw the deadly Brooks only as a stepping stone.
It was an all time great versus an awful good and bigger prospect with experience that night.
Brooks would have beaten most welterweights in the world at that point in his career, and that was an awful strong welterweight era about to get even stronger.
Duran mauled Brooks. It was beautiful the way he dealt with a talented bigger man. Duran was not going to be denied at all. You would be lucky to find ten welterweights in history who could have beaten the Duran of that night.
Brooks gave a decent account against this absolute cream of ATGs, but the mangling he took from Duran ended his own meteoric ascent and more or less finished him as a hot prospect and fighter. He could have gone farther no doubt had his career been managed more carefully and had he cherry picked a little more wisely.
Yet Duran had looked to be the perfect fight for him at the time, since he was about 29 and only a natural lightweight during his absolute prime. Here now in his late prime he was jumping to welter.
Before the Brooks fight, few understood yet just how great Duran was.
After (actually, during) the Brooks fight, this situation began to clear up dramatically. Duran sacrificed a hella fine fighter that night for his career--Monroe Brooks. In another era he would have gone further, but he served as a Duran stepping stone and gave a good account.
Brooks lost, was never one of the champions as he would be today, but he has more immortality than you or I.
Then Duran began his run through the welterweights. Duran was not going on a cherry picking tour, so he sought the tough guys immediately upon entering the division, skipping junior welterweight altogether. He saw the deadly Brooks only as a stepping stone.
It was an all time great versus an awful good and bigger prospect with experience that night.
Brooks would have beaten most welterweights in the world at that point in his career, and that was an awful strong welterweight era about to get even stronger.
Duran mauled Brooks. It was beautiful the way he dealt with a talented bigger man. Duran was not going to be denied at all. You would be lucky to find ten welterweights in history who could have beaten the Duran of that night.
Brooks gave a decent account against this absolute cream of ATGs, but the mangling he took from Duran ended his own meteoric ascent and more or less finished him as a hot prospect and fighter. He could have gone farther no doubt had his career been managed more carefully and had he cherry picked a little more wisely.
Yet Duran had looked to be the perfect fight for him at the time, since he was about 29 and only a natural lightweight during his absolute prime. Here now in his late prime he was jumping to welter.
Before the Brooks fight, few understood yet just how great Duran was.
After (actually, during) the Brooks fight, this situation began to clear up dramatically. Duran sacrificed a hella fine fighter that night for his career--Monroe Brooks. In another era he would have gone further, but he served as a Duran stepping stone and gave a good account.
Brooks lost, was never one of the champions as he would be today, but he has more immortality than you or I.
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