The Legacy of the great Roberto Duran

[elmersalsa]

What would the great Roberto Duran's legacy would be if he would have retired after the 1st Sugar Ray Leonard fight?

What if Duran would have retired and never come back to fight after the "No Mas" fight? Would he be one of the all-time top 10 greatest fighters in people's minds?
Would've been certainly a hall of fame boxer if stayed retired at that point?

It seems to me by looking his career, that he had 2 eras. Before 1980 with Leonard and after "The No Mas" in 1980 Duran was never the same boxer.

[SUGARRAYSMELEE]

I think, in general he would have been seen in a much better light in if he had retired after beating Leonard. To the common sports fan, Duran is the guy who uttered "No mas" and is viewed by them as a quitter. I think even sub consciously, boxing aficionados don't give Duran all the credit he deserves because of that fight. He seems to have been somewhat forgotten by many which is a shame. Duran would easily have been voted in to the HOF even if he lost to Leonard. As a matter of fact, he makes the HOF without even having to face Leonard, by the time he fought Leonard in 1980, he had been dominating the lightweight division for over 10 years and had not lost for 8 years. His record shows that he was more dominant than even the great Benny Leonard at LW.

Yes, he would have been a certain HOF if he retired after "no mas", but if he hadn't come back and redeemed himself somewhat with thrilling victories and fights he lost, his reputation would be even more tarnished than it is today.

Duran is always on the top 10 fighters of all time on most lists, ESPN has him as #6 on their 50 greatest boxers ever, Ber Sugar has him as #8 on his list of the 100 greatest fighters, and 'The Ring' has him as #5 on their 80 greatest fighters of the last 80 years published in 2002, and in 1999 the Associated Press ranked him as the greatest LW of the century. Additionally,'The Ring' also has Duran # 28 on their list of the 100 greatest punchers of all time.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Then what would Duran fans do with their spare time? Their whole existence appears built on peddling their man's literally endless list of excuses for this loss & that.

Really, this thread is a symptom of the sickness which is Duran-love, & how deep-seated it is (particularly among those of a certain vintage). Let's all get around & circle-jerk about how perfect Duran would look had he retired at just the right moment --- that's what this useless exercise is aimed at.

[Diamond WEAPON]

To be honest, I think Duran's post-Leonard resume only helps his case historically because he proved that even as he got fat and old and continuously fought much more muscular and stronger foes that he could still operate at the elite level thanks to his DEEP well of Boxing skill.

Leonard simply outboxed Duran in that rematch, there houldn't be any excuses. I mean just the fact that the obviously smaller Duran could manage to beat a guy as good as Leonard essentially in his prime is a big deal, but even with each man at their best you'd be hard pressed to argue Duran beats Leonard more often than the other way around because SRL was very tricky and well rounded.

Hell, you could make an excuse for Leonard losing the first fight as him choosing to fight incorrectly. Just look at DLH-Vargas for a recent example. Oscar looked to be in for a rough night as Vargas bullied him around early but once he adjusted and got up on his toes he pot-shotted El Feroz into oblivion.

[bennie]

Duran is real. He failed as we all fail, but he came back and reached the heights again. People like Tyson, too, because he is real.

[Ezzard]

Duran proved he was a great fighter at 135 and at 147.

But his post "No Mas" career takes him to another level. How many times did we wish he'd retire only for him to come back and pull off an amazing result?

I didn't really like him as a kid. He seemed rude and unsporting. But I've grown to love that side of him. The end of the Hagler fight with him standing there shouting for more... Getting up from Hearns's bombs and continuing to swing...

I've watched boxing change. Too many fighters and fans are obsessed with not losing, tilting the odds in their favour... Promoters and TV deciding who they want to win logn before the fight occurs.

Duran just fought for the most money irrespective of the risk. I admire him for that.

Coming back from such a shameful defeat is a big plus for him.

[Ambling Alp]

I guess this is what I don't get: You say he is rude and unsporting, and that you grown to love that side of him. Why? Those are not admirable traits.

[yancey]

"No mas" will always leave me queasy about Duran.

[Ezzard]

You’ve got one guy from a poor country. He’s being rude to superstars of the sport who have had advantages he hasn’t had in life.

For the 1980s he fought bigger men and still continued with his bravado.

Compare that to a fighter from the world’s richest nation. He’s adored by the media to the point that governing bodies will bend and break their rules to give him what he wants.

And there were many reports of poor behaviour outside of the ring. He was just more calculating on camera.

I can’t admire a man’s glory (as much) if he’s had the deck loaded in his favour…

But guys like Duran, Hearns and Leonard are all the better because of one another. I love all three of them and feel like they were huge stars I was privileged to have lived through their era.

[Ambling Alp]

How poor a country is should not be a factor whether you like someone.There are good people that grow up poor and bad people that grew up poor. Duran has shown time and time again that he was the latter.
Almost every fighter (Leonard included) did not grow up with a silver spoon in his mouth,not in the US or anywhere.

You should not blame Leonard for getting the title shot with Haler. This is hardly the first time that the #1 contender got passed over. Blame the governing bodies and/or Hagler.
Leonard knew how to look good in front of the camera? Come on. You can't be in fron t the limelight for that long (30 plus years) and fake it.

The decked was stacked in Leonard's favor is BS.
He probably beat more top 10 contenders than anyone before he ever got a title shot.
He lost almost five years of his prime becasue of his eye problems. Most people in his position would not have come back.
Yet he still manged to squeeze in 3 fights with Duran, 2 with Hearns, one with Halger and one with Benitez.

Duran is a curious choice to admire. Leonard is a curious choice to be ripping so often.

[elmersalsa]

How poor a country is should not be a factor whether you like someone.There are good people that grow up poor and bad people that grew up poor. Duran has shown time and time again that he was the latter.
Almost every fighter (Leonard included) did not grow up with a silver spoon in his mouth,not in the US or anywhere.

You should not blame Leonard for getting the title shot with Haler. This is hardly the first time that the #1 contender got passed over. Blame the governing bodies and/or Hagler.
Leonard knew how to look good in front of the camera? Come on. You can't be in fron t the limelight for that long (30 plus years) and fake it.

The decked was stacked in Leonard's favor is BS.
He probably beat more top 10 contenders than anyone before he ever got a title shot.
He lost almost five years of his prime becasue of his eye problems. Most people in his position would not have come back.
Yet he still manged to squeeze in 3 fights with Duran, 2 with Hearns, one with Halger and one with Benitez.

Duran is a curious choice to admire. Leonard is a curious choice to be ripping so often.

Leonard got whupped by a lightweight.

[elmersalsa]

How poor a country is should not be a factor whether you like someone.There are good people that grow up poor and bad people that grew up poor. Duran has shown time and time again that he was the latter.
Almost every fighter (Leonard included) did not grow up with a silver spoon in his mouth,not in the US or anywhere.

You should not blame Leonard for getting the title shot with Haler. This is hardly the first time that the #1 contender got passed over. Blame the governing bodies and/or Hagler.
Leonard knew how to look good in front of the camera? Come on. You can't be in fron t the limelight for that long (30 plus years) and fake it.

The decked was stacked in Leonard's favor is BS.
He probably beat more top 10 contenders than anyone before he ever got a title shot.
He lost almost five years of his prime becasue of his eye problems. Most people in his position would not have come back.
Yet he still manged to squeeze in 3 fights with Duran, 2 with Hearns, one with Halger and one with Benitez.

Duran is a curious choice to admire. Leonard is a curious choice to be ripping so often.

Leonard barely lost to a former lightweight and then made him quit in the second fight.

Fixed

NO, Leonard as bigger and faster and younger got whupped by a smaller overweight lightweight. Leonard was fighting for survival in the first fight. Second fight? Leonard would have won the fight ANYWAY even if he would have gone toe to toe with Duran that night. In the second fight Duran looked LETHARGIC AND SLOW. This is by Duran's own fault for not to come in the greatest of shape.