Roberto Duran, what if?

[NYDominican]

On June 20, 1980, Roberto Duran fought Sugar Ray Leonard. Roberto beat Sugar Ray by a 15 round unanimous decision.

Had Duran retired for good right after this fight. ------------

1. What do you think Roberto's all time rank would have been in the Welterweight Division?


2. What do you think Roberto Duran's all time rank would have been in boxing's "Pound for Pound" category.



Please explain.

[Kalan]

Obviously if Duran retired after beating Leonard he would have an extremely high ranking with his 72-1 record..

Having knocked his only conqueror out in both their rematch and rubbermatch he'd seem almost invincible... Especially because Leonard went on to beat Hearns and Hagler.. Obviously Leonard didn't do himself any favors by fighting Terry Norris and then Hector Camacho 6 years later.. WTF was he thinking with the Camacho fight??? I suppose he was thinking money and maybe he needed it.

If Leonard retired before the Norris fight and Duran retired after the 1st Leonard fight -- Duran would be the only fighter to beat Ray Leonard.

And he would have beaten every one of his 71 opponents... No dominant World Champion has ever done that for that many fights.

On the other hand what if Luis Ramon Campas landed that left hook in the 2nd round on Felix Trinidad a little harder and more accurately -- and instead of scoring a solid knockdown, knocked him out cold... and then quit at 57-0... You can imagine all kinds of scenarios in hindsight.

[Counter-puncher]

yeah, just imagine how people would view Yory Boy Campas if he'd retired after Tito.

[Kalan]

But if he had retired after Leonard 1 there would be a fair argument to rank him 1st.

[Seamus]

What if Chavez retired before the Whitaker fight ? What if Ezzard Charles retired after defending the HW title against Maxim ? What if Nino Benvenuti hadn't been robbed blind in Seoul and retired after the 1st Griffith fight ?

[elmersalsa]

The Hands of Stone would have been into serious consideration of the best boxer of all time with Sugar Ray Robinson and Henry Armstrong. He blew it all away with the "No Mas" fight.

Still, he redeemed himself and is one of boxing's top 5 pound per pound of all time by many fans and boxing writers alike. How can't he? Look at his amazing career and there is none other. Roberto Duran in my view, is the best fighter of the last 50 years.

[elmersalsa]

The Hands of Stone would have been into serious consideration of the best boxer of all time with Sugar Ray Robinson and Henry Armstrong. He blew it all away with the "No Mas" fight.

The above is complete nonsense perpetrated by Murican fans and media, for one simple reason. It helps to diminish the unpalatable reality that Duran beat their super hero in the fight that was originally billed as something like the " Superfight " but has now been demoted to the " Brawl in Montreal "

Are you seriously going to tell me these cretins KNEW it would be a BRAWL before a punch was even thrown? Don't believe everything you read, especially if it emanates from America. These morons would have you believe the original fight was a mistake that didn't actually happen, and the rematch was all that really mattered. It is much like the myths that John Wayne single handedly dealt with the savage ( Injuns ), and Audie Murphy won WW2.

Anyone who can create comic book heroes called Superman, or Batman, should never be taken seriously, even though themselves believe in such tripe.

Spot on. American media always wanted to imply some versions of any fight. Especially when their superstar got whupped the way The Hands of Stone beat him, saying it was a "close fight". Close fight my ass! Their superstar got whupped soundly and often.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

He'd rank the same at welterweight. It's a stacked division, maybe top 25-30. Could be higher, he has two huge wins there. Hearns doesnt. All time I think he'd be slightly lower than he is now. Still top 15.

[Kalan]

The Hands of Stone would have been into serious consideration of the best boxer of all time with Sugar Ray Robinson and Henry Armstrong. He blew it all away with the "No Mas" fight.

Still, he redeemed himself and is one of boxing's top 5 pound per pound of all time by many fans and boxing writers alike. How can't he? Look at his amazing career and there is none other. Roberto Duran in my view, is the best fighter of the last 50 years.

Henry Armstrong is nowhere... How can anyone who lost so often, and fought so many patsies nobody ever heard of, be among the best?

Particularly when he fouled out of fights and fouled about 10 times a minute.

[elmersalsa]

The Hands of Stone would have been into serious consideration of the best boxer of all time with Sugar Ray Robinson and Henry Armstrong. He blew it all away with the "No Mas" fight.

Still, he redeemed himself and is one of boxing's top 5 pound per pound of all time by many fans and boxing writers alike. How can't he? Look at his amazing career and there is none other. Roberto Duran in my view, is the best fighter of the last 50 years.

Henry Armstrong is nowhere... How can anyone who lost so often, and fought so many patsies nobody ever heard of, be among the best?

Particularly when he fouled out of fights and fouled about 10 times a minute.

Henry Armstrong, to me, is the best fighter that boxing ever seen in everyone's lifetime. What he did in boxing could never be matched.

[Kalan]

I was more than matched by Manny Pacquiao who started as a Light-Flyweight and won World Titles up to Jr. Middleweight.

Armstrong outgrew the Featherweight Class and never tried to defend that title when he went to Lightweight... Then he outgrew Lightweight and went to Welterweight... He basically beat another Lightweight in Barney Ross who was on his last legs and ready to retire anyway.

Armstrong fought a Welterweight for the so called "Middleweight Title" that was only recognized in California.. It was a fraud on the public... He had referees who were on the take... Paid not to call fouls on Armstrong or foul him out... He was allowed to shoulder, head butt, and shove his opponents all over the ring... He lost 21 fights cuz certain boxers like Beau Jack gave his fouls right back to Armstrong and beat him.

Baby Arizmendi beat Armstrong twice... Fritzie Zivic beat Armstrong twice... Willie Joyce beat Armstrong twice... Plus he stunk vs Robinson

[elmersalsa]

I was more than matched by Manny Pacquiao who started as a Light-Flyweight and won World Titles up to Jr. Middleweight.

Armstrong outgrew the Featherweight Class and never tried to defend that title when he went to Lightweight... Then he outgrew Lightweight and went to Welterweight... He basically beat another Lightweight in Barney Ross who was on his last legs and ready to retire anyway.

Armstrong fought a Welterweight for the so called "Middleweight Title" that was only recognized in California.. It was a fraud on the public... He had referees who were on the take... Paid not to call fouls on Armstrong or foul him out... He was allowed to shoulder, head butt, and shove his opponents all over the ring... He lost 21 fights cuz certain boxers like Beau Jack gave his fouls right back to Armstrong and beat him.

Baby Arizmendi beat Armstrong twice... Fritzie Zivic beat Armstrong twice... Willie Joyce beat Armstrong twice... Plus he stunk vs Robinson

The great Henry Armstrong jumped from featherweight to welterweight and then went down to lightweight, kalan. He is the ONLY FIGHTER THAT I KNOW, that is ranked all time in the top ten at those divisions mentioned.

[Kalan]

You're the dumbest nut out there Old-and-moldie... Louis and Pep were great all around boxers... Robinson, Ali, and Armstrong were punchable myths who suffered 45 losses... Pep and Louis defended themselves better and had 14 losses.. so less than a 3rd as many losses.. If Pep hadn't been nearly killed in a plane crash he'd only have like 3 or 4 losses in 241 fights... He had 1 loss in his first 110 fights before the crash.