2018 Lomachenko vs 1976 Duran?

[jpspice]

My bet Is Loma can't handle Durans power. What do you think?

[gilgamesh]

Not even just a power thing. Duran would be a nightmare for him style wise too. He wouldn't be trying to outbox Loma, he'd be cutting the ring off, and beating the hell out of him...and he wouldn't be afraid to get a little dirty if need be either. It'd be a rough night for Loma.

[DrDuke]

Duran by a KO. Lomachenko can be hit, Duran knew how to do it better, than anybody. Duran would have found a lot of openings and connected with a barrage of punches.

[Enlightened-One]

I have no doubt in my mind that Roberto Duran would emerge victorious over Vasyl Lomachenko. The Ukraine has never faced anyone remotely close to being as powerful, versatile and aggressive as the Panamanian legend.

[littlepug]

Phew ! was expecting a few silly answers here. Duran would take on his mind, body and spirit and crush all 3 !

[tiny_acres]

Duran.... I'd pick him over any 135 pound fighter in history.
Someone had to be the best lightweight in history. And that was Duran

[candyslim]

I'd give Loma no chance. Aside from any other consideration, Duran is a much bigger man and while size is not always important, it certainly is when you're facing someone that is as good as you are..

[ElJefe]

I rate Lomachenko as highly as the next boxing fan, but there's no way he wins here. Duran is probably the greatest lightweight of all time. Add to that the fact that Lomachenko would be the smaller man, it would only go one way.

Duran wins, maybe by late stoppage.

[Abradolf Lincler]

Duran was bigger, stronger, a harder puncher, and a stylistic dilemma for Loma. When you factor in that he's one of few guys you could match Loma up with that equaled him technically...not a good night for the Ukrainian. I can't see him fighting to just survive, either, so he likely gets taken out somewhere around the 7th or 8th round of an entertaining scrap.

[SenorPipino]

Lomachenko would have a decent shot to score the upset, although the jury's still out as to how good he'll be at 135.

At times Linares size seemed to be getting to Lomachenko. He certainly hit Lomachenko more often than any other opponent.

But Linares has the long traditional jab that Duran didn't have, along with an all around advantage in height and reach.

Duran's smaller than Linares and wouldn't be as effective from the outside.

Would he successfully get inside? Duran's footwork was not impeccable. He could have major problems with movers.

Obviously Leonard at welter comes immediately to mind, but at 135 Duran couldn't steamroll cagey speedy guys with good footwork like Viruet, Fernandez and Bizzarro.

Duran had difficulty cutting the ring off on these slicksters.

They gave him fits at times. And were any of them as talented as Lomachenko?

As quick as the others were, did any of them have Lomachenko's footwork?

Sure Duran eventually got to them. He was the superior fighter. It's hardly impossible to suggest that he wouldn't find a way to get to Lomachenko also.

But I've always felt that speed was Duran's achilles heel. He could be a plodder.

And speed could very well be the factor that swings the matchup in Lomachenko's favor.

In and out, side to side, an array of angles could keep Duran a glowering frustrated wreck for 12 rounds (or 15 if you prefer).

He gave up against a smartly boxing Leonard. Why couldn't the same frustration set in vs. a whirling dervish in Lomachenko?

Record for record it's easy to pick Duran as the winner. He has the track record of greatness at 135.

Lomachenko only has one fight at that weight, and it certainly wasn't his greatest performance.

But fights are more than records. It's about styles and intangibles.

And if Lomachenko proves to be solid at lightweight, then I think the style and the intangibles favor him.

What I would really like to see is Lomachenko vs. prime 135 lb. Mosley. That would be fascinating.

[Abradolf Lincler]

Lomachenko would have a decent shot to score the upset, although the jury's still out as to how good he'll be at 135.

At times Linares size seemed to be getting to Lomachenko. He certainly hit Lomachenko more often than any other opponent.

But Linares has the long traditional jab that Duran didn't have, along with an all around advantage in height and reach.

Duran's smaller than Linares and wouldn't be as effective from the outside.

Would he successfully get inside? Duran's footwork was not impeccable. He could have major problems with movers.

Obviously Leonard at welter comes immediately to mind, but at 135 Duran couldn't steamroll cagey speedy guys with good footwork like Viruet, Fernandez and Bizzarro.

Duran had difficulty cutting the ring off on these slicksters.

They gave him fits at times. And were any of them as talented as Lomachenko?

As quick as the others were, did any of them have Lomachenko's footwork?

Sure Duran eventually got to them. He was the superior fighter. It's hardly impossible to suggest that he wouldn't find a way to get to Lomachenko also.

But I've always felt that speed was Duran's achilles heel. He could be a plodder.

And speed could very well be the factor that swings the matchup in Lomachenko's favor.

In and out, side to side, an array of angles could keep Duran a glowering frustrated wreck for 12 rounds (or 15 if you prefer).

He gave up against a smartly boxing Leonard. Why couldn't the same frustration set in vs. a whirling dervish in Lomachenko?

Record for record it's easy to pick Duran as the winner. He has the track record of greatness at 135.

Lomachenko only has one fight at that weight, and it certainly wasn't his greatest performance.

But fights are more than records. It's about styles and intangibles.

And if Lomachenko proves to be solid at lightweight, then I think the style and the intangibles favor him.

What I would really like to see is Lomachenko vs. prime 135 lb. Mosley. That would be fascinating.

Lomachenko's footwork, while top tier, isn't of the same mold as guys like Viruet, Bizzarro, or Fernandez. They were back foot boxers. Loma stays in range and uses angles and shifts in the pocket primarily. He can box well off the back foot, too, but it isn't his forte. That was what their style revolved around.

More to the point, Lomachenko is a far more offense oriented fighter than any of those guys. They were minimalist stick and move types. Bizzarro was an out and out runner/clincher whose main motive was survival. They were the kinds of boxers who could make a lot of top tier guys look less than stellar (Fernandez decisioned Arguello over 10 rounds with similar tactics).

Loma could opt to box and move for periods, but he wouldn't be content to simply survive the distance. It's against his nature. There would be a lot more exchanges and a lot fewer clinches with him. As exceptional as he is in the pocket, Duran was even better, especially as he'd have most of the physical advantages.

Again, not good for Loma. I think it would be a case of great little man vs great big man. A highly skilled, solid action fight for a while before the smaller man eventually succumbs.

[SenorPipino]

Well that's how you see it and it would be ridiculous to guarantee that any lightweight would beat Duran.

But I stay convinced that Lomachenko has the necessary footwork and speed to frustrate and upend Duran--- this is assuming that Lomachenko proves himself to be solid at 135.

It's too soon to say that he is. But the OP posed a hypothetical matchup and I gave a hypothetical analysis.

Let's just say that even if Duran proved too strong and solid for Lomachenko at lightweight, I feel that in a P4P matchup Lomachenko stands an even greater chance to win.

[man]

My bet Is Loma can't handle Durans power. What do you think?

[Cent0089]

I really like on boxing forums how people underestimate modern era fighters. How Hagler will annihilate GGG and Alvarez in a round, how Klitschko and Joshua does not belong in ring with Holyfield and Lewis, how Duran will steamroll Lomachenko. Considering Duran was lightweight who was able to defeat middleweights, he was savage beast. I would favor him over Lomachenko too, but Loma brings a lot on the table and he is cabable of defeating boxing legend Roberto Duran in this fantasy fight

[Tony1244]

Before Lomachenko's last fight I was less sure.

Duran beats him up maybe stops him late.

[candyslim]

I really like on boxing forums how people underestimate modern era fighters. How Hagler will annihilate GGG and Alvarez in a round, how Klitschko and Joshua does not belong in ring with Holyfield and Lewis, how Duran will steamroll Lomachenko. Considering Duran was lightweight who was able to defeat middleweights, he was savage beast. I would favor him over Lomachenko too, but Loma brings a lot on the table and he is cabable of defeating boxing legend Roberto Duran in this fantasy fight

If you want me to pick Lomachenko over one of the past greats then how about choosing a featherweight?

Even then it's no guarantee when there are feathers like Sandy Sadler or Wille Pep to name but two. Either of those guys v Loma would be a more equal comparison, although I'm unsure as to the answer, whereas with Duran I'm not.

[Heretic]

Duran is maybe the only one around that weight that I would pick to win against Loma.

I think Duran would force Loma to fight on the inside and beat him there. I don't think that Loma on the back foot could outbox Duran for the whole fight. Think about the Salido fight minus the low blows but one of the best infighters instead of Salido

With all that said I still think Loma has a chance in the fight. Hes skill set is just phenomenal

[m3304]

Duran's performance to win the Lightweight championship against
Buchanan was about a vicious fighter at his astonishing best, no
135 pounder could have beaten that Duran!

3 best ever IMO lb for lb

1) Ray Robinson
2) Roberto Duran
3) Salvatore Sanchez

[pound per pound]

Duran get a lot of love here, but he did lose to Benitez, and Laing, not to mention getting iced early by Hearns, and quitting vs. Leonard.

Duran was a great lightweight, but his best win at 135 is likely Buchanan, and I think Lomachenko would have stopped Buchanan sooner than Duran did, without a low blow as the finisher.

Duran was a bully type who had issues with speed fighters, and mental toughness issues when hit often.  He gets way too much credit for going the distance with Hagler, who looks like he bet on a points win as Hagler gave Duran way too much respect.

[SFW]

This is slowly turning into a Tales from the Crypt episode in here, wtf is going on? Duran fought for 5 decades, yet we still got people obsessed with the handful of bad days he had well above his natural size as if that's the smoking gun they can't let go. Lol. We just saw Linares, a guy who pounds on lightweights and hurts practically nobody (and has already been destroyed at his best weight), drop Loma hard and hurt him to the body in multiple rounds. You are outside your mind if you think Loma would beat Duran, the style match up ensures that basically. Loma ain't going backward all night, and he ain't even making a dent in Duran's chin. No way Loma lasts 12 either. Duran could use his head brilliantly against shorter guys, and loved the rough stuff. Loma starts complaining soon as anything touches the belt line or anywhere close to a rabbit punch, he don't like the rough stuff. Seriously, if the best argument against Duran is nit picking a few bad nights out of 40 years, that's not an argument. Just wishful thinking. I like Loma as much as the next guy, but damn.

[Impractical Poster]

Linares didn't drop Loma hard. It was a flash knockdown from Loma being overly aggressive.

While I pick Duran, it is not a foregone conclusion. I still think Loma is the better fighter. Duran would just be too big and strong for him. P4P, I think Loma is the better fighter.

[jpspice]

Linares didn't drop Loma hard. It was a flash knockdown from Loma being overly aggressive.

While I pick Duran, it is not a foregone conclusion. I still think Loma is the better fighter. Duran would just be too big and strong for him. P4P, I think Loma is the better fighter.

"Loma the better fighter" ? That's saying a lot. Did you watch Duran kick Leonard's ass ?

[Impractical Poster]

Linares didn't drop Loma hard. It was a flash knockdown from Loma being overly aggressive.

While I pick Duran, it is not a foregone conclusion. I still think Loma is the better fighter. Duran would just be too big and strong for him. P4P, I think Loma is the better fighter.

"Loma the better fighter" ? That's saying a lot. Did you watch Duran kick Leonard's ass ?

Yep.

Loma is the most complete fighter I have ever seen.

[Seathyboi]

I think a combination of Duran's size and style might be too much for Loma. As much as I love No Mas, I just can't see him beating a prime Duran.