Roberto Duran, what if?

[NYDominican]

Most of the posters on Box Rec consider Roberto Duran as being the greatest lightweight boxer of all time.

1. How do you think that Roberto would have done against these top lightweights. -------

Joe Gans, Battling Nelson, Benny Leonard, Tony Canzoneri, Ike Williams, Beau Jack, Bob Montgomery, Sammy Angott, Willie Joyce, Lou Ambers, Jose Luis Ramirez, Edwin Rosario, and Julio Cesar Chavez?



2. How do you think that Duran would have done against these top welterweights. ----------

Henry Armstrong, Barney Ross, Carmen Basilio, Chuck Davey, Fritzie Zivic, Kid Gavilan, Gil Turner, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Pernell Whitaker?

[Scypion]

I think that Duran beats them all except Robinson and maybe Gavilan.

[HomicideHenry]

The only guys I see giving him problems or beating him was Armstrong, Robinson, Whitaker, Chavez and Gavilan.

[Duran1970]

Armstrong
Robinson

[Ambling Alp II]

At lightweight, Gans and Leonard would be even fights; could go either way.
Canzoneri, Williams, Jack, Montgomery, Angott, Ambers, and Chavez would be tough fights, and occasionally he would lose to them.
He would beat Joyce, Ramirez, and and Rosario almost every time.

At welter, Robinson would beat him almost ever time.
Armstrong, Ross, Gavilan, and Whitaker would be evenly matched.
Zivic was very inconsistent, at his best he would be evenly matched with Duran.
Chuck Davey would give Duran more trouble than people might think; Duran struggled when the other guy boxed.
He would beat Turner.

[Brian Seneca]

Robinson beats everyone. I believe Whitaker would beat him once rematch Duran adjusts. At lightweight I don’t think Chavez beats him. Ramirez gets decisioned. I’ve seen film of the others but can’t really comment. They were of a different era/mold. TOUGH men.

[elmersalsa]

At his very best, I put my heart and money on Roberto Duran against any lightweight or Welterweight in history, including Sugar Ray Robinson.

The Duran that fought in Montreal against the great Sugar Ray Leonard convince me about that.