Boxing's Greatest Performances: On Those Nights, These Guys Could Never Be Defeated

[palooka]

Give Roberto credit for his underrated boxing skills. I NEVER BOUGHT THAT THEORY that Leonard chose to fight Duran's fight. That's a statement from the Americanized media. And a BALONEY ONE.

are we talking about the same fight here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuGZVkYuHM4
even the commentator notes ray's unexpected
strategy in second 5. leonard was obviously
able to stay out of distance, which he did in the
second fight. in both bouts he behaved very
differently right after the bell, before anything
happend.

i respect you as a poster, but on this one you
really get carried away by your love for duran.

[elmersalsa]

o

Give Roberto credit for his underrated boxing skills. I NEVER BOUGHT THAT THEORY that Leonard chose to fight Duran's fight. That's a statement from the Americanized media. And a BALONEY ONE.

are we talking about the same fight here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuGZVkYuHM4
even the commentator notes ray's unexpected
strategy in second 5. leonard was obviously
able to stay out of distance, which he did in the
second fight. in both bouts he behaved very
differently right after the bell, before anything
happend.

i respect you as a poster, but on this one you
really get carried away by your love for duran.

This is not about getting carried away by the love I got for the great Manos de Piedra. Leonard tried everything and he lost, plain and simple.

Sugar Ray always fought that way. He just could not outbox the Panamanian. Duran was on top of things. Duran even outboxed him. This is why I can't believe how he was so versatile. He was aware of his ring generalship and to my own surprise, he was as fast in slipping and dodging Ray's punches. It was unbelievable. Duran in that night in Montreal was MAGNIFIQUE!

[keithmoonhangover]

o

Give Roberto credit for his underrated boxing skills. I NEVER BOUGHT THAT THEORY that Leonard chose to fight Duran's fight. That's a statement from the Americanized media. And a BALONEY ONE.

are we talking about the same fight here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuGZVkYuHM4
even the commentator notes ray's unexpected
strategy in second 5. leonard was obviously
able to stay out of distance, which he did in the
second fight. in both bouts he behaved very
differently right after the bell, before anything
happend.

i respect you as a poster, but on this one you
really get carried away by your love for duran.

This is not about getting carried away by the love I got for the great Manos de Piedra. Leonard tried everything and he lost, plain and simple.

Sugar Ray always fought that way. He just could not outbox the Panamanian. Duran was on top of things. Duran even outboxed him. This is why I can't believe how he was so versatile. He was aware of his ring generalship and to my own surprise, he was as fast in slipping and dodging Ray's punches. It was unbelievable. Duran in that night in Montreal was MAGNIFIQUE!

Elmer, I have a mission for you, if you choose to accept it. I want you to watch one thing. Leonard's footwork. Nothing else. Not Duran, not either fighter's punches. And do it for just six minutes.

I want you to watch the first round of the second fight - remember, just watching Leonard's footwork.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_j4iFplHAE
Then watch the first round of the first fight - again, just Leonard's footwork.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuGZVkYuHM4

The last part of your mission is to report back here your findings on Leonard's footwork in an UNBIASED way. What is the difference in the two fights?

Please remember the mission is only about Leonard's footwork, so please don't mention Duran. If you are unbiased, then you can do this.

[man]

This is why I can't believe how he was so versatile. He was aware of his ring generalship and to my own surprise, he was as fast in slipping and dodging Ray's punches. It was unbelievable. Duran in that night in Montreal was MAGNIFIQUE!

i rest my case. seeing someone being so
appreciative of a boxer is just sweet. take
care ...

[badkatt]

Frazier sure did ! But Ali came back and won the series 2 out of 3

He didnt win poo. That second "fight" was the non performance of the decade. He came to cuddle not to fight. When it mattered Frazier was king.

disagree ali won that fight not wide but he won it no problem

[elmersalsa]

Interesting thread.

What about Roy Jones Jr -v- James Toney?

Roy moved up & totally outclassed a prime Toney who is one of the greatest fighters of the last 25 years or so.

I can't think of another SMW that would have beaten Roy Jones Jr of that night.

I kind of agree with you on that, but, James Toney, IMO, was not at his very best and it showed. Toney had to go down 30 pounds to make weight. He was physically drained. But, at the same time, I don't take away Jones' performance. He was. Super Roy at his best.

[keithmoonhangover]

Interesting thread.

What about Roy Jones Jr -v- James Toney?

Roy moved up & totally outclassed a prime Toney who is one of the greatest fighters of the last 25 years or so.

I can't think of another SMW that would have beaten Roy Jones Jr of that night.

I kind of agree with you on that, but, James Toney, IMO, was not at his very best and it showed. Toney had to go down 30 pounds to make weight. He was physically drained. But, at the same time, I don't take away Jones' performance. He was. Super Roy at his best.

30 pounds? So what? That's not an excuse. It's his job to get in the ring and do your best. Ricky Hatton ballooned between fights. It's simply not a good enough excuse.

[elmersalsa]

Interesting thread.

What about Roy Jones Jr -v- James Toney?

Roy moved up & totally outclassed a prime Toney who is one of the greatest fighters of the last 25 years or so.

I can't think of another SMW that would have beaten Roy Jones Jr of that night.

I kind of agree with you on that, but, James Toney, IMO, was not at his very best and it showed. Toney had to go down 30 pounds to make weight. He was physically drained. But, at the same time, I don't take away Jones' performance. He was. Super Roy at his best.

30 pounds? So what? That's not an excuse. It's his job to get in the ring and do your best. Ricky Hatton ballooned between fights. It's simply not a good enough excuse.

It was obvious in the fight that James Toney was weight drained. Great performance by the great Roy Jones, Jr, but, was that THE REAL LIGHTS OUT? I doubt it. He was way better than that.

[elmersalsa]

Salvador Sanchez gem against Wilfredo Gomez is one of the best in history. Sanchez was at all cylinders. In that night, I don't see no featherweight in history beating him

[Bricks]

Curry v McCrory is certainly tenuous but Curry was almost punch perfect that night.

Indeed.A great champion at the zenith of his powers.

He had done it all against every kind of foe

I see this Curry beating whittaker,trinidad,quartey,odlh who represented the cream of the crop ten years later.i also see him beating floyd mayweather.

If i could put one fighter at his peak in a time machine to see how he matchups it would be 1985 curry

[elmersalsa]

Look's like another Roberto Duran tribute thread, because he figures in 3 of the 9 fights, while no one else made it into 2

I'll add Duran vs Buchanan. Duran was possessed that night. I've never seen anything like it.

It's hard for me to pick a great performance by the Hands of Stone. The Ken Buchanan fight, or the night in Montreal or the rubber match with Esteban Dejesus.

Or how about his demolition that he gave Davey Moore? So many great performances to mention.

But, to me, his most gutsiest performance was when he beat Iran Barkley in a stunning performance of the ages. For a washed up 37-year old legend that 17 years prior, was fighting for Buchanan's lightweight crown? Amazing.

If defining career-wise win over the great Sugar Ray Leonard was his best win, the Barkley fight was his next greatest and finest hour.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Carlos Monzon against the great Jose napoles, he was untouchable that night.

[Jaywheel]

The great Julio Cesar Chavez against the great and complete Meldrick Taylor. JCC put on a Pryoresque showcase on that great night. The great ref Steele was is usual great on that great night.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

The great Julio Cesar Chavez against the great and complete Meldrick Taylor. JCC put on a Pryoresque showcase on that great night. The great ref Steele was is usual great on that great night.

Incredible analysis by the great Jaywheel.

[Tomasino]

I kind of agree with you on that, but, James Toney, IMO, was not at his very best and it showed. Toney had to go down 30 pounds to make weight. He was physically drained. But, at the same time, I don't take away Jones' performance. He was. Super Roy at his best.

30 pounds? So what? That's not an excuse. It's his job to get in the ring and do your best. Ricky Hatton ballooned between fights. It's simply not a good enough excuse.

It was obvious in the fight that James Toney was weight drained. Great performance by the great Roy Jones, Jr, but, was that THE REAL LIGHTS OUT? I doubt it. He was way better than that.

The real lights out who fought Tibieri?

[elmersalsa]

30 pounds? So what? That's not an excuse. It's his job to get in the ring and do your best. Ricky Hatton ballooned between fights. It's simply not a good enough excuse.

It was obvious in the fight that James Toney was weight drained. Great performance by the great Roy Jones, Jr, but, was that THE REAL LIGHTS OUT? I doubt it. He was way better than that.

The real lights out who fought Tibieri?

I give Dave Tibeiri more credit than the great Rou Jones, Jr beating James Toney. He whoopped Toney. He just got screwed by the judges.

[keithmoonhangover]

It was obvious in the fight that James Toney was weight drained. Great performance by the great Roy Jones, Jr, but, was that THE REAL LIGHTS OUT? I doubt it. He was way better than that.

The real lights out who fought Tibieri?

I give Dave Tibeiri more credit than the great Rou Jones, Jr beating James Toney. He whoopped Toney. He just got screwed by the judges.

Saw Toney was pretty rubbish if he got beat by Tiberi?

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Yes, that was an amazingt performance by the great Dave Tiberi. I thought the great reggie Johnson edged out the great James Toney as well. James is highly overrated at 160.

[King Carlos]

[Seamus]

Let's not forget Drake Thadzi against Toney.