BoxRec

Puerto Ricos Esteban DeJesus. ----- How do you think Esteban should rank? Why?

He's an all-time great...often overlooked... I think he makes a top 20 greatest lightweights list.

Ezzard wrote:He's an all-time great...often overlooked... I think he makes a top 20 greatest lightweights list.

Well said. The victory over the great Roberto Duran spoke volumes. He is a top 20 lightweight. The only 2 losses he had at lightweight were against Duran.

Il Duce wrote:I always wished for a

Ben Villaflor vs. Esteban DeJesus bout at 135 lbs.

Now, that is an evenly matched fight.

I do not think that Ben Villaflor could hang with Esteban.

fantastic boxer

Great boxer, a joy to watch whether winning or losing.

Esteban DeJesus was a terrific fighter with a nice boxing style and plenty of skill. Even though DeJesus had a won a decision in a ten-round bout with Roberto Duran, the latter simply was too strong and had too much stamina in scheduled fifteen-round bouts with DeJesus.

- Chuck Johnston

Terrific fighter.
Reminds me of Rodrigo Valdes having to fight in the shadow of Monzon.
Not quite at Duran's level but he did knock down the iron-chinned Panamanian twice. And, of course, owns a non-title victory when Duran probably took DeJesus lightly, but hey, that was Duran's fault.
Overlooked and deserves to be in the top 25 lightweights of all-time.

SenorPipino wrote:Terrific fighter.
Reminds me of Rodrigo Valdes having to fight in the shadow of Monzon.
Not quite at Duran's level but he did knock down the iron-chinned Panamanian twice. And, of course, owns a non-title victory when Duran probably took DeJesus lightly, but hey, that was Duran's fault.
Overlooked and deserves to be in the top 25 lightweights of all-time.

The great Roberto Duran was at his very best when he fought Esteban all 3 times. No excuses for me in the first fight. Esteban was terrific.

elmersalsa wrote:

SenorPipino wrote:Terrific fighter.
Reminds me of Rodrigo Valdes having to fight in the shadow of Monzon.
Not quite at Duran's level but he did knock down the iron-chinned Panamanian twice. And, of course, owns a non-title victory when Duran probably took DeJesus lightly, but hey, that was Duran's fault.
Overlooked and deserves to be in the top 25 lightweights of all-time.

The great Roberto Duran was at his very best when he fought Esteban all 3 times. No excuses for me in the first fight. Esteban was terrific.

Actually Duran was reportedly on a partying spree for 5 months after winning the title from Buchanan in June. He looked lethargic in the DeJesus bout so I believe the reports.
But like I said, it was Duran's fault so he got what was coming to him.

SenorPipino wrote:

elmersalsa wrote:

SenorPipino wrote:Terrific fighter.
Reminds me of Rodrigo Valdes having to fight in the shadow of Monzon.
Not quite at Duran's level but he did knock down the iron-chinned Panamanian twice. And, of course, owns a non-title victory when Duran probably took DeJesus lightly, but hey, that was Duran's fault.
Overlooked and deserves to be in the top 25 lightweights of all-time.

The great Roberto Duran was at his very best when he fought Esteban all 3 times. No excuses for me in the first fight. Esteban was terrific.

Actually Duran was reportedly on a partying spree for 5 months after winning the title from Buchanan in June. He looked lethargic in the DeJesus bout so I believe the reports.
But like I said, it was Duran's fault so he got what was coming to him.

Duran did not party. He had a couple of fights after the Ken Buchanan fight. Esteban won FAIR AND SQUARE with Duran in his complete prime. No excuses.

Il Duce wrote:Esteban De Jesus was like an 'Exploding M-80' the night he fought Roberto Duran at
Madison Square Garden.

Hard to believe he had lost an earlier to fight to Featherweight Champion - Antonio Gomez in
a 'non-title' go in Caracas, Venezuela.

An excellent performance by Esteban De Jesus. Duran cried at his hotel room after that and bowed not to fight ever again in NYC, but he did fight again there.

elmersalsa and SenorPipino ------


Several statements and questions for you regarding Estebans second and third fights against Roberto Duran. -------


1. March 16, 1974. ----- Estebans second fight against Roberto Duran. ---- Roberto won this fight by an 11th round knockout.


What did Esteban do differently in this fight?


Compared to his first fight against Roberto?


Did Esteban fight this fight very much differently? Compared to how he fought his first fight against Roberto?


In this second fight, how did Esteban error?



In this second fight, did Esteban have any chance?


Or, was Roberto just that way more dominant?



Was Roberto Duran just that superior over Esteban?

elmersalsa and SenorPipino ------


2. January 21, 1978. ------ Esteban DeJesus' third fight against Roberto Duran. ------- Roberto won this fight by a 12th round technical knockout (tko).


What happened in this fight? By this question, I'm referring to what did Esteban do differently?

Compared to what Esteban did in his first fight against Roberto?


Did Esteban fight this third fight very much differently?


Compared to how he fought his first fight?


In this third fight, how did Esteban error?


In this third fight, did Esteban have any chance of beating Roberto?


Or, was Roberto just that way more dominant over Esteban?



Was it a case of Roberto Duran just being superior over Esteban DeJesus?

NYDominican wrote:elmersalsa and SenorPipino ------


2. January 21, 1978. ------ Esteban DeJesus' third fight against Roberto Duran. ------- Roberto won this fight by a 12th round technical knockout (tko).


What happened in this fight? By this question, I'm referring to what did Esteban do differently?

Compared to what Esteban did in his first fight against Roberto?


Did Esteban fight this third fight very much differently?


Compared to how he fought his first fight?


In this third fight, how did Esteban error?


In this third fight, did Esteban have any chance of beating Roberto?


Or, was Roberto just that way more dominant over Esteban?



Was it a case of Roberto Duran just being superior over Esteban DeJesus?

The beauty of boxing is that there are always fhe next day. There is always rematches. Duran adjust in the second fight, especially after that knock down that embarrassed him in front if his people. So he turned counter puncher.
DeJesus claimed that the extreme heat drained him. I think that it was the fast pace and the the punches to the midsection, something that Duran failed to do in the first fight, changed the tide if the fight. That the heat drainwd him was total bs. Ain't Duran human? Was not the heat there for both combatants? A great win for Duran that ahowed that he could comback and beat his former conqueror.

The rubber match was a fight that both knew each other's rival well. Duran turned counter puncher in extraordinary fashion. Made Esteban miss more punches than the previous fights combined. That is what made Duran so Underrated. He could also box. Not always attack like some people in this forum think that he is a sort of a BRUTE. That is why I laugh when in the Leonard I fight, when people say "Leonard did not fight "

"Leonard did not fight fight"

Il Duce wrote:Roberto Duran vs. Esteban De Jesus III

January 21, 1978

A} Rumors were flying around about Esteban De Jesus and his behavior during 'Late Nights'.

B} Esteban was supposed to have a 'tune-up' bout in early-December 1977 on CBS-TV,
but it was cancelled due to.........

C} With '55-Bouts' under his belt, the 26 1/2 year-old De Jesus was worn out, and the late night
partying' had caught up to him.

It was true. After he won the WBC Lightweight crown, that was the climax of his career. But I still think Duran was a class above him.

Why did Duran win the 2nd and 3rd go-arounds with DeJesus?
Simply because he was great and came into those fights with a purpose.
The Puerto Rican was a superb fighter, but in Duran he was in against a top-4 (at least) ATG.
Bouts 2 and 3 demonstrated the difference between an historically elite boxer and a very good one.

SenorPipino wrote:Why did Duran win the 2nd and 3rd go-arounds with DeJesus?
Simply because he was great and came into those fights with a purpose.
The Puerto Rican was a superb fighter, but in Duran he was in against a top-4 (at least) ATG.
Bouts 2 and 3 demonstrated the difference between an historically elite boxer and a very good one.

I agree with you on this one 100% SenorPipino