BoxRec

a old timer legend vs modern legend.

most rate these as top 2 lightweights ever.

who do u think wins??

Not even the faintest idea on this one. That would be an amazing fight.

-Dapa

Duran.

Oh for christ's sake......... I have to agree with Ringsider.

Duran but it would't be as easy as you'd think.

For the sake of debate and Ray Arcel I'll say Leonard...I'm not sure that Duran was as clever as he became and I think Leonard would be able to outfox and outbox him tom win a decision though I can't discount Duran's power...

Not a chance....I have seen clips of Benny Leonard and Sandly Saddler. Duran would beat him and beat him up even worse than Saddler did.

and The answer is.........drum roll please.............TKO 2 min 17 seconds into round 13 the ref calls a halt to the action with both fighters still on their feet and it's ........Hands of Stone Roberto Duran!....this one does not go the judges!

I have never seen Benny Leonard fight and only know him from history books and fight reports. his record looks great but I think for someone who has lived through the last 30-40 years it is impossible to bet agaisnt Duran. I know Gans was a great too but when I look at Duran's achievements it seems amazing.

How can a ligthweight move up and beat a fighter like Ray Leonard. Then beat a shining star like Moore, go 15 with Hagler (no Middle had gone the distance with him for a few years), and end up beating Barkley... It almost defies belief.

Benny and Gans were great, no doubt, but I just cannot argue against Duran. For me the "who is greatest lightweight champion ever" is possibly the easiest debate in boxing.

Leonard moved up as well and had champ Britton on the floor when he apparently got himself DQ'd. I have tape of him against Tendler but the film is rather erratic like many tapes of fights that old. I agree that, having seen Duran since the dawn of my memory it is hard to pick against him but a couple points; while Duran hit hard, more than hard enough, he had to hit several- he never was a "one-punch" guy, and he had several less than dynamic outings, like Lampkin and Bizarro and I believe that one or more Viruets frustrated him terribly. Leonard, from all I've read, was very fast and very clever- Arcel said the cleverest- and I get the impression that, when ready, he could hit more than hard enough himself, in the Ricardo Lopez fashion of the "one punch ko" that he worked on for 30 minutes. Based on what I've read and what Ring said in a 1989 issue, I think there is a good chance of Leonard using his superior speed of hand and foot and his more advanced- Duran was young then- boxing acumen to win a decision.

I would pick Duran by close decision in a Leonard-Duran fight.

I saw some footage of Leonard-Tendler and Tendler had similar punching power to Duran and ability to hurt someone. Leonard outboxed him and was so fast. I think his speed would frustrate Duran, but I think Duran would land harder punches and win the decision.

But, I think Gans would beat Duran and is the #1 lightweight.

Duran is the best lightweight ever. He would win this fight.

benny leonard was an acceptional fighter, especially for his time, if he was a heavyweight he would be international known in the household, but at the same time benny was winning, so was dempsey, so he stole the show. as almost everyone knows i love braddock, and i love joe goul who was braddocks manager, and gould and leonard grew up together in east harlem. because of my interest in braddock, and my collection of his fights.. not much, because there isnt much... i decided to get some on leonard due to his relation, he looked like a very sound fighter. if anyones interested he was born ben leiner was his original name.

..someone wrote on this forum that the phrase "pound for pound" was originally used about benny leonard. don't recall who it was but it was someone whose opinion i respected. coiuld have been the viking guy...and where has he been anyway?

so hard to judge by those old films. i have leonard on a few...and he was quick...no doubt about it.....but i wonder how well he could have withstood duran's onslaught.

those who saw leonard in his prime were nuts about him..thought he was the greatest they'd seen (some older timers put gans first...but benny always second and only to him.)

while i'm inclined to go with duran....i have to take the opinions of those who saw leonard....and i'll repeat an earlier answer here...who knows?

re: the disqualification mentioned. leonard was ahead and knocked britten down in his challenge for the welter title. then he so blatantly hit britten while he was down he was disqualified. the word has always been that benny didn't want the welter title...didn't want to defend against guys that size... and there was more money in the lightweights....so didn't want to win against britten. apparently benny was so good he couldn't lose even if he tried...thus the egregious foul. a lesser rumor is that britten wasn't trying either...for reasons of his own...but that isn't given much credence.

ringsider wrote:Not a chance....I have seen clips of Benny Leonard and Sandly Saddler. Duran would beat him and beat him up even worse than Saddler did.

UHHH... Saddler and Leonard not only NEVER fought but they were also from completely different eras.

I wouldnt discount Leonard. He could punch as hard as he could box. This guy was amazing. He fought every style of fighter from legitimately great boxers, to thunderous punchers. It would be a great fight but I dont think Duran would stop him. It would go to a decision.

ringsider i hope were u confusing sandy saddler with some else and mistakened him????

please tell me u are. i dont even know how u could think of putting down saddler fought leonard. what were u thinking???

I'ts ok IT's ok there Blockbuster

Maybe he meant Saddler and Sugar Ray Leonard.

or maybe he had seen tapes of both fighters....but not fighting each other.


There now that's better isn't it?

..my guess he was confusing saddler with primo carnera....a common mistake.

ringsider wrote:Not a chance....I have seen clips of Benny Leonard and Sandly Saddler. Duran would beat him and beat him up even worse than Saddler did.

How was wimbledon this year Ringsider?

Peak Benny Leonard was one of the most durable fighters of all time, he fought alot more often and against better opposition, and variety of styles than Duran. Benny Leonard by about 2-3 pts over 15.

Decagon wrote:

ringsider wrote:Not a chance....I have seen clips of Benny Leonard and Sandly Saddler. Duran would beat him and beat him up even worse than Saddler did.

So, you've seen clips of a fight that never happened? I think we all knew that you lied about the so-called footage you've seen. It's obvious you don't know the first thing about boxing; Leonard died when Saddler was just beginning to fight!

I think maybe he's confusing Leonard with Pep.

I think maybe he's confusing Leonard with Pep.

That is exactly what I did...oops...

ringsider wrote:

I think maybe he's confusing Leonard with Pep.

That is exactly what I did...oops...

Never mind, mate. It's easily done when you know fekk all about boxing.

Collins2000, You must be a lefty.....too bad. 8)

The thread was about Benny Leonard vs Roberto Duran.

roberto duran...