BoxRec

Who was the better puncher between the two, AT LIGHTWEIGHT, in your view? The great Roberto Duran or the great Lew Jenkins?

Duran may not have been the harder puncher of the two, but he definitely was the greater one. I also think its quite a stretch calling Jenkins great. He is easily one of the least deserving fighters to be in the HOF.

Pure punching power I take Jenkins.

theone wrote:Duran may not have been the harder puncher of the two, but he definitely was the greater one. I also think its quite a stretch calling Jenkins great. He is easily one of the least deserving fighters to be in the HOF.

You has open a big can of warms here, TheOne...Welcome back!!!

Thanks elmer, but I check into the forums quite regularly. I just don't post much anymore due to various reasons.

Duran

At lightweight, Jenkins was one of the hardest one punch ko artists off all time.
Big right hand.
Duran was a volume , wear his opponent down type of fighter.
Jenkins , could take a guy out with one shot.

Expug wrote:At lightweight, Jenkins was one of the hardest one punch ko artists off all time.
Big right hand.
Duran was a volume , wear his opponent down type of fighter.
Jenkins , could take a guy out with one shot.

Duran could also knock you out with one shot...See his third fight with DeJesus and the wicked left hook to the chin to Ray Lampkin.

I know about those fights.
Lampkin and Dejesus took lots of punishment prior,
Jenkins would belt a guy out with one shot early.
Lou Ambers stopped only 2 times in his career of over a hundred fights.
Both times by Lew.
Im not saying Duran couldnt crack, but some guys in boxing history could end it with one shot out of nowhere and did it regularly.
Jenkins was one of those guys a pure one punch knockout artist.
His problem was he lived hard and didnt train .
He should have been an all time great but he was a wildman outside the ring.

Expug wrote:I know about those fights.
Lampkin and Dejesus took lots of punishment prior,
Jenkins would belt a guy out with one shot early.
Lou Ambers stopped only 2 times in his career of over a hundred fights.
Both times by Lew.
Im not saying Duran couldnt crack, but some guys in boxing history could end it with one shot out of nowhere and did it regularly.
Jenkins was one of those guys a pure one punch knockout artist.
His problem was he lived hard and didnt train .
He should have been an all time great but he was a wildman outside the ring.

I agree with you.

Probably neither... if you're talking about who's the hardest punching LW ever, considering Hector Camacho swore that Edwin Rosario hit harder than Duran... But in terms of both being "punchers" Duran is obviously a greater fighter.

Diamond WEAPON wrote:Probably neither... if you're talking about who's the hardest punching LW ever, considering Hector Camacho swore that Edwin Rosario hit harder than Duran....

As both Rosario and Duran were in their prime when they fought Camacho, that's certainly a valid point you're making.

Expug wrote:I know about those fights.
Lampkin and Dejesus took lots of punishment prior,
Jenkins would belt a guy out with one shot early.
Lou Ambers stopped only 2 times in his career of over a hundred fights.
Both times by Lew.
Im not saying Duran couldnt crack, but some guys in boxing history could end it with one shot out of nowhere and did it regularly.
Jenkins was one of those guys a pure one punch knockout artist.
His problem was he lived hard and didnt train .
He should have been an all time great but he was a wildman outside the ring.

Arguello vs. Jenkins would've been interesting.

While Roberto Duran was a terrific puncher, I don't think that he had as much power as Lew Jenkins.

- Chuck Johnston

theone wrote:Duran may not have been the harder puncher of the two, but he definitely was the greater one. I also think its quite a stretch calling Jenkins great. He is easily one of the least deserving fighters to be in the HOF.

Any champion should be a worthy contender for the Hall of Fame. :??

elmersalsa wrote:

Expug wrote:At lightweight, Jenkins was one of the hardest one punch ko artists off all time.
Big right hand.
Duran was a volume , wear his opponent down type of fighter.
Jenkins , could take a guy out with one shot.

Duran could also knock you out with one shot...See his third fight with DeJesus and the wicked left hook to the chin to Ray Lampkin.

As I fought Ray Lampkin twice in Golden Gloves action in Tacoma and Seattle (1968)
I am unlikely to be objective. However, I believe Lampkin was defeating
Duran, but was weakened by the hot Panama sun before being stopped in the late rounds.
The Pacific Northwest fighters are not used to fighting in a Panama outdoor
bout with a blazing hot sun.

Ray was a classy boxer with excellent counter-punching skills and had a good punch.

I'm not 100% sure but I think the Lampkin fight is the one after it was over Ray Arcel told Duran he knew Roberto was great because he had just ko'd a great fighter.Arcel said this in an interview.
I think that while Jenkins was a big hitter Ambers had been softened up considerably by Armstrong in their 2 fights.Still an impressive feat but a little deceiving,I don't think Ambers was as resilient due to the beatings he got from Hank.