The Most Overrated ''Old School Fighter''?

[GhostofDempsey]

It's more common knowledge than anything. Leonard doesn't have a very strong case to be rated over Duran. Roberto accomplished more, dominated his weight class for a sustained period of time (12) defenses over 6 years (11 by knockout).

12lbs north of his prime weight class he kicks Leonard's butt in his defacto hometown. Duran was still winning titles at 37 years old. Ray was not competitive with the top of the division at 34 years old.

I'm pretty sure Duran has twice as many knockouts as Leonard had fights.

Good post. A lot of fans don't take into account a fighter's entire volume of work when ranking P4P greats and assessing their place in history by how they dominated divisions, the quality of their wins and opponents, and duration of their career. Hearns knocked out Duran, yet Duran is always ranked higher than Hearns in P4P rankings because of his overall accomplishments in over 100 fights. Same with Pacquiao, he was KO'd by Marquez but he is still the greater P4P fighter of the two.

[cfang]

I'm too much of an orthodox history guy to embrace the concept of an "Old school " great being overrated. Seems like after so many decades of review, the chips have fallen just about where they should.

There are a range of choices made in this time traveled thread, few of which I agree with anyway, but many seem forced, as if answering the question was an important errand and they had to select someone/anyone.

But the fun times jousting with whats his name about some mythical turning point of stylistic evolution, and the mention of Roberto Duran above, calls to mind that the amazingly astute trainer, Ray Arcel (1899 - 1994), who trained 20 world champions when there really was such a thing, in a time with far fewer divisions, was vehement that subtile tricks of the trade were gradually being lost following the 2nd world war, and he was in the corner of champions Benny Leonard, Ezzard Charles, Jim Braddock, Barney Ross, Bob Olin, Tony Zale, Billy Soose, Ceferino Garcia, Lou Brouillard, Teddy Yarosz, Freddie Steele, Jackie Kid Berg, Alfonso Frazier, Abe Goldstein, Frankie Genaro, Tony Marino, Sixto Escobar, Charley Phil Rosenberg.......Roberto Durán and Larry Holmes.

I watch the films, and I have NO PROBLEM seeing what Ray was talking about, and I've seen a lot of films.

arcel was who I was referring to in regards to a trainer from the 20s/30s who trained Duran in the 70s. In fact he trained benny Leonard, Duran and Larry Holmes and yet according to ass somewhere between the 50s and the 70s a quantum leap happened lol. Arcel did always maintain a lot had been lost.

[The Defecator]

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Not This **** Again 1.jpg

[them_apples]

Amazing