Why is Duran considered the greatest LW?

[masta]

First off, I don't intend for this to be a hate thread.

I just wanna know why people consider Roberto Duran to be the greatest lightweight of all-time?

When I look at his record (as a lightweight) it doesn't really seem that amazing. Granted, he has victories over Ken Buchanan and Esteban De Jesus. But what else?

Please, enlighten me, on this matter.

[JAB5239]

First off, I don't intend for this to be a hate thread.

I just wanna know why people consider Roberto Duran to be the greatest lightweight of all-time?

When I look at his record (as a lightweight) it doesn't really seem that amazing. Granted, he has victories over Ken Buchanan and Esteban De Jesus. But what else?

Please, enlighten me, on this matter.

He's also got wins over Viruet, Kobiashi, Lampkin and Marcel. His competition was good, but its the ferocity of how he dispatched them that gets him rated as the greatest, in my opinion. Put Duran, Joe Gans and Benny Leonard at the top of any all time great lightweight list, in any order, and Im satisfied.

[dde91]

Because he would knock everybody out that he fought at LW

[BennyST]

He's not the consensus greatest lightweight, but very close to it. He holds the record for title defenses, knocking out all but one (Viruet), has beaten Kobayashi, Ishimatsu, Buchanan, Mamby, Marcel, De Jesus all of whom are really great fighters and were long time champions with Buchanan being in the HOF, Marcel being nominated this year for the HOF and De Jesus will eventually get in probably too.

Saying that, lightweight is arguably the greatest division for talent of all time and there are many guys that you could have, and many that do have other fighters above Duran.

Benny Leonard, Joe Gans etc etc.

Simply put though, he dominated the division for a decade, beat HOF fighters in his lightweight reign, holds the record for most defenses and most KO's in a row at that weight in defenses, beat every fighter he fought at lightweight with a record of 72-1 (something like that anyway) with the lone loss being revenged twice by KO and beat six world champions at lightweight along with some very good other fighters and top contenders that couldn't win a title because he was the champ, but otherwise would have, such as Edwin Viruet, Ray Lampkin, and Hector Thompson.

Either way though, not everyone has him at the top. If you can find someone with a better reign at one weight though, they would be a very special fighter.

[istmeno]

First off, I don't intend for this to be a hate thread.

I just wanna know why people consider Roberto Duran to be the greatest lightweight of all-time?

When I look at his record (as a lightweight) it doesn't really seem that amazing. Granted, he has victories over Ken Buchanan and Esteban De Jesus. But what else?

Please, enlighten me, on this matter.

remove all of the ten round stay busy fights, and focus on the championship fights, and the devastating results. against the best fighters the division had to offer. added to the list above, hector thompson, guts ishimatsu, and vilomar fernandez, all very good fighters. only one man saw the end of round 15 during his reign.
he was the definition of a dominant champion.

[Bushidō]

his fights with de jesus were masterpieces

[mickey malone]

My personal choice would be the 'Old Master' Joe Gans, with Duran & Leonard a close second and 3rd.. I'd put Buchannon in the top 10 also..

[Princemanspopa]

I have no idea,but I'm not one for rankings so it really doesn't matter.I'm more impressed with his resume in the latter half of his career than I am his padded earlier career,stay busy fights or not,your typical modern age fighter would be criticised for such a track record.

Duran is a very overrated fighter any way you look at it.

[Dynamite Kid]

Duran did have some good wins but Kobayashi, Marcel, Fernandez, Viruet, Buchanan, De Jesus are good wins rather than spectacular wins imo.

Viruet does have a win over Escalera & Fernandez does hold a win over Arguello, that said Kobayashi got destroyed by Wilfredo Gomez & Argullo beat him comfortably enough. Fernandez win over Arguello is a win but i cant help but think if the fight had been 15 rounds instead of 10 that Arguello would of been on the way to stopping him, he was all over him at the end.

The way Duran fought at LW tells me that if he was fighting top top! caliber opposition that he would not have been as effective doing what he used to do, De Jesus one of the best fighters he fought made him pay twice for his recklessness , it would of been interesting to see him fight someone like Mosley, Sweet Pea like that.


I think Pea & Mosley would beat Duran at LW, controversial but i do.

[wpink1]

Finally some people are starting to understand that quality of resume not quantity of resume counts.