Is Leonard More Skilled Than Duran

[BennyST]

I think Duran was a much better all around fighter than srl in terms of skills, but srl was the better fighter

But in terms of pure boxing skills, Duran could do a lot more than Leonard ie defense, counters, those 2 skills I believe Duran was much better at

Eh?

Anyway, I agree. I think overall Duran was a more skilled, savvy fighter and knew more craft and technique.

[BennyST]

The best Leonard ever beats the best Duran ever. But they are basically in the top 10 most skilled ever

Well, the best Duran did beat the best Leonard so....

Anyway, with Leonard's size and age advantage, you'd think so, and I guess that's one thing that shows Durans craft. The skill and craft he used in their first fight is nearly unmatched, considering the advantages Leonard had.

I think if you shrunk Leonard down to 135 with a prime, lightweight Duran, that's the fight you'd see most often.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

Eh?

Anyway, I agree. I think overall Duran was a more skilled, savvy fighter and knew more craft and technique.

LOL,, my post may have been alittle confusing... I will try and clarify

Duran- better overall skills, much better defender, counters

Leonard- Very skilled as well, but its his intangibles that got him thru all his big fights.. His huge heart and will to win are his best virtues....

Thats why i consider him a slightly better fighter than duran... Both are about as skilled as you can get, but duran could do everything, while SRL had all the intangibles

[New England]

does a natural LW version of leonard ever beat a natural WW version of duran?


i don't think he does.

[billeau2]

No bone to pick with the vocal majority. I do think that when we look at different archetypes for guys who get in a ring and achieve....besides the obvious fact that we are talking about two of the best... Its worth noting that a fighter like Duran would be at home in any era. The guy was a fighter first and then an athlete. He had the skills, the guile and the presence.

One of my buddies who knows his way around the greats once responded to one of my silly questions: "who was the scariest fighter you ever met" with Roberto Duran as his choice. Duran had that old time stare and that grit. Like Tyson he wanted to beat you first and make what happened in the ring an afterthought.

Ray Leonard was an athlete and fighter. he was part of the the guys who watched the original sugar man and wanted to win and look impressive doing it, another guy lke that was Ali. Its worth noting that Ray was part of a generation where fighters were perhaps first seen as gifted athletes and then as fighters.

[IronDanHamza]

Close to call but I'd go with Duran.

Leonard is more talented IMO still close though.

[rightsideup]

does a natural LW version of leonard ever beat a natural WW version of duran?


i don't think he does.

In this scenario Duran would knock leonard out

[Ben Bolt]

It's what a like about boxing - the much stronger man often capitulating to the weaker one.

As for skills, I believe Sugar Ray was born with much more suitable ones made for boxing than Duran. And using them right, I can see Sugar Ray beating Duran ten times out of ten.

It's not the same that I rate Sugar Ray above Duran, just the case of "styles make fights".

Comparing the careers of them both, I do find Duran achieved a lot more in the rings, and stands a place above Sugar Ray in history. Even if the latter always would be a nuisance to him.

[GOD-FR33]

Leonard was.........

Leonard is more skilled than Duran, overall. Duran is the better inside fighter, though. Leonard is the greatest fighter P4P in the history of boxing, IMO. He was the perfect fighter who could only lose when he wasn't focused, or old. Both happened to him. To give you a better idea of WHY Leonard was more skilled, just look at their first encounter. Leonard purposely fought Duran's fight and Duran STILL couldn't stop him and in fact, Duran was tired in the 15th, a round that I thought Leonard won because Duran was tired. In the rematch, you saw Leonard at his best style. If they fought 10 out of 10 times, Duran wouldn't be able to touch Leonard, PERIOD. He was too long, too smart, too fast, and his conditioning was 2nd to none. No shame in that, at all. Duran was the most violent fighter I've ever seen inside the ring. He is one of the greatest defensive fighters ever, as well. He is also a top 5 all-time great. They were to of the best that ever did it. Both of these guys were animals and they fought who the people wanted them to fight. No ****** demands like extreme drug testing, wanting ALL of the pay-per-view money, worrying about their opponents bank account, record, etc. Boxing has gone straight DIVA!!! Floyd is a BIG part of the DIVA movement. It's why you can put Manny in the conversation with such greats, he's a throwback fighter who doesn't complain and he will fight your Daddy if he has to.

[soul_survivor]

Tough one this, Leonard and Duran are my 2 of my all time favs.

Leonard was faster, had a better chin, great footwork, possibly better than Duran, had sharper reflexes and was, in my opinion, a better all round fighter and what I mean by that is, that he could switch from fighting on the backfoot to the front in a heart beat, or vice versa.

Duran was more aggressive, had pretty good defence himself, lacked that SRL chin, lacked immense speed and reflexes but made up for it in ring craft and a real foxiness (Read: rule breaking). I think Duran was a good all rounder fighter but not as gifted as Leonard, so often in his career, he hated fighting on the backfoot or trying to chase a fight not going his way.

So SRL edges it but I've seen the opposite argument from some here, so it just goes to show how close these two were.

If I ever made a list of most skilled fighters ever Id have these names

Ali, Robinson, Duran, Leonard, Chavez Sr, Whitaker, Lopez, Pacquiao, Charles, Moore, Louis

Obviously not in that order but just a taster of who I'd have