Is Roberto Duran the best lightweight of all time?

[miamike]

Duran is atop my list.

[The Surgeon]

Quite simply put - YES.

What a fighter..... My Favourite non HW fighter ever and only trailing to Tyson and Louis at that

[SBleeder]

Duran was an incredible specimen at lightweight, one of the most technically sound fighters of all time who could brawl with the best of them...


But I simply can't rate him higher than Joe Gans.

1. Gans
2. Leonard
3. Duran

Leonard and Duran are interchangeable for me... but there has never been a lightweight who was as complete as The Old Master.

[Cloud]

Duran was an incredible specimen at lightweight, one of the most technically sound fighters of all time who could brawl with the best of them...


But I simply can't rate him higher than Joe Gans.

1. Gans
2. Leonard
3. Duran

Leonard and Duran are interchangeable for me... but there has never been a lightweight who was as complete as The Old Master.

I have Gans at the top too. There will never be another Duran though.

[BennyST]

I love Duran and think he's great and all but Julio Cesar Chavez was just so consistent. He also seemed less hot and cold than Duran IMO when you look at the big picture. Also, I don't recall seeing him ever lose a fight at lightweight. But, then again I haven't seen many of Duran's early bouts being they were before my time...

He was hot and cold from the Leonard fight, ie 1980 onwards but up until then there has rarely been a fighter in history with such a consistent run of pure skilled destruction as Duran from 118 to 147. That's significantly more weight then Chavez moved up his entire career.

He also beat the greater fighters across those weights than Chavez, so it's pretty hard to say he was hot and cold. Definitely after 147 and 1980 but not before.

[Panamaniac]

With very few exceptions - some of which are noted above - most reasonable people who actually saw Duran fight (live or video) at lightweight would agree that he was the undisputed best ever at that weight class.

Furthermore, he is ranked among the top 10 greatest of all time p4p by Boxing historians world wide for his full body of work. Were it not for the so-called "no mas" debacle, he would be among the elite top five (Robinson, Louis, Ali, Pep, Greb).

[IronDanHamza]

With very few exceptions - some of which are noted above - most reasonable people who actually saw Duran fight (live or video) at lightweight would agree that he was the undisputed best ever at that weight class.

Furthermore, he is ranked among the top 10 greatest of all time p4p by Boxing historians world wide for his full body of work. Were it not for the so-called "no mas" debacle, he would be among the elite top five (Robinson, Louis, Ali, Pep, Greb).

I wouldn't say it's "Undisputed", considering Benny Leonard quite clearly has a better resume than him, at Lightweight. IMO.

And I saw Duran fight.

He is one of the greatest Lightweight's of all time, though. No question.

[SBleeder]

I wouldn't say it's "Undisputed", considering Benny Leonard quite clearly has a better resume than him, at Lightweight. IMO.

And I saw Duran fight.

He is one of the greatest Lightweight's of all time, though. No question.

I would say that Gans has a better resume than both Duran and Leonard.

I've seen just about every Duran LW fight that exists out there, and he is indeed a phenom... but even the footage from the tail-end of Gans' career is more impressive to me.

[IronDanHamza]

I would say that Gans has a better resume than both Duran and Leonard.

I've seen just about every Duran LW fight that exists out there, and he is indeed a phenom... but even the footage from the tail-end of Gans' career is more impressive to me.

I can't see how, to be honest.

I think Leonard clearly has the best resume of all time, at Lightweight.

I have Gans #2, though.

[rightsideup]

I may be a little baised but I rank #2 behind robinson as the best fighter pound for pound and easily the best lightweight. I would really like to see footage of gans though.