Roberto Duran vs Manny Pacquiao

[El Tejano]

prime vs prime at 135lbs

[boliodogs]

As great as Pacquiao is at 135 I think Duran was even greater and would win by late round KO. Duran had a chin of iron and even more power than Pacquiao.

[TonyGe]

Duran was and is one of my favorite fighters. Top two along with Hearns. I'd favor Duran for the reasons you mentioned but styles make fights and Pac would give him problems.

[boxing90]

Pacquiao with a 10th round knockout

[boxing90]

Out of that 3.. SRL, Hagler, Hearns who did he beat...? except sugar ray in the first fight.

[GhostofDempsey]

I would go with Duran 135. He was just as explosive as Pac at that weight and had excellent defense, movement, power and stamina.

[chrisJS]

Out of that 3.. SRL, Hagler, Hearns who did he beat...? except sugar ray in the first fight.

Weak argument. Out of that three there isn't a fighter under 160 lbs that would have beaten any of those three of the last 25 years much less Pacquaio.

The Leonard win is one of the best ever wins in the sport and Hagler is a top 5 all-time middleweight who was in his prime and Hearns at 154 was an absolute monster in his prime. Duran's prime was a decade before either fight.

Duran beats Pacquaio in a fun fight and Pacquaio is competitive but not close to winning.

[billeau2]

Duran was described to me by the late Joe Rein as the most terrifying boxing personality...I know because I asked him this question lol. Pacquiao is quiet, disorganized fury...

Duran systematically would punish his opponents, and when they broke down a bit, he would never let them off the hook. Pacquiao comes in a straight line, blazing, but somewhat predictably with no particular mental strategy.

Duran would get meaner if you hurt him...Yeah the Sugar Ray fight was out of character though, which is why it shocked everyone. Pac could go for the kill at times as well when in danger, but could also back off.

Duran was a complete fighter with a fighter's intelligence and a pathological desire to cause pain, suffering and homicide when allowed in the ring. You had to manufacture a weakness to beat Roberto. Pacquiao was fast, linear and very tough in the ring. You had to really take him into deep water to find a hole in his game...like Marquez did.

Duran's big notable loss was to a guy who was on the level as Duran!! Pacquiao's Waterloo was against a Mexican Fighter who was ATG but generally given a secondary place when compared with Barrera and Morales.

I think it is pretty obvious that unless Pac has a style that makes the man with hands of stone into slate... Duran would win a series of fights at this weight.

[Just looking]

Close fight but Pacquiao edges it. Pacquiao ability to get in and out very fast would deny Duran of fighting on the inside most of the time

[McNulty]

Duran was too strong at that weight. Duran inside 4 rounds.