Puro Duran!

Nice read from Bart Barry here: http://www.15rounds.com/puro-duran/

"Tuesday the WBC’s official Twitter account posted a picture of Roberto Duran embracing the late Esteban De Jesus, a picture I retweeted excitedly. Saturday, May’s edition of The Ring magazine arrived, and while it bore a cover photo of Timothy Bradley and Manny Pacquiao beneath a title that read “The Rematch Issue,” it might well have included a subtitle like “The Roberto Duran Appreciation Issue.” On page 20, Anson Wainwright captured Marvelous Marvin Hagler thrice citing Duran in his “Best I Faced” feature, declaring Duran the best Hagler faced in three of 10 categories, including its most important. On page 80, Thomas Hauser published the results of a 26-expert poll that, when asked to determine the greatest modern lightweight, found definitively in favor of “Las Manos de Piedra.”"

Wonder If Hearns thought he was the best fighter he ever faced...

"Experts" again...Us Common W""kers should be ashamed of not agreeing..

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Wonder If Hearns thought he was the best fighter he ever faced ..

I'm not sure as the article is titled: Marvin Hagler: The Best I've Faced....

Aye, it's definitely one of the more touching stories regarding Duran. Long before Ray Leonard came along Duran already had a rival in De Jesus who'd forever be linked with him and it's hard luck on De Jesus' part that he isn't really known outside of the hardcore fans. They had some great battles and it's always sobering to see that picture of Duran comforting and cradling Esteban in the last week or so of his life.

Just adds to Duran's mystique, I guess. Such a wild, high-octane bloke but also prone to showing a soft side now and then, like in the picture / article above, or when he and Buchanan had that emotional reunion thirty years after their fight.

What a character and asset to boxing he was. He just oozed attitude and charisma. Was idly watching the studio interviews him and Leonard did with Cosell a few days after the Montreal fight not long ago, and even when Duran's not doing much, just sat looking blankly straight ahead, never making eye contact with anyone and needing an interpreter to translate his answers, it's still hard to take your eyes off him. Must have been nigh-on impossible in the flesh.

88Chris05 wrote:Aye, it's definitely one of the more touching stories regarding Duran. Long before Ray Leonard came along Duran already had a rival in De Jesus who'd forever be linked with him and it's hard luck on De Jesus' part that he isn't really known outside of the hardcore fans. They had some great battles and it's always sobering to see that picture of Duran comforting and cradling Esteban in the last week or so of his life.

Just adds to Duran's mystique, I guess. Such a wild, high-octane bloke but also prone to showing a soft side now and then, like in the picture / article above, or when he and Buchanan had that emotional reunion thirty years after their fight.

What a character and asset to boxing he was. He just oozed attitude and charisma. Was idly watching the studio interviews him and Leonard did with Cosell a few days after the Montreal fight not long ago, and even when Duran's not doing much, just sat looking blankly straight ahead, never making eye contact with anyone and needing an interpreter to translate his answers, it's still hard to take your eyes off him. Must have been nigh-on impossible in the flesh.

Touching Chis really touching but it does not hide the fact that Duan was a special breed of bar brawler.

You got me, OneTwo. Was just trying to keep the thread going a little longer before we all had to face the harsh reality that Duran was basically just Ricky Hatton speaking Spanish.

88Chris05 wrote:You got me, OneTwo. Was just trying to keep the thread going a little longer before we all had to face the harsh reality that Duran was basically just Ricky Hatton speaking Spanish.

88Chris05 wrote:You got me, OneTwo. Was just trying to keep the thread going a little longer before we all had to face the harsh reality that Duran was basically just Ricky Hatton speaking Spanish.

LOL

88Chris05 wrote:You got me, OneTwo. Was just trying to keep the thread going a little longer before we all had to face the harsh reality that Duran was basically just Ricky Hatton speaking Spanish.

Hatton only got beaten by fighters who had held a world title. Duran got beat by fighters the quality of Kirkland Laing.

Not sure if wumming...................??   

He's wumming, Toppy, don't worry. Atila loves him some Duran because he whipped that cherry-picking, over hyped media creation Leonard.

Makes me pine (sort of!) for the old days on the Beeb between 2006 - 2009. Every now and then you find an old link to one of those 'Our Ricky will smash Mayweather (or would smash him in a rematch) and if you don't agree or don't think he's a legend then you're a noob!' threads. People leaving comments similar to Atila's above, but genuinely meaning them.

88Chris05 wrote:He's wumming, Toppy, don't worry. Atila loves him some Duran because he whipped that cherry-picking, over hyped media creation Leonard.

Makes me pine (sort of!) for the old days on the Beeb between 2006 - 2009. Every now and then you find an old link to one of those 'Our Ricky will smash Mayweather (or would smash him in a rematch) and if you don't agree or don't think he's a legend then you're a noob!' threads. People leaving comments similar to Atila's above, but genuinely meaning them.

I have a theory that the majority of boxing enthusiasts who became interested in the the sport in the noughties went through a phase of believing Hatton to be near invincible. I know I did.

I've never really forgiven Mayweather..

I get that same feeling the way people talk about Klitschko on here.

In fairness, Gent, you are on to something there. Hatton brought a big new wave of interest in to the sport and there are plenty who are die hard fans now who would only have been casual fans before he emerged. Have to admit that, while I wasn't on the invincible train, I never expected him to be as brutally exposed against Mayweather and Pacquiao as he was and like most I probably did overrate him during his pomp.

If I'd have been a poster (tended just to read back then) on the Beeb site back in 2008 I'd probably have been one of those guys that milky got dog's abuse off for saying that little no-name Tim Bradley would cause Hatton all sorts of problems!