Who beats a prime Roberto Duran ?

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My friend this is an excellent question indeed. I've always said that Roberto Duran is the greatest Lightweight Champion in boxing history and was almost unbeatable suffering only one loss to Esteban DeJesus and later avenging that loss twice. As a welterwweight and at his best, he did defeat an undefeated Sugar Ray Leonard. His 2nd No Mas fight with Leonard, he was obviously not in to it mentally or physically and besides that, Leonard is a great fighter too anyway and you have to give some credit where it's due. Now I'm going to break down the fighters that may have given Duran some real tough opposition:

Lightweight

Joe Gans;

The Old Master was one of the first true scientific fighters and an all time great. He was an expert at avoiding punches and truly studied his opponents weaknesses. Career mark of 120-8-9 with 85 kayo's, he obviously had power and stamina too. Duran may have beaten him perhaps by a razor thin decision because of his tenacity and aggressiveness, but this was truly the one guy that very well may have been able to beat Duran.

Benny Leonard;

Another boxing master with superb skill as well as potent punching power. He was well known for his ring intelligence and poise and could have presented Duran all kinds of trouble. Career mark of 85-5-1 with 69 kayo's. I believe Duran either stops him late or captures a close decision but it certainly wouldn't have been a walk in the park.

Pernell Whitaker:

Whitaker had the perfect style to just about make anybody look bad as he was a defensive genius, a fighter that could stand in front of you and still make you miss. Everybody knows how foolish he made the great JC Chavez look. Duran would have had his work cut out for him but perhaps his determination wills him to a difficult victory in a tough fight.

Welterweight

Sugar Ray Robinson:

This is the one guy that I think has the skill and speed to beat Duran even at his best especially at welterweight where he had some kind of crazy record of 128-1-1 or in that neighborhood. Robinson had great power and speed and would have not been afraid to stand toe to toe with Duran. It would have been an exciting fight, but Robinson takes it.

Sugar Ray Leonard:

We already know the results of their fights and at his best, Duran wins but it really could go either way, so this could be a close decision victory for either man with each at his best.

Jose Napoles:

The man was smooth as butter a complete fighter with great boxing skills and good power. Still I think Duran was great enough to beat Jose either by late rounds kayo or close decision.

Thomas Hearns:

Because of his height, reach, and leverage, Hearns would always present anyone in this divison problems including Duran. He knocked Duran out at 154 lbs as the only man ever to do this but I don't believe Duran was at his best and could have fought a beter fight though I still think Hearns wins.

Henry Armstrong:

This would have been a dream fight! And it would have been a good fight at either lightweight or welterweight. Armstrong was a punching machine and tough as nails and would have stood toe to toe with Duran like a miniture Joe Frazier. I really think if these two could have fought, it would have been the fight of the century! Armstrong had a carer mark of 152-21-10 with 103 kayo's and is widely considered as one of the best p4p fighters in history. At lightweight, Duran wins and at welterwweight it could go either way. I say they would split in a two fight series.

Aaron Pryor

This would have been the best 140 lb fight ever! Pryor like Armstrong was a non stop punching machine with amazing energy and stamina. He was also very determined and tough. Duran has the better overall skill in my opinion and would have found a way to beat Pryor.though it would have been a war! I think Duran takes this by technical knockout in 12 rounds in the fight of the year....Show more

No lightweight would have beat Duran, but Aaron Pryor would have made it interesting. At Welterweight nobody hit as hard as Thomas Hearns, and although Duran and Hearns met at 160, 13 lbs heavier than welterweight, the result would have most likely been the same, Hearns by KO. A few other welterweights might have given Duran trouble, Ray Leonard certainly did, so you have to figure a guy like Pernell Whitaker would have been even money against Duran at 147. It would take an ultra elite welter weight of Meldrick Taylor's prime caliber to give Duran trouble, a quick mover, no one other than Hearns would have been able to out slug Duran from 147 and below....Show more

Obviously the prime Roberto Duran was the best during his lightweight years. Esteban De Jesus did upsetted the odds and not only beat Duran but also knocked him down that caused panic throughout the entire boxing world. But upsets do happen in real life. I believe that not many boxers in prime Roberto Duran can beat him. The closes one in my opinion is probably Joe Gans. Styles makes fights, and I think Gans accuracy, timing, and movements may give him a close Split Decision vs. Duran.

I also think guys like Benny Leonard with his excellent pull away combinations can bother Duran's frontal assaults. Pernell Whitaker is another slickster who knows how to counter punch a brawler liek Duran. Carlos Ortiz and Henry Armstrong as lightweights can also upset the odds. An a lot of people may disagree with me, I think Antonio Cervantes, despite being a junior welterweight, I believe can move to lightweight, where he has fought as well, and can pull an upset of Duran.

None of these guys can beat Duran convincingly but I do believe they have a chance to win by a close decision or split decision. Esteban De Jesus in my opinion was the only fighter the defeated Duran convincingly in Duran's prime and best fighting weight....Show more

Lightweight (all these fighters have a better than average chance of beating a prime Duran):

Benny Leonard
Pernell Whitaker
Ike Williams


Welterweight:
Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Robinson
Thomas Hearns
Jose Napoles
Barney Ross



The fighters have a shot of beating Duran:
Tony Canzoneri
Manny Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather
Joe Gans



However, none (except the Welterweight I mentioned) could DEFINITELY beat Duran....Show more

At lightweight and on his best day I think no one past or present could beat Duran. At welterweight Sugar Ray Robinson could beat him and a few of history's other great welterweights could, but welterweight wasn't his prime division, at 135 lbs he was unstoppable....Show more