lightweight pacquiao vs. lightweight duran?

Pacquiao would trouble Duran early with his speed and southpaw punching. However, Manny is easily drawn into a shootout, which is considered Duran Country.

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Duran often adjusted well during a fight. At his best, there was no style he didn't adjust to. Fast fighters, tall fighters, left handed fighters, name them. Duran eventually figured them out.

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Pacquiao would learn that he can't seriously hurt Duran. Manny is a powerful fighter at 135, which is likely his best weight. However, Duran would surpass Manny's power and he would take a shot better.

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The thing I notice about Duran and Pacquiao is punch accuracy. As rounds mount, Pacquiao becomes a bit less accurate. Duran becomes more accurate. The other glaring difference is Pacquiao's terrible habit of leaving himself off balance after missing a right hook. This wouldn't be as big a problem against Duran as it would be against quicker punchers. Still, you can't afford to make such a tactical error against Duran.

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In the later rounds, Duran would likely benefit from Pacquiao's balance issues, scoring a knockdown. Pacquiao's conditioning would allow him to go the distance but he would visit the canvas twice en-route. It's equally likely that Duran could catch Pacquiao solidly in the latter rounds and score a KO.

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My money goes on the latter. Make one mistake and Duran was unforgiving.

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Duran by KO in 13.

Duran wins this easily. Duran was the best lightweight of all time. He would steamroller Manny and knock him out early. Duran was a total package of offense defense killer instinct and determination. Pacquiao is not in the same league as Duran and never was.

No one beats Duran at lightweight

There are comparisons between Pacquiao and Duran at lightweight especially when they were still poised to jump to the welterweights.

Duran had more fights than Pacquiao at 135 lbs. but both were possibly in their best prime at that weight class.

Duran dominated the division like no other boxer before and after him making him the greatest lightweight champion ever.

Pacquiao had just one fight at 135 lbs. steam rolling over a hapless David Diaz but that's enough to give us a glimpse of what he could have done at that division had he opted to stay there and not move up to 140 and 147 classes.

But I would favor Duran over Pacquiao in a putative fight at lightweight seeing how potent and powerful he was in his prime that he would take on and whipped rated welterweights and even junior middleweights between 1978-79 including the great Carlos Palomino, in the run up to a fight with Sugar Ray Leonard in 1980.

Pacquiao would later meet and defeat Oscar de al Hoya and Ricky Hatton prior to winning the welterweright title over Miguel Cotto. Which is also nothing to sneeze at.

But power for power, Duran would have advantage over Pacquiao not to mention his wealth of experience and his great ability to adjust to and overcome his opponents whether they were bigger, taller, quicker and more ring-wise that he was.

It will be a hard, competitive fight from the get go but ike a diesel engine, Duran will get stronger as rounds lapsed and fatigue sets in on Pacquiao particularly his notoriously fatigue-prone pair of legs. Pacquiao's tendency to engage in heated exchanges will also be to his disadvantage in the later rounds as his edge in speed diminishes.

Duran by KO/TKO before 10 rounds.

Duran is the greatest lightweight ever. Manny's best weight, IMO, is 140.

Duran by KO RD 3

Duran would destroy Pacquiao. Pac was KO'd by Singursat, and Torrecampo. Against a prime Duran, he would get killed.

Duran is the greatest lightweight in history and would beat Pacquiao.

FACTS yall, at 135, pac rehydrates to 142-144 on fightnight... only at those weights, he was beating bigger guys, the elites at welter and not midgets at lightweight (remember he jumpd to welter after koing david diaz), so please imagine that pacquiao fighting duran at 135...will ya?

Duran all the way..