marlon

Thank you very much for your story HUGOBOX. On different levels the story you tell is a moving one. Duran is a strange and fascinating character. If anything, the poverty seemed to have really traumatized the child but he was aware that the Duran family was better than the circumstances allowed them to be. Perhaps this explains his infinite pride. I think it's profoundly wrong to see Roberto's anger as merely showy and to intimidate his opponents. That's bullshit. Truly, if I didn't see on film the various antics he got up to, I wouldn't believe there could be someone who was in someways such a distortion of human nature. In the first Leonard fight, Duran's arrogance (and brilliance) in the 15th rd was beyond belief. The commentators were choking on their own amazement ("I don't believe it, I don't believe it") in the way he didn't throw punches, was toying and playing with Leonard, and in a final insult, offered his chin to Leonard. It was a stunning display of defensive boxing. If anyone knows of a more dejected and resigned look than Leonard's at the end of the fight let me know about it. It also supersedes Willy Peps' famous defensive feat of winnig a round without throwing a punch. Peps' opponent was a mug but Duran's was not. It's absolutely incredible to say, but Duran knew he won the fight BY THE 14TH ROUND!!!!!!!! The disbelief of the commentators was priceless!!!!!!!!!

The only difficulty in deciding what is the greatest win in boxing history, is either Duran's win of the welterweight crown or Duran's win of the middlweight crown. The Leonard fight is for Duran's unmatched brilliance against a great champion, and the Barkley fight, for Duran's overcoming the near impossibility of winning it and for the fact that it was historically the first and only time a lightweight had ever won the middleweight crown.

If you don't agree with me you can go and suck on your own jealosy.

To boz19, all I have to say is that Duran's personality simply eludes you, as does your understanding of the Leonard fights. Duran is too good for you. Go and watch Godzilla fight.