Just my monthly reminder to fightbeat that Leonard demanded a 24 fucking foot ring in the Duran rematch then galloped around every inch of it like Roberto was an aids infected honey badger. Quite honestly one of the most shameful & purely negative wins in boxing history & Duran loses no esteem in my eyes for bowing out of the farce of it on general principle. Duran > Leonard 4eva. That is all, thanks. :Thumbs:
Seriously don't get me started. He didn't 'choose' to do anything, he just couldn't execute the strategy he managed to win 4 rounds of 7 with in New Orleans without a big squirt-your-eye clown ring.
That's all good and grand, but you'll have to live with the fact that two words define the Leonard/Duran rivalry. No. Mas.
Not really. Duran won the fight that mattered between both guys fully prepared, inside a boxing ring rather than sprawling canvas playing fields.
Really though, is noone else a bit sickened by Ray's incredible negativity in that one? History's totally forgotten it given what Duran did (a UK MP underling might analyse it as a good night to bury bad news), but i really think Leonard deserves his fair share for the farce of New Orleans. In my opinion at least half of it. I mean, if you can bare to watch it again through the stink, baring in mind the outlandish, unprecedented ring demands, I can't see how anyone can come away repeating the way the party has written history there of Leonard dominating and frsutrating an outclassed Duran etc. It just wasn't how it happened. Ray fastidiously avoided a fight, reduced the exchanges to an absolute trickle with that huge ring and clinching until Duran basically threw his hands up at the absurdity of trying to dance-rape an unwilling partner, circling round a vast cavernous ballroom.
One of my favourite moments in boxing history is the second half of round 7, when Leonard hilariously humiliated Duran. Great, great stuff.
All the sources about Duran-Hearns are also wrong. Duran was unable to fight on his terms because of the ring and Hearns avoided fighting by extending his arms towards Roberto before Duran was able to get to him and beat him up so Duran basically threw himself face down out of frustration
Can you say easy work? This is an amazing display right here. <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/j12bUIj9NZE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Pure negativity. Little known fact - if you press your DVD copy of that fight against a banana the banana will die.