If Ayala was able to keep himself out of jail, how would the proposed Duran-Ayala matchup have turned out? What would have happened if Ayala didn't end up in jail and he took on Duran at 154 sometime in 1983?
At 154? I doubt it. I don't think too highly of Duran at 154 or 160, though he did have some success there... But there is no tellin how good Ayala really was....
154 is high for Duran but I think Ayala going away made people think "what could have been" but I think Duran is the goods and gets him at any weight
I agree, cuz he went away everyone hyped him up, Duran was a veteran so any true step up for Ayala could have proven bad for him, and just got outthought, I agree. No KO though... At 154? I say Duran by close but clear decision. Duran...just more proven, even at that weight.
Ayala was much like a young version of Roberto. Savage, fierce and hateful to his opponents. Nobody would out DURAN, Duran. I see the Duran that tortured Davey Moore doing the same to Ayala.
I'd pick Duran, but Ayala would have given Duran a much tougher fight than Moore did. Ayala was better than Moore.
Moore was very hittable, and Ayala had brutal power. In addition, Tony was just more naturally talented and skilled than Moore. It woulda been a great fight, but IMO Ayala would have stretched Moore out in about 7 rounds.
Brutal power? No. Brutal? Yeah. Brutal power is Hearns, Jackson, Foster, etc. Ayala didn't have one shot KO power like those guys.
Guys like Hearns, Jackson, and Foster were just freaks. Ayala didnt hit like those guys, but who did? How many fights of the young Ayala have you seen? He was an EXTREMELY heavy handed puncher, who was fully capable of fucking someone up with one or two left hooks. I'm not saying Ayala would have beaten Leonard, Hearns, Duran, or Hagler, because he would NOT have. But IMO he would have done a number on Davey Moore.
