Duran vs. Leonard I ("The Brawl in Montreal") (1980)

Back then Roberto was at his best, Moving up in weight, and taking on the MEDIA darling Leonard. Making Leonard fight his fight. Good battle by both MEN. Leonard gained my respect after that. Close DEC. won by DURAN. NUFF SAID.

Roberto Duran was probably the best pound-for-pound in the history of the sport, and Leonard definitely rates as one of the all-time greats. This was as much a street fight as it was a boxing match between two guys who had a genuine dislike (if not hatred) for one another. Probably the best in my memory.

one of the best fights

Crappy fight

I remember it well. We went to the Philly Spectrum. Me, my dad, my brothers, and a couple of dudes that were friends of my brothers. I don't think there was a single chick at the Spectrum that night. Robert Bly would have loved the maleness of it all. The fight was a thriller with the slugger Duran vs. the scientific Sugar Ray. I think the crowd was pro-Duran (Sugar Ray was a bit too overhyped by the media). When the final bell sounded, no one knew who the winner was. The Spectrum erupted in cheers when Duran got the decision. Duran's triumph was kind of like Mickey Ward's stunning win over Arturo Gatti. Like Ward, you just had the suspicion that the older Duran was going to have trouble in the rematch. No Mas.

Boxing at its best. As a former amateur boxing champion my self, my insight into this fight is highly credible. These guys brang a reputation of excellence to the ring. They possesed the highest skills atainable in boxing. They went at it toe to toe relentlessly none stop for 15 rounds. To fight at that pace, a boxer has to be in super shape. That match is the standard for quality boxing. A true classic of the art and science of boxing. Much of boxing and boxers today, are a joke compared to boxing back then (1980). Champ

This fight is my personal favorite. When Duran stepped into the ring that night, he was the most feared boxer in the world. Long before the great pretender Mike Tyson appeared on the scene, there was Roberto Duran. His full ferocity and supreme arrogance were on full display. The skills he showed against Leanard that night were incredible. He fiented, slipped punches, constantly beat the faster Sugarman to the punch. The fact that he did all this as an overblown lightweight speaks volumes on the man. Leonard would come back and defeat Duran twice, including the infamous No mas fight, which is another story in itself. But on this night Duran was supreme in a battle of two truly great fighters. They gave boxing fans a fight to remember. This boxing fan is forever grateful!!

Duran entered the ring with his two Jewish grandfathers(trainers)-Freddie Brown and Ray Arcel(one of Benny Leonard's trainers-generally considered the greatest lightweight before Duran) as if this were his Bar Mitzvah.Then he fought like it.

classic!

COntrary to what many people might say this was the epitomy of boxing. was welterweight ali vs welterweight with the same result. the bully beating up the pretty boy!! Ray did not what any parts of this fight because at that time duran was the best pound for pound. Even though he had his vengeance in the no mas fight this was the only in his prime where he actually got the mess kicked out of him from round 1 to 15. he was clearly overmatched in this fight and it was duran at his best. this fight ranks no 2 all time because there is no other time in history where the two best fighters in the world met during their prime. except for ali frazier 1. this fight was pure power and ferocity against finesse and skill.