Pernell Whitaker vs Roberto Duran

[Sweet Science]

I'd be interested to know your opinions of who comes out on top in this encounter. Also, would the result be different at 135 & 147?

I would say that at Lightweight Duran would get the decision as he was a force of nature at 135. However, at Welter I lean towards Whitaker getting the nod as I think Duran wasn't the same force at 147 plus he'd find Whitaker even harder to catch clean.

What do you think...?

I'm still very new here, so I'm keen to get to know peoples views and idea's on this proposed matchup.

[Minotauro]

At 135lbs Duran tko 12, his combination of speed, power, agression and toughness is rear to see. I don't see any lightweight beating Duran when he's at his best.
At 147lbs it would got to decision and be real tight I slightly favour Duran but wouldn't be surprised if Whitaker got the nod, although he didn't get much luck when it came to decision like the Ramirez fight.

[Sweet Science]

At 135lbs Duran tko 12,

I think Duran would have won at 135 but by stoppage or KO I'm not so sure. Pernell was super tough and a defensive wizard so as great as Duran was I don't think he'd land quite enough shots to get Whitaker out of there.

[Holmes' Jab]

Good post, Sweet_Science. I agree.

135lbs: Duran takes it on pts.
147lbs: Whitaker, by close decision (perhaps SD)


Ps: check out The "Top10" thread. I've finally replied to the post you left yesterday.

[Swedish81]

No one Ko'es Whitaker at any weight, not even Duran. He's defense was just too good.
Remember how Trinidad was unable to KO an old out of his prime cokehead Whitaker.

I think it would be a really close fight at both weights and I think Pernell could edge it at 147 as well as at 135.
Duran was good but he wasn't unbeatable. He had tendencies of being frustrated at times and who was better doing that than Pea.

Duran would get frustrated and start with foul tactics and Whitaker would answer with his own share of fouls and clowning, remember that Pernell was a very dirty fighter too. Duran would get more and more wild which would favour Whitaker and he would squeze out the decision.

[Minotauro]

I think Duran would have won at 135 but by stoppage or KO I'm not so sure. Pernell was super tough and a defensive wizard so as great as Duran was I don't think he'd land quite enough shots to get Whitaker out of there.

By tko I didn't mean Duran lands so many unanswered shots but that he knockes Pernell down and when gets up he's all dazed and out of it so the ref calls it.

[Sweet Science]

By tko I didn't mean Duran lands so many unanswered shots but that he knockes Pernell down and when gets up he's all dazed and out of it so the ref calls it.

Well Duran would have to land many unanswered CLEAN shots to have a chance of knocking Pernell down.

I just can't see Duran being able to knock sweet pea down at all. I can see Duran winning a decision at 135, but as great as Duran was he would have to be able to hit Whitaker. He would have to hit him often, because Whitaker had a great chin and was also damn tough for such a slick boxer.

[JimmyShimmy]

Whitaker would UD Duran. I really do not tihnk that even the 135lbs Duran would be able to contend with the constantly turning, ducking, and clowning Pernell.

Whitakers output was crazy, and out of that small moving target would be popping jabs everywhere.

Whitaker would do his side-winding thing, make Duran hit his hip enough times to get a point taken off, frustrate him and then pop his face. He has the stamina to make Sure Duran does not get on top, and the elusive ability to contend with his flexible arsenal.

[la-califa]

Duran was by no means an undisiplined brawler. If he found Whitaker too elusive he would move in and punish the body, slow Whitaker & get him in the late rounds. Ala Esteban DeJesus. At Welterweight a slower Duran could be outpointed by a defensive fighter, who uses constant movement. like Wilfred Benitez.

[Muskyrat]

Duran was too strong for just about anybody at 135 so reckon he'd win
at 147 he wasnt quite the same force so think he'd lose on points

[Executioner]

At 135, Duran wins a unanimous decision. Whitaker's southpaw style, skill, speed and defense would give Duran problems, and Duran's pressure, strength, and skill would give Whitaker problems. Duran himself had a great defense too in his own right.

I don't think Duran would land enough clean, hard punches on Whitaker to force a stoppage. I suspect that the punchstat numbers would be pretty close but a wide advantage for the power punches in Durans favor.

At 147, it's a toss up.

[The Kurgan]

At lightweight, I think Duran's strength and pressure would wear down Whitaker in an utter classic, with crazy punchstats. Duran would win a tight but fair decision, something like 8-7 or 7-5-2.

At welterweight, I'd pick Whitaker to narrowly beat Duran, against by tight decision.

The odd thing is, were I to design a boxer to beat Whitaker, I'd produce someone like Duran. Yet, even then, Sweet Pea would be able to make it a 50-50 fight. That's how great he was.

[Stonehands89]

Good points, Kurgan.

I would assert that Duran was physically very strong for a LW. Whitaker was tough, but I think that Duran would manhandle him on the inside. Duran was in close with monsters like Hagler and Barkley and while outgunned, can anyone see Whitaker not getting tossed off his feet by both?

Let's not forget how elusive Duran himself was in his prime either. Duran's handspeed was damn good too. Leonard didn't look comparatively like lightening in Montreal. In any event, Brown and Arcel would see that Duran stays close and throw lots of hooks off of Whitakers arms, vary his shots, feint, and stay busy. I just can't see Whitaker handling that kind of pressure over 15 -over 12 maybe, but not over 15.

Duran UD. Whitaker would enrage Duran more than once, but in the end would pee blood for a year.

WW... I see no difference.

[achillesthegreat]

Duran was too strong for just about anybody at 135 so reckon he'd win
at 147 he wasnt quite the same force so think he'd lose on points
Oh man, look at your signature. Lovely ko.

[Duodenum]

Duran goes downstairs to take it on points. Whitaker wouldn't be able to predict where Duran was coming from. Pernell would fade a little over the championship rounds.

Duran UD 15 Whitaker. (If Sweet Pea and Manos de Piedra had performed a sumo exhibition at their IBHOF induction, I would've bet the mortgage on Duran.)

[rekcutnevets]

Pernell was my favorite fighter from the 90's. People that pressure Whitaker usually play right into his hands. I think that Duran is strong enough to make an exception. I pick Duran by decisions, and it is because of knock downs. People were capable of dropping Whitaker at times, and I think Duran may have been able to do it once or twice. Whitaker may win more rounds, but I think Duran would drop him and still be able to win on the cards.

I will assume that the fight is 15 rounds, and under the 10 pt. must system.

If he dropped Whitaker 2 times, in seperate rounds, and barring any point deductions for fouls; Duran could win 6 out of 15 rounds and still win the fight. That is if you don't score even rounds, score rounds with knock downs 10-8, and rounds without knock downs 10-9. I would probably go with one knock down, and winning 7 of 15 rounds.

I don't think that you would see Whitaker really rattled by the knock downs, they would look like the several other times he has been down.

I think Whitaker outpoints Duran at Welterweight.

[cuchulain]

Duran, probably by KO at both weights.

[jyuza]

Pretty hard to predict that fight.

At lightweight, Duran was a monster. Power, speed, combination, chin, stamina, balance... he had everything at the highest level.
Whitaker too was amazing at 135. Speed, combination, chin, stamina, slickness... had he been more powerful he would have been the greatest fighter ever.

Whitaker wouldn't go for Duran, only one was able to do it and that was Heanrs at 154. He would apply the same strategy he used against Chavez at welterweight, outclass the opponent using footwork and jab.
Problem is Duran was a better pressure fighter and much more dangerous at closing the distance. Whitaker could use his unbelievable reflexe to avoid most of Duran punches but he would get hit by some sooner or later. I would say later, cause Duran was more effective at the second part of the fight.

Whitaker SD Duran. At lightweight.

[JohnThomas1]

I think Whitaker is quite a live underdog. After the Hearns match Emmanuel Steward said more than anything else it was Hearn's hand speed that bothered Roberto. Whitaker has this in spades but lacks Hearns big artillery. He's much better defensively tho and has excellent durability. Duran would be a 7-5 fave IMO, but Whitaker will make it interesting for sure.

[Holmes' Jab]

At lightweight, I think Duran's strength and pressure would wear down Whitaker in an utter classic, with crazy punchstats. Duran would win a tight but fair decision, something like 8-7 or 7-5-2.

At welterweight, I'd pick Whitaker to narrowly beat Duran, against by tight decision.

The odd thing is, were I to design a boxer to beat Whitaker, I'd produce someone like Duran. Yet, even then, Sweet Pea would be able to make it a 50-50 fight. That's how great he was.

Exactly right ...:good

[Holmes' Jab]

Duran, probably by KO at both weights.

No disrespect, but do you really see Duran stopping Whitaker inside the distance. That was proven to be a tall ask for most fighters (even greats like Duran was)

[Robbi]

Whitaker recently said himself on ESPN just a couple of weeks ago that if he could choose a weight division to fight Duran it would be welterweight. That would be his best chance of beating Duran, at 147lbs. He said Duran was an animal at lightweight who sent chills down his spine. He also said he wouldn't rule himself out at lightweight, but welterweight he would have a better chance.

I totally disagree with Whitaker. He was much faster at lightweight, and his reflexes were much sharper. He became more flat-footed as a welterweight. Even though he boxed and moved effectively against Chavez at welterweight, he was not quite the mover he was two divisions below.

I'm pretty certain Duran would have a much better chance of hitting Whitaker more often at welterweight. He'd be able to get inside, and fight the kind of fight he wanted. Duran was relentless against Palamino and Leonard. Whitaker would cause Duran problems, but he'd take some heavy blows at some point.

I feel Whitaker beats Duran at lightweight, but gets beaten at welterweight.

[rekcutnevets]

I see what you are saying Robbi, but I disagree. Since Whitaker is one of my favorites, I use to watch a lot on him. His trainer for much of his career, Georgie Benton, is responsable for the change that caused him to look more flatfooted.

Whitaker became a living illustration of how Benton thought a fighter should perform. Using angles, and moving in a circle, but always within striking distance. Working off a jab, and effectively working the body. He also believed in using "dead weight" punches on your opponents arms when you are given nothing else. He said fighters should "work smart, not hard." They shouln't run around without reason, wasting energy for no reason. They shouldn't throw punches with nothing on them, just for the sake of doing so. They should waste as little energy as possible.

[unitas]

duran.

[buzzsaw]

Duran shuts down any and all of Whitaker’s show at 135. If a ref like Johnny LoBianco is working the fight and actually lets the fighters fight Duran might stop him. At Lightweight Duran was the Greatest IMO. But heavier I pick Pea based on the loss to Benitez

[buzzsaw]

Pea would have a better shot at LW than WW. Shut down Pea's show? I assume you're one of the guys who thinks Pea was nothing but a clowner and a showman, in other words you haven't seen but a highlight or a fight with DLH. Watch some prime Pea at LW. Duran is not stopping him ever.

No, actually I've followed Pernell's career since the 84 Olympics( I helped 139 J.Page get ready for same games) What I mean by the reference to "his show" was his boxing attribbutes. Other then Pep there has been nobody like him. Certian refs might allow Duran to mug him as they have allowed him to rough up others. If that were to happen I think Duran could stop him.

[robert ungurean]

Duran.
Too much for SP to handle.

[Muchmoore]

Whitaker by UD.

[brooklyn1550]

I like Duran in this fight by close decision