2006 Boxing HOF Inductees

[Bill Murphy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/box...ory?id=2463585

Having a special ceremony for the 1976 Olympic team is a very cool. Even if Leonard & the Spinks bros had never done a thing as pros they'd still all deserve it. Hard to explain how great it all was to watch. Plus, you had Teofilio Stevenson at his peak, and it was even one of Cosell's finest performances. Never be anything close to it again.

However, Rosario? Carbajal?? Gonzalez??? Maybe I'm misremembering, and I defo need to review all their records. All were very good fighters, but HOF?

(pause)

OK, decided not to be an idiot and I went ahead and did the research. Carbajal & Gonzalez, absolutely yes. I'd just plain forgotten what a great trilogy that was, and how many successful title defenses each made. Extra points to Gonzalez for retiring at the right time and becoming a successful businessman.

Rosario, no way. Like his rivals Jose Luis Ramirez & Livingstone Bramble he was a very good fighter with a couple of big wins, but not in the class of Duran, Pryor, Chavez, Arguello, Cervantes, Armstrong, De La Hoya, Whittaker, and even Camacho; and all the other great lightweights & jr. welters. IMHO.

Oh, and here's one for the all-time LOL HOF. Camacho's Wikipedia entry refers to Duran as a "possible future hall-of-famer". [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Big Limpin]

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...refers to Duran as a "possible future hall-of-famer". [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

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It ought to be moot, but would HOF ceredentials be weighted to what you did late career (when you were famous and everyone saw the fights)?

"Hands of Stone" was legendary, i mean, legendary running 135 and 140 early in his career. But lets be honest...he stunk it up pretty bad later in his career. Does that count against him?

I'm making a half-hearted case against him (for arguements sake)...although IMO hes shoo-in because hes Roberto Duran, man....but:

-14 losses
-No mas
-Getting brutally KTFO by Hearns
-Of the big 4...he was clearly the 4th best of them at the time they fought each other (referring to SRL, Hearns, Hagler) (i'm aware he was the smaller guy)
-HE LOST TWICE TO VINNY PAZIENZA

Dunno Bill, Durans in HOF in my book, but you could make a case that fighting way past your prime could nullify alot of what you acchieved as a young man.

*I just take this position to inspire debate, your thread looked lonely, and i like talkingboxing.

PS you've seen Duran vs Iran Barkley? one of my favs [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Bill Murphy]

IMO, only two fighters can be considered for being pound-for-pound the best ever; Duran & Robinson. And Robinson lost 25 fights! But he was also 101-1-2 w/89 KO's at one point.

I don't hold the last ten or so years of Duran's career against him. Just a broke ol' pug needing a few bucks. The first ten or so years were phenomenal.

Wiped out the whole lightweight division. Destroyed DeJesus in the two rematches. Nearly killed a couple guys. Never came close to losing, other than the first DeJesus fight(a non-title fight he didn't care about). I think he would've easily beaten Arguello at 135 & Chavez at 140, prime against prime. Just too fast & strong.

No mas was a disgrace, no doubt. Leonard insisted on a quick rematch because he knew Duran would blow up in weight btwn fights and always need money. I don't think Duran even trained much for it. Just took diuretics.

The first fight was a masterpiece by Cholo, and he tore Leonard's face off in the third fight. Remember what he did to Davey Moore? Too bad the fight w/Tony Ayala never happened. Cholo v Torito. The Latino Armageddon. What a war that woulda been.

The Hearns fight was just a styles thing, IMO. Like how Foreman wiped out Frazier & Norton, who both beat Ali, then he loses to Ali.

The Barkley fight was one of the most amazing performances in boxing history. 36 years old and 25 lbs heavier than in his prime. And Barkley didn't take him lightly, either.

How about an all-time 15 round dream fight at 140; Duran v Aaron Pryor? Hold it in the Orange Bowl. The fights in the stands and riots afterward would've been awesome. Have to make sure Panama Lewis leaves his black bottle at home, tho. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Here's a good trivia question: Who did Duran beat for his title at 140? Answer in white: <font color="white">Nobody! He went straight from lightweight to welterweight. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] </font>

Yeah, it's fun talking boxing. Hard to do nowadays. They've pretty much destroyed the sport. Thank God I was born when I was(1965) so I saw the halcyon days.

[Gunny Highway]

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Even if Leonard &amp; the Spinks bros had never done a thing as pros they'd still all deserve it. Hard to explain how great it all was to watch.

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It's too bad Leon Spinks never had the career he should've. Without his amateur coach, Roosevelt Sanders, around to keep his head on straight, he never could hold it together after he got out of the Marines. But he was amazing.

I loved watching Duran as a kid. I pretty much try to forget his later years...kind of like Tyson.