Both Hearns and Duran would have been underdogs, and given Duran's style, which was similar to another great welterweight (Carmine Basilio) who gave Robinson trouble, I think Roberto would have had just as much a chance as Hearns and that big right hand. Still, I gotta believe Robinson would have tested Tommy's chin just as much as Hearns would have tested Ray's and Tommy's chin would have betrayed him before he could have KOed Robinson. I gotta believe there hasn't been anyone at welter weight who would have had much of a chance against Robinson.
LA Motta beat a prime Robinson. They fought twice in the same month and in the same venue and in Sugar's home turf. A lot of fight fans felt La Motta should of won the first fight. Jake convinced them they got their idea right in the 2nd fight. Robinson was undefeated but for the first time after 100 plus fights, Sugar saw his arch rival in Jake and he tasted a bitter pill that's so hard to swallow by the name "loss". No ifs and buts, Jake was Robinson's most game opponent. And IMHO in any weight, JAke would have a chance to beat the pound for pound king
Ray Leonard
The Duran that beat Leonard.
Thomas Hearns,
if youl ask leonard, he wont say duran nor hearns cos he beat the two...I bet he'll go for prime pacquiao, the best awkward and southpaw swarmer of this era
SRR once said something like this, "Take away the height, weight and age I could beat Mayweather. But Pacquiao is a different animal".
That answers the question./
Duran.
Any welterweight from any era.
The 2 welterweights i recall giving Robinson problems were both unorthodox awkward fighters;
1. Kid Gavilan, who aside from being very awkward; was also big for a welterweight, as big as Oscar de la Hoya.
2. Jake Lamotta; fought in a crouch, went on to be the undisputed middleweight champion of the world.
