Duran's career spanned over three decades, during which he won world titles in four weight divisions. The Panamanian fighter stepped into the ring 119 times and lost only 16 bouts. His most famous victory came against Sugar Ray Leonard in June 1980, when he claimed the WBC world welterweight title by unanimous decision.
The era Duran fought in has been called a golden generation of fighters. It included names like Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, and Thomas Hearns. Mayweather recently stated he would have been successful if he had competed during this time.
In an interview with The Daily Mail, Duran dismissed Mayweather's claim:
"I laugh when Floyd Mayweather says that if he went back in time he would beat us all. I'll tell you this: if he was in the same era as Hagler and Hearns and Leonard and me, I don't think he would be such a big name. There is too much talk."
Mayweather, now 48 and from Grand Rapids, Michigan, retired in 2017 with an undefeated record of 50-0. He won world titles in five weight divisions and scored notable victories over Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya, and Canelo Alvarez. His final fight was against MMA star Conor McGregor in August 2017.
While Mayweather's accomplishments are impressive, Duran believes the competition in his era would have made it much harder for the American to achieve such success. The Panamanian's comments have reignited discussions about how fighters from different eras would match up against each other.