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10 great moments in the career of Roberto Duran
With Friday's release of Hands of Stone , moviegoers and sports fans will get a crash course in remembering Roberto Duran, one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in boxing history. While the years have been at times less than kind, Duran has a history that is worth remembering.
Unfortunately, Hands of Stone barely scratches the surface, choosing to focus on Duran's rise and rivalry with Sugar Ray Leonard, but in the boxing world, Duran had more moments than a film could cover, so let's revisit 10 of these great moments in the career of a boxing legend.
10. Duran vs. Huertas, September 13, 1971
After four years of scrapping in the Panamanian fight circuit, a 20-year-old Duran got his break, taking his 25-0 record to the big time of New York City, where he faced Benny Huertas. Duran would knock Huertas out in the first round, setting forth a path that would see him become a hero for a nation.
9. Duran vs. Buchanan, June 26, 1972
Less than a year after his Madison Square Garden debut, Duran smashed WBA, Lineal and The Ring Lightweight champion Ken Buchanan in the 13th round, becoming the first Panamanian world champion and improving his record to 29-0.
8. Duran vs. DeJesus, November 17, 1972
After 31 straight wins, Duran would be shocked as a decision goes against him in a light-welterweight bout. While Duran didn't have any of his belts on the line, this first loss by decision would serve as the basis for two more battles against DeJesus, with Duran coming out on top in both bouts, including adding a WBC Lightweight Championship belt in 1978.
7. Duran vs. Leonard I June 20, 1980
Those who remember these series of fights know this is where Duran made himself into a household name. The leadup to possibly one of the greatest bouts ever was not an easy or peaceful one as Duran, who was desperate for all audiences to take him seriously, made a heel turn against one of the more squeaky clean personalities in the game, wasting no time disrespecting Leonard's wife in public and making a general ass of himself. The strategy worked, however, as Duran got Leonard off his game and won the WBC, The Ring and Lineal Welterweight titles in a unanimous decision that shocked the boxing world—proving once and for all that Duran was for real.
6. Duran vs. Leonard II, November 25, 1980
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Unfortunately, fame got to Duran's head, and while that was happening, those in his camp were making deals without him. One of those deals was a rubber match against Leonard way before Duran was ready. He went into training 40 lbs. overweight, and by the time he made it to the bout—the highest paying of his career—he was in no shape to win. In the eighth round, Duran turned his back to Leonard and quit the match, saying "No Mas" (spanish for No More). To this day, Duran denies he ever said this.
5. Duran vs. Hagler, November 10, 1983
It took time and he suffered some losses along the way, but Duran made it back to the spotlight, earning a huge match against the formidable and undefeated "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler in a fight every bit as big as the first Leonard bout. Duran was on a high after winning the WBA Light Middleweight championship earlier in the year, and decided moving up to Middleweight would be the right challenge. Although Hagler won the unanimous 15-round decision, Duran accomplished something no boxer to date had been able to do: he went the distance and proved that Hagler wasn't invincible.
4. Duran vs. Barkley, February 24, 1989
Duran's career would slow, but he wasn't completely out of gas as his quest to be a champion as a Middleweight would finally pay off in his bout against Iran Barkley—considered by many as one of Duran's greatest moments in the ring—as the aging, but still tough 37-year-old won his fourth title in an absolute brawl. The decision was close, but Duran came out on top, with Ring Magazine dubbing it the "Fight of the Year" for 1989.
3. Duran vs. Leonard III, December 7, 1989
Duran's surprise victory set the stage for his final bout against his friend and boxing nemesis, Sugar Ray Leonard. Dubbed "Uno Mas" as an allusion to their controversial rematch almost a decade earlier, the two rivals faced off for the WBC Super Middleweight title (even though both boxers still weighed in as middleweights). Unlike his 1980 match, Duran would go the distance with Leonard, but in the end, the scorecards were against him, giving Leonard the title and final bragging rights in their decade-long war.
2. Duran vs. Camacho I, June 22, 1996
In 1996, the IBC Middleweight crown was vacant and in a surprise move, Hector "Macho" Camacho challenged Duran in what would be a close, yet very controversial, match. Although the now 45-year old boxer seemed to be no match for the younger Camacho, he held his own and went the distance until the scorecards unanimously gave the bout and the championship to Camacho. There were protests, but Camacho's win was upheld. Coincidentally, Camacho would be the victor in both Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard's final bouts, effectively ending both legends' careers.
1. Duran vs. Lawlor, June 16, 2000
Before his final match with Macho Camacho, Duran got one more chance at glory as he faced Pat Lawlor, a boxer who previously defeated him in 1991, leaving him with a badly injured shoulder. This time out, the 49-year-old was not only set on revenge, but also leaving a legacy as a champion with one more shot at a title. Duran got his wish with a 12-round unanimous decision in front of a Panamanian audience, who saw him come away with the NBA Super Middleweight title. While he would lose that title to Camacho in his final match a year later at the age of 50, Roberto Duran's career ended with all the honor and dignity that some said he would never regain after walking away from Sugar Ray Leonard in 1980.
More must-reads:
- The 20 best boxing movies of all time
- Weekly WNBA takeaways: Injuries putting damper on regular season
- The 'Boxing families' quiz
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