In assessing Roberto Duran’s boxing profession nearly three many years faraway from his final significant win, one factor is to not be questioned: “Manos de Piedra” is an all-time nice. Previous that, the dialogue as to the place he stands within the pantheon of pugilism’s immortals will proceed for years to come back. Some say he’s the best light-weight of all time; others contend he needs to be remembered as a lot, or extra, for his performances at welterweight and middleweight. Both manner, we recall right here the twelve ring triumphs that talk on to the greatness of Roberto Duran. And naturally it’s solely becoming to function this checklist within the month of June, the month of Roberto’s birthday and when he scored a number of of his most astonishing victories. Verify ’em out:
12. Roberto Duran TKO8 Hector Thompson, June 2, 1973: One in all eight fights on the calendar yr for Duran, the win over Thompson was the second of twelve whole defenses of the WBA light-weight title, but additionally an emphatic reply to criticism Roberto had obtained following the primary lack of his profession a number of months earlier than. Thompson was a Commonwealth and Australian champion at 140 kilos and hard as nails however the match was determined by a mix of Duran’s vicious instincts and coach Ray Arcel’s fantastic tuning. Fixed jabbing was adopted by offended hooks and proper arms that lastly felled Thompson within the eighth in entrance of 15,000 in Panama Metropolis. Said Thompson, “I by no means had a more durable rival.”
11. Roberto Duran TKO10 Guts Ishimatsu, September 8, 1973: Ishimatsu, who had a number of pseudonyms, had received six fights in a row for the primary time in his profession previous to dealing with Duran. Ishimatsu, then typically generally known as Suzuki, was standard as a colourful character regardless of spotty in-ring performances. He had already visited Panama in a shedding title bid towards Ismael Laguna in 1970 and was decided to make good this time. However Duran was out to show a degree, once more making his jab the middle of his offense, and exhibiting off world class countering skill and glorious protection, mixing the 2 nearly seamlessly. 5 knockdowns in two rounds satisfied the ref it was time to finish the slaughter. Ishimatsu would go on to seize the WBC light-weight belt the next yr, defending it 5 instances earlier than retiring and turning into a profitable actor and comic.
10. Roberto Duran W15 Edwin Viruet, September 17, 1977: The rivalry between Duran and the Viruet brothers was not on the identical stage of depth as at the least two different private grudges Roberto held as a professional, however the sick emotions have been actual nonetheless. Edwin, the older of the 2, was a former New York Golden Gloves champion who had damaged Duran’s one-year, eight-fight stoppage streak in 1975 by clowning his manner via a non-title bout in Viruet’s yard. A barely unpopular resolution, plus Viruet’s claims of a repair, led to a rematch for Duran’s title. This time Duran was extra aggressive, trapping Viruet on the ropes and within the corners, ignoring the moments when the slick Puerto Rican made him miss wildly and leaving completely little question who was the superior fighter, even in his first title bout to go the total distance.
9. Roberto Duran KO14 Ray Lampkin, March 2, 1975: Nat Loubet, then editor of The Ring, stated of the Lampkin win, “Duran proved he’s a light-weight to not solely be reckoned with, but additionally to be thought-about when in future years the bar flies begin the argument: ‘[Who was] the most effective light-weight who ever lived?’” This assertion speaks not a lot to Lampkin’s class because it does to Duran’s efficiency. Certainly, Duran regarded like a killer that night time and almost was one, formally. “Lightning” Lampkin was a front-runner, and his problem of Duran was no exception. By means of the primary a number of rounds, Lampkin hung robust, even profitable some exchanges, however Duran’s fixed strain broke Lampkin down earlier than Roberto leveled him with a vicious left hook. Lampkin can be despatched instantly to the hospital, the place he stayed 5 days. Duran would famously say for the tv interview after the battle: “Immediately I despatched him to the hospital. Subsequent time I put him within the morgue.”
8. Roberto Duran TKO4 Jose “Pipino” Cuevas, January 29, 1983: In Cuevas, Mexico had a welterweight champion whose left hook terrorized a bit of the division over the past half of the Seventies. His solely losses within the seven years main as much as the Duran battle have been a shocker to Roger Stafford and a knockout loss to Thomas Hearns that was, fairly frankly, comprehensible. The Stafford loss was voted “Upset of the Yr” for 1981 by The Ring, and, coincidentally, Duran’s loss to Kirkland Laing took the award in 1982. When the 2 have been paired, each had seen higher days and have been regarded as all however shot. Cuevas was worn, positive, however Duran probed at what tatters there have been with a fast jab, out-speeding Cuevas earlier than hammering him backwards right into a nook in spherical 4, scoring a knockdown. A wobbly Pipino was greeted with an prolonged assault on the ropes and went down once more, barely making it to his toes earlier than his nook surrendered.
7. Roberto Duran TKO12 Esteban de Jesus, January 21, 1978: De Jesus supplied a extra full of life nemesis than the Viruet brothers, carrying extra respectable punching energy and an enormous authentic win over Duran in 1972. Esteban was additionally slippery, in addition to equally Puerto Rican, and actually disliked Duran. He had bounced again from defeats to Roberto and Antonio Cervantes to win the WBC light-weight title from Ishimatsu in 1976. For Duran, then the WBA champion, this rubber match was about supremacy and he seized it, although in an surprising manner, boxing De Jesus as an alternative of attacking relentlessly. A proper hand in spherical twelve left De Jesus crawling to the ropes so he may pull himself to his toes and Duran mercilessly battered him for the stoppage win.
6. Roberto Duran W10 Carlos Palomino, June 22, 1979: A Mexican based mostly out of Los Angeles, Palomino had claimed the WBC welterweight title from John Stracey in London, then made seven defenses earlier than working into defensive genius Wilfred Benitez in 1979. Duran had simply formally exited the light-weight division, citing problem making 135 kilos, and ex-champion Palomino was to be his first critical problem at welterweight. Some thought this a stiff problem, however Duran was significantly sharp that night time, out-working Palomino on the within, and feinting him out of place earlier than punishing him on the surface. Within the sixth, a sneak proper hand behind a jab cracked Palomino to the canvas. He obtained as much as stave off the assault within the seventh, however dropped nearly each different spherical as Duran turned in a masterclass of aggressive boxing.
5. Roberto Duran TKO13 Ken Buchanan, June 26, 1972: One in all Scotland’s most interesting ever fighters, Buchanan ditched his longtime supervisor Eddie Thomas previous to making an attempt his third protection of the light-weight title towards Duran. However taking over legendary coach and supervisor Gil Clancy wasn’t sufficient to halt the progress of the Panamanian madman. Early in spherical one Duran scored with a proper hand that despatched Buchanan down and ever after the challenger saved grinding away, spherical after spherical, along with his fists, elbows, forearms, head, and no matter else he may put to make use of. On the finish of spherical 13 the 2 continued to throw punches after the bell had sounded, with Duran cracking Buchanan very low, rendering him unable to proceed. A replay confirmed the punch was properly under the belt, however Roberto was awarded the win and the title, albeit controversially. Regardless of the injustice, Duran demonstrated a imply streak that complimented his blossoming ability set.
4. Roberto Duran TKO8 Davey Moore, June 16, 1983: The convenience with which Duran manhandled the WBA junior middleweight champion shocked nearly everybody, even “Manos de Piedra” himself. A extreme mugging began with a thumb to the fitting eye within the opening spherical. “These thumbs have been coming from in every single place,” stated Moore afterward. However even Moore and his supervisor Leon Washington needed to admit that Duran’s mix of pace, energy and punching energy simply wasn’t anticipated and the smaller man was capable of do as he happy on the within, at instances redefining the time period “unlawful ways.” Regardless of Moore being from New York, the sell-out crowd was there to see Duran redeem himself and so they cheered on the challenger as he blended vicious head photographs with a extreme physique assault. In spherical seven, Duran despatched Moore to the canvas with a proper hand, and in spherical eight he gave Moore an evil beating earlier than the match was lastly stopped. Roberto turned simply the seventh man in boxing historical past to win a world title in three divisions whereas Moore was by no means the identical.
3. Roberto Duran KO11 Esteban De Jesus II, March 16, 1974: Since his resolution loss to De Jesus in November of ’72, Roberto had rebounded with ten straight wins together with defenses towards Thompson and Ishimatsu. Duran’s first professional loss might have been a non-title affair, however there was lingering doubt as to his skill to deal with adversity after he was decked in spherical considered one of that first assembly with the Puerto Rican. A mean fighter would have been overcome with painful deja vu after being despatched down as soon as extra within the opening spherical by a left hook, however Duran obtained up and by spherical’s finish he was pushing De Jesus again. The champion stated after the battle, “I by no means noticed De Jesus’ jab, however he hit me on the chin onerous.” Not onerous sufficient. De Jesus was picked aside over the following ten rounds, taking place in spherical seven. A hellish physique assault weakened De Jesus and in spherical eleven a mix punctuated by a thudding proper hand obtained Duran his revenge.
2. Roberto Duran W12 Iran Barkley, February 24, 1989: Retiring after back-to-back defeats to Marvin Hagler and Hearns, Duran got here again solely to quickly keep out as soon as extra when he misplaced an in depth ten spherical resolution to Robbie Sims. Now a middleweight, even when solely a mushy shell of 1, Duran put some wins collectively and obtained a crack at Barkley’s WBC belt. It made no sense. Barkley was an enormous middleweight who had scored an eye-popping upset of Thomas Hearns, the identical “Motor Metropolis Cobra” who had stopped Duran in two rounds 5 years earlier. Extremely, Duran put collectively one other sensible efficiency, wobbling Barkley within the very first spherical. All bets have been off after that, and a ugly clinic of physique punching ensued. The climax got here in spherical eleven when Duran landed a five-punch mixture that froze and dropped Barkley, sealing an in depth win which made Duran the primary Latino four-division champ.
1. Roberto Duran W15 Ray Leonard, June 20, 1980: On paper, there aren’t going to be a complete heap of wins higher than this one in your entire historical past of boxing. Leonard, an undefeated Olympic gold medalist and media darling, was a nine-to-five favourite and the bigger, youthful, flashier fighter. Palomino was the extent of Duran’s expertise at welterweight, so far as world class opponents went, whereas Leonard had poked holes within the division already and displaced Benitez, who had been undefeated.
In fact, Leonard and Duran each upped their recreation that night time. Rocked in spherical two, Sugar Ray was compelled to go defensive early, then needed to make up factors and time within the center rounds by taking part in Duran’s recreation. Leonard performed it shocking properly at instances, however Duran’s inside milling was bruising, and it made the distinction in an in any other case shut battle. After following within the footsteps of all-time greats Henry Armstrong and Barney Ross, Duran remarked, that “[Leonard] was fairly good, however he needed to be as a result of he was preventing me.” –Patrick Connor
