If one decides to rank the best performances within the superb profession of the nice Roberto Duran, his ten spherical tour de pressure towards Carlos Palomino clearly deserves excessive standing and has to search out itself close to the very high. Duran vs Palomino is a key contest in Duran’s profession because it displays the ability and ring intelligence of a real pound-for-pound nice, whereas additionally placing him in good place for his biggest triumph, an enormous, multi-million greenback showdown with Sugar Ray Leonard a 12 months later.
Duran had dominated the lightweights since 1972 and within the course of established himself as one of many best boxers of his period, maybe the most effective light-weight since Benny Leonard, actually essentially the most dominant since Ike Williams. However now, after a ultimate large win over rival Esteban De Jesus, he was shifting up and the jury was nonetheless out as as to whether Roberto may compete as successfully towards naturally greater males. Having abdicated his 135 pound title in early ’78, Duran bided his time, partaking in 4 stay-busy tilts as he waited for a shot on the welterweight crown. As an alternative the proper alternative arrived: an opportunity to shine in Madison Sq. Backyard towards a former champ who was nonetheless thought to be a high fighter within the division.
Carlos Palomino was something however a burned-out ex-champ in search of one final large payday. Nor had he been a paper champion. Having gained the title from Britain’s John Stracey, he had defended it seven occasions towards some glorious contenders together with Armando Muniz and Dave Inexperienced. And there was actually no disgrace in dropping his belt to one of the crucial gifted boxers within the sport’s historical past, Wilfred Benitez. Whereas Duran deserved to be the odds-on favourite, all agreed this was probably a troublesome problem for the previous terror of the lightweights.
The irony was that the combat was on the undercard of a nationally televised world heavyweight title match, Larry Holmes vs Mike Weaver, but there was much more buzz in boxing circles for Duran vs Palomino than for the evening’s fundamental attraction. In reality, with Muhammad Ali having retired the 12 months earlier than, the general public was paying renewed consideration to the decrease weight courses, particularly as they now provided such thrilling abilities and recent faces as Sugar Ray Leonard, Howard Davis Jr., and Marvin Hagler. Duran, a significant attraction since no less than 1972, was transcending his Latin fan base and assuming the picture of one of many sport’s legends and elder statesmen at simply the fitting time. However to get to the large alternatives forward, he needed to beat Palomino first.
Apart from firmly establishing Roberto as a severe risk at 147 kilos, Duran vs Palomino proved to be maybe the clearest demonstration but of how “Manos de Piedra” had advanced into a very full fighter. Having entered the game as a uncooked, highly effective brawler, Roberto had developed, with the assistance of grasp trainers Ray Arcel and Freddie Brown, into a complicated boxer-puncher: aggressive, highly effective, but additionally intelligent, inventive and surprisingly arduous to hit. His fame as a crude slugger now labored to his benefit as he took opponents without warning with the sophistication of his ways. Palomino had clearly ready for a Duran who would try and overpower him, however Roberto revered the previous champion’s skill and set about placing all the things he had realized to make use of, within the course of providing followers a memorable efficiency of ability and technical virtuosity.
Whereas a fast-paced motion combat, there was little drama; many scored it a shutout. Simply as Palomino wasn’t on the identical degree because the defensive wizard Benitez, he additionally wasn’t in the identical league as a motivated and match Duran. “Manos de Piedra,” considerably surprisingly, turned out to be clearly the stronger fighter with the extra damaging punch. It was official: Duran’s fearsome energy had not deserted him within the migration to the upper weight. He scored a knockdown with an overhand proper in spherical six and gained nearly each minute of the match. In brief, a troublesome problem, surprisingly, turned a rout.
As Pat Putnam vividly reported in Sports activities Illustrated: “Duran bewildered Palomino with flicking head and shoulder feints; he battered him with punches thrown at blinding pace. At occasions, only for enjoyable, he feinted from the left, feinted from the fitting, after which, with Palomino in a flux of frantic confusion, stepped again and flashed a wolfish grin as Palomino untangled himself.”
May Duran compete with the welterweights? The reply was an emphatic “sure.” A couple of months later Sugar Ray Leonard would defeat Wilfred Benitez for Palomino’s previous title and the countdown instantly started for one of many greatest and most anticipated fights in boxing historical past. — Michael Carbert
