It’s honest to say that not too many fighters field over the spell of 5 a long time, however that is simply what the good Roberto Duran did. The Panamanian legend went professional in February of 1968, this on the age of simply 16, and “Palms of Stone” boxed his closing combat in July of 2001, this on the superior age of fifty. And, much more remarkably, Duran would have fought on if he had not suffered accidents in a automobile crash shortly after what in actual fact turned out to be his final combat.
Duran, who gave us so many particular fights, who gave us so many nice performances and who conquered the world at 4 weights – light-weight/welterweight/light-middleweight/middleweight – lastly exited with an incredible 103-16(70) file.
Duran’s final combat got here towards Hector Camacho, this in a rematch of an in depth combat that had taken place 5 years earlier. Duran misplaced a 12-round unanimous resolution in a middleweight combat with Camacho, this in June of 1996, and loads of folks felt Camacho had been very fortunate on the scorecards.
Now, at age 39, Camacho was combating Duran up at super-middleweight, the combat really agreed for a catch-weight of 163 kilos. The combat occurred in Denver, Colorado, and it was dubbed ‘Legends Collide.’ Camacho was 73-4-2(35), whereas Duran was 103-15(70). In typical Duran style, Roberto insisted that he was the one legend and that Camacho was a “clown.”
“This man’s a clown, he’s no legend,” Duran stated. “There’s just one legend. That’s me.”
Camacho fired again at Duran.
“Being at 50 years outdated, he desires to go on and do miracles,” Camacho stated of his rival. “He ain’t accomplished miracles earlier than. He positive ain’t going to do miracles now.”
Because it turned out, “Macho Camacho” was proper. It was a comparatively one-sided combat, with Camacho’s pace proving to be the important thing issue. Camacho piled up factors spherical after spherical, with Duran being unable to nail him. And Duran grew visibly drained in the course of the bout. There can be no “No Mas,” nonetheless, and Duran fought to the ultimate bell. The scores have been huge, other than on one considerably unfathomable card. It was 118-108, 118-108, and a far too shut 114-112, all for Camacho.
Duran stated the excessive altitude in Denver contributed to his loss.
In October of that yr, Duran wanted life-saving surgical procedure after being concerned in a automobile crash in Argentina, and he introduced his retirement from boxing a short while later. It’s a cliché, positive, however we are going to by no means see one other Roberto Duran within the ring. Not ever.
The best light-weight ever? Most consultants say Duran holds the excellence. One of many top-10 best fighters ever pound-for-pound? Duran is featured on many a listing.
