ROBERTO DURAN FANS

[overhand_right]

My old and useful thread about Manos De Piedres was deleted during some troubles with boxrec a few weeks ago.

Some users came on and posted some great responses about Durans key fights from his win over Ken Buchanan in 72 to his bludgeoning of Iran Barkley in 89.

Could those wonderful Boxrec-ologists return to this thread and bless us once again with their valuable Duran-chat, as i and surely many others were fascinated by their suggestions.

Thanks in advance, fellow Duran obsessives.

[KOJOE90]

His fights against Esteban De Jesús are well worth getting hold of.

[silkov]

Durans fights with Dejesus were classics, and the 3 rd fight saw a much more mature Duran actually out-boxing Dejesus and showing the boxing skills which he would rely on much more when he moved up in his later years. I think one of Durans most overlooked fight is his clash with Ray Lampkin..... Lampkin was a very skilled boxer-fighter and gave Duran a terrific bout but in the end Duran destroyed him with one of the most savage finishes I have ever seen! 8)

[elmersalsa]

Roberto Duran is my favorite fighter of all time. Mostly all of his fights when he was in his prime were a thrill when I was a little boy.
Here is a look at his greatest fights and memorable moments:

1. May 16, 1970. Panama City, Panama: Duran takes his FIRST BIG TEST when he took on his countryman and future hall of famer and feather champion Ernesto Marcel. It was a fight for the Panamanian Feather Title. Duran at 19 years old stops and surprises the Panamanian press and experts by a 9th round TKO. Duran said that this fight was his most important fight and the one he cherishes the most. Marcel, a fine technician beat the great Alexis Arguello by a close decision 4 years later.

2. October 16, 1971. Panama City, Panama:Duran has his FIRST INTERNATIONAL TEST when he faces former World Jr Lightweight Champion Hiroshi Kobayashi from Japan. Kobayashi was champion for 4 years. A 5 punch combo puts the Asian to the ground in round 7.

3. June 26, 1972. New York City: Duran returns to Madison Square Garden to face a fine World Champion in Ken Buchanan for the lightweight crown. Duran from the beginning bell was like a Demon or a wolf possessed, and never let Buchanan think, not even to breathe. He was all over the champion. Duran was beating him like if Buchanan slept with his wife or hit his mother or something. Like if Buchanan stole his money. He said in this fight that he was VERY NERVOUS AND THAT HE WAS NEVER SO NERVOUS IN HIS LIFE...(Of course, is the first time he fights for a world title) He also said that "for Buchanan to beat me, he's gonna have to kill me because I am not leaving NYC without the belt on my waist". Duran avenges the Laguna loss and becomes NATIONAL HERO by a controversial 13th round KO.

4. March 16, 1974. Panama City, Panama: Duran the champion this time avenges his first loss by decision when 2 years earlier, a fine boxer named Esteban DeJesus of Puerto Rico dropped him in the first round with a perfect left hook for the first time in his career in NYC. In the rematch, DeJesus drops Duran again in the very same first round. Duran, embarrassed, went to work on DeJesus body with ripping hooks and uppercuts. DeJesus went down in the 7th. Then claims that the heat drained him. I think "Manos de Piedra's" punches HAD A LOT TO DO WITH THAT. Duran wins by a 11th round KO.

5. August 14, 1975. Panama City, Panama: Duran defends his crown once more against a fine and slick American boxer named Ray Lampkin. Lampkin gave Duran all he could handle and Duran was very frustrated. Urged by the Panamanian crowd, Duran gives a left to the body and a left hook to the jaw...TIMBERRRR!!!! Duran wins by KO in round 14th. Lampkin NEVER FIGHTS AGAIN!!!

6. June 21, 1978. Las Vegas, NV: In his first SUPERFIGHT of his career in this Saturday afternoon, Duran has to do the rubbermatch that had to happen against WBC Lightweight Champion Esteban DeJesus. The fight was for the Undisputed World Lightweight Crown...WINNER TAKES ALL!!! In perhaps the greatest all around performance of his career, Duran does the unthinkable by being more calm and counterpunching the Puerto Rican and also made his rival miss more than ever before. DeJesus was confused by Duran's new approach. Duran sends DeJesus CRAWLING LIKE A 10 MONTH OLD BABY in the 12th and becomes the UNDISPUTED CHAMPION and the greatest lightweight of all time.

7. June 29, 1979. New York City: Duran relinquished his lightweight crown and returns to the Garden as welterweight contender making his worth by decisioning former champ Carlos Palomino. He also drops Palomino in the 5th.

8. June 20, 1980. Montreal, Canada: In "The Brawl in Montreal", Duran becomes a SUPER CHAMPION AND SUPER LEGEND when he wrestles the WBC welter crown from future all time great and hall of famer Sugar Ray Leonard. It was Duran's most satisfying victory and defining fight. Duran wins by a 15 hard fought close decision in a grueling and technical battle.

9. June 16, 1983. New York City: Duran comes back to the Garden in probably his most EMOTIONAL PERFORMANCE in front of all time greats and 16,000 fans chanting his name Duran, Duran, Duran, Duran, Duran!!! On his 32nd birthday, considered FINISHED AND WASHED UP, Duran erases the "No Mas" 2 and a half years earlier by beating a young and strong champion named Davey Moore. Duran wins the WBA Jr. Middleweight crown and cries. It was a very EMOTIONAL EVENING!!!

10. February 24, 1989. Atlantic City, NJ: This time, after losing to the great Marvin Hagler by decision and being trashed by the great Tommy Hearns in 2 rounds, Duran was considered at 37, SUPER WASHED UP. In probably the best performance of guts and skill he ever did (to me was his best fight ever), Duran beats a guy much bigger, faster, taller, stronger in Iran Barkley and takes his WBC Middleweight Crown. Duran wins his 4th world title and becomes a top 10 (top 5 in my view) all-time great and one of the greatest fighters that ever lived.

[silkov]

Totally agree Elmsa, Duran is one of the alltime best at anyweight... also agree that the Barkley fight is most possibly his greatest performance taking into account what he gave away in youth, strength and size to Iran (who went on to win another 2 world titles and beat Hearns for a second time!).... Duran performance against Barkley is comparable to Ali's defeat of Foreman...... the fact that Duran went on fighting against good opposition in the 90s underlines what a phenominal fighter he was.

[Grimm]

I don't know about you but I loved the fact that Duran beat sugar Ray Leonard because I despise Ray Leonard.

[klompton]

Lampkin fought after Duran. He fought on for another year and a half, retiring after being stopped by Randy Shields.

[silkov]

Lampkin fought after Duran. He fought on for another year and a half, retiring after being stopped by Randy Shields.

But he was not the same fighter after and had been advised not to box again after the Duran fight....

[KOJOE90]

I once read a quote about Duran that went something like-

"Duran saw anyone who entered the ring with him, either for sparring or a fight as somebody who was trespassing on his personal property".

I think they may well have been right.

[silkov]

Was it after the Lampkin fight (after hearing that Lampkin had been taken to hospital) that Duran commented "hospital? he's lucky I wasn't in proper shape otherwise they would have taken him to the morgue instead"

Yes... on the other hand years later Duran visited Dejesus when he was dying of aids and kissed him, and told him something like 'you will always be a champion' or something like that.....

[elmersalsa]

Duran had NO FRIENDS in the ring. He treated every fighter as his WORST ENEMY

[elmersalsa]

Duran was INCREDIBLE!!! A perfect FIGHTING MACHINE IN HIS PRIME. To me his best performance when he was in his prime was in the fight with Buchanan. But his best fight of his career was against Barkley. I NEVER THOUGHT THAT HE WAS GOING TO WIN THAT FIGHT, and at 37 years old and giving all those physical advantages against Barkley and winning the fight in toe to toe phonebooth warfare, THIS GUY GOT TO BE ONE OF THE ALL TIME BEST!!!

He said also that Ray Leonard was the best fighter he ever fought and that Buchanan at lightweight was his best rival. Why there was no rematch with Buchanan???

[KOJOE90]

There's a brilliant chapter on Duran, Freddie Brown and Ray Arcel in a book called Between the Ropes? by Phil Berger (not 100% sure of the title as I lent it to a mongrel Canadian poster about a year ago and haven't gotten the bugger back yet :x ). Well worth tracking down

The books a collection of previously released stories etc and makes for great reading and hilarious in parts. Includes some classic Neon Leon stuff

Is this it??

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 18-0034843

[We Wuz Robbed]

Others have already mentioned Duran's greatest moments in the ring. I'll try something else I don't think many have seen.

Not only was Duran a demon in the ring but outside the ring he was wildly entertaining. I could give you a million Duran stories, but here's one I don't think anyone knows.

If you watched Duran's career throughout the 70s and 80s, it's common knowledge that Duran does not speak English -- and if he did it was a word or two here and there. In interviews after a fight, Duran would have a friend with him to translate. Interviewed on sports shows, once again Duran would have a friend or associate translate for him.

Well, one day in the 1980s I'm home watching Regis in the morning here in New York and one of the guests is Duran. Well, I was shocked because surprise surprise: Duran comes out without a translator and speaks perfect English to Regis! He then goes on to do a cooking segment with Regis without a translator! All this time following Duran's career and Duran was fooling us all. He could speak English quite well. It was like that scene in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST where we see the mute Chief can actually speak. Nasty Duran was just being annoying to the English speaking media throughout all of those interviews on TV. I found out that Duran did all that with translators just so his friends could get a little extra work and some TV time!

The guy still goes around not speaking English, but I saw him on Regis all those years ago speaking the language quite well. Duran's a strange guy who gets a kick out of doing things to annoy others. Maybe he faked not speaking English to annoy people. Maybe he faked it to get his friends a little TV work. Or maybe it was some psycho macho thing with Duran the Panamanian who would not show that he can actually speak the English language. I'm not going to try to psychoanalyze Duran -- he was definitely out there. But the guy let on that he couldn't speak English when in fact he was quite well spoken in the language. Strange.

As far as Duran in the ring goes: I go with the destruction of Barkley. We watched that fight as a family and it is one of my most favorite moments with my family. We were huge Duran fans and after "No mas" we were somewhat in a daze. But the Duran/Barkley fight was so wild, so glorious - well, the smiles have still never left our faces.

[KOJOE90]

There's a brilliant chapter on Duran, Freddie Brown and Ray Arcel in a book called Between the Ropes? by Phil Berger (not 100% sure of the title as I lent it to a mongrel Canadian poster about a year ago and haven't gotten the bugger back yet :x ). Well worth tracking down

The books a collection of previously released stories etc and makes for great reading and hilarious in parts. Includes some classic Neon Leon stuff

Is this it??

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 18-0034843

That's the one After much prompting, said Canadian poster now claims that he's finally sent it to another poster that I'd said I'd get it sent to :x

PM me if you'd like to have a read, can arrange to have it sent along

Thanks for the offer mate but as it was going so cheap I have ordered myself a copy. Once again thanks.

[elmersalsa]

Speaking of his fights, I would have love to see him fight the greats Aaron Pryor and Alexis Arguello...Too bad that thes fights never happened....

[Rick aka Pulga]

Duran was a great fighter in his Prime,Once he retired he should retired for good! He's still fighting!? All that Money he made,It upsets me how a Prize Fighter like Duran,Chavez, make all that money and have to come back to the ring to fight cuz there broke. Joe Louis did the same but the IRS screwed him. I think Julio Ceasar Chavez could of Retired back in 95-96 but kept fighting. Duran should of Retired in '89.
Smart Boxers:Roy Jones Jr.,Sugar Ray Leonard(Altho retired 3 times)he's like Jordan his got Millions in the bank.
Ricardo Lopez,Lenox Lewis,Micheal Cabraja,Oscar De La Hoya.

[Rick aka Pulga]

Duran was a great fighter in his Prime,Once he retired he should retired for good! He's still fighting!? All that Money he made,It upsets me how a Prize Fighter like Duran,Chavez,Tyson make all that money and have to come back to the ring to fight cuz there broke. Joe Louis did the same but the IRS screwed him. I think Julio Ceasar Chavez could of Retired back in 95-96 but kept fighting. Duran should of Retired in '89.
Smart Boxers:Roy Jones Jr.,Sugar Ray Leonard(Altho retired 3 times)he's like Jordan his got Millions in the bank.
Ricardo Lopez,Lenox Lewis,Micheal Cabraja,Oscar De La Hoya.

[KOJOE90]

He's still fighting!?.

Duran has retired. After his last fight he sustained injuries in a car crash which means he will never fight again, although he is still in excellent health.

[Rick aka Pulga]

Oh,I thought he was still fighting.

[lumpymo]

Not only was Duran a demon in the ring but outside the ring he was wildly entertaining. I could give you a million Duran stories, but here's one I don't think anyone knows.



I wish you would tell more stories about Duran, I for one would love to read them.

cheers M.O.