June 16th, 1983: The Night of Redemption...30 Years Later

[elmersalsa]

On his birthday, on Thursday night at the Madison Square Garden in NYC, the great Roberto Duran redeemed himself from the infamous "No Mas" by capturing the WBA World Jr. Middleweight Championship against young champ Davey Moore of Bronx, NY.

Even though Moore had only 11 or 12 fights, he was still considered young and dangerous foe to the presumed washed up 32-year old Panamanian legend. Moore oblitarated former champion Ayub Kalule a year earlier. He was 24 years of age, bigger, taller, stronger and faster and promises of being a future super star in the making. But the legend took him apart with finess display of counter punching in the inside exchanges flattening the young champ by a vicious right cross to the jaw in the 7th round. By then, Moore was a total mess. Bleeding through the nose and mouth and had big swelling eye. It was one of the biggest massacres seen in recent memory.

In front of 16,000 delirious fans, and some all-time greats at ringside like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Archie Moore, Floyd Patterson, Marvin Hagler, Jose "Chegui" Torres and others, Duran with tears in his eyes, led a chorus chanting "Duran, Duran, Duran, Duran, Duran". It was one of the most unforgettable nights in boxing history. Only the night when Ali beat the great George Foreman in Zaire in '74 was something similar.

Duran became the seventh boxer to win 3 world crowns in 3 different weight classes.

What you guys remember of that unforgettable night?

[elmersalsa]

I saw the fight again, and it brought chills to my spine and some tears. What a night!

Maybe Ali vs Foreman or Holyfield vs Tyson or Olivares vs Chacon II comes close.

[elmersalsa]

Those body shots by Duran weakened Davey Moore. What if Moore had 50 fights? Same outcome? or different fight? Remember that after that, Moore stopped the great Wilfred Benitez, but, I believe Benitez was not in his prime.

[Bricks]

Moore was out of his depth against a hungry vicious motivated again Duran but that thumb in the first round made a big difference too

[elmersalsa]

Moore was out of his depth against a hungry vicious motivated again Duran but that thumb in the first round made a big difference too

I believe that win was a Miracle for Duran. How could he, being washed up and old, beat someone bigger and younger than he, is beyond my imagination.