Roberto Duran vs Davey Moore: The Redemption

[elmersalsa]

On a Thursday night of June 16, 1983, at the famous New York's Madison Square Garden, Roberto Duran, the great Manos de Piedra, from Panama City, Panama, challenged WBA World Jr Middleweight Champion Davey Moore of Bronx, NY.

It was an interesting match up at the time between a seemingly washed up legend, who got another opportunity for a another world title shot against a young rising star who was very confident of his abilities. It was Duran's 32nd birthday that night. Moore was 24. Many questions for this bout were in place. First, can Duran, fighting in a weight class twenty pounds above his natural weight, beat the youngster. Can his ring experience of more than 80 fights and 16 years as a pro boxer, would be enough to beat the young gun of only 12 fights? Was Duran's experience and amount of fights took a toll on him?. Was Duran washed up? Since losing to the great Sugar Ray Leonard in that infamous "No Mas" fight, Duran was not the same fighter. Since that horrendous night that he would rather forget, Duran didn't look spectacular. He had a series of fights in his comeback, but looked terrible, win or lose. In his third fight of his comeback, He challenged the great Wilfred Benitez of Puerto Rico for the other half of the Jr Middleweight crown but lost by a wide margin by decision in a lackluster performance. Then, in the next fight after that, Duran loses to an unknown named Kirkland Laing of England? Are we serious? Who in the hell is Kirkland Laing? The only light coming out of the tunnel was that he had a do or die fight against former WBA World Welterweight champ Pipino Cuevas of Mexico. It was a fight that the loser went home and the winner had his hopes still alive. Duran looked spectacular by winning by knockout in 4 rounds. Moore, the champ, saw the fight with Cuevas and said "Was that Duran looking good or Cuevas looking so bad?". American promoter Bob Arum took Duran under his wing and promised Duran a title shot after the Cuevas' fight.

It was a rollercoaster ride in the last 3 years for Duran. His "closest friends" deserted him. His other friend, American promoter and Arum's rival, Don King, left him behind. Duran was in the darkest days of his professional boxing career. But with a new management team in place, he was determined to be on top of the world again.

In the other corner, the champion, Davey Moore. Young, strong, confident. Determined. He has been champion for a year. In one of his best performances, he stopped former WBA World Jr Middleweight Champion Ayub Kalule of Uganda in ten rounds. With Duran he was in his fourth defense of his crown. Hungry for recognition, he addressed the press that if he beats Duran, he wanted the media to recognize him as a great champion. That there should not be any questions about his boxing qualities. He wants the great Thomas Hearns after he defeats Manos de Piedra. He has won his last 9 bouts by knockout.

Came fight night, and electricity was in the air. Duran was in his old landmark. A Garden favorite. He was the underdog and sentimental favorite. Current and former world boxing champions were in attendance to see Duran perform. Greats like Muhammad Ali, Floyd Patterson, Emile Griffith, Jose "Chegui" Torres, and Marvelous Marvin Hagler were there. And the most interesting of them all was also there: Sugar Ray Leonard. Leonard, retired at the time, was commenting as an analyst for CBS TV.

Duran was introduced first and crowd roared as if he was a super rock star. When Moore got introduced, there was some jeers and cheers at the same time. What we saw was that Moore looked way bigger than Duran. Many thought because of his size, he was going to destroy Duran once and for all. Didn't Duran take a look at him before signing the fight?

The bell rang and Duran looked sharp from the beginning. An unbelievable uppercut by Moore got into his chin, but Duran shrugged off like if it was nothing. On the second round, Duran puts Moore in trouble for the first time of Moore's career. He was stumbling all over the ring. Duran became an assassin like the days of old. By round end, Moore's eye got puffy and swollen. Was it a punch or a thumb by Duran? We don't know. Duran just kept mastering his rival. In toe to toe exchanges, Duran was King. He was the master on the inside. He used his vast experience of 80 bouts and dominated through out. It was a massacre. By round 6, Moore's eye was completely closed. He was getting a shellacking from Manos de Piedra. Duran looked like the Duran of old. He was punishing the youngster with terrific body shots and making him miss at close encounters. By round 7, the crowd was asking for a halt. Duran dropped Moore with a perfectly timed right hand seconds left in the round. Duran, at round's end, went to sit in the wrong corner. He forgot where his corner was for a moment. In round 8, it was inevitable. The fight had to be stopped. But Mexican referee Ernesto Magana was I deaf ears. Former boxing champ and boxing commissioner Jose "Chegui" Torres was screaming in desperation at Magana to stop the fight. Magana was like he wasn't listening. After Moore's chief second intervened and threw the towel and saw enough. The bout was stopped. The crowd went bananas! Duran jumped in jubilation as champion again for the third time. It was a brutal ass kicking that Moore got from Duran. The new world champion then went on to the edge of the ring and with tears in his eyes, led a chorus of "Duran, Duran, Duran, Duran, Duran!". It was like old times at the Garden. Like when Muhammad Ali won the crown from George Foreman, it was also the same feel. Duran redeemed himself from the anonimity of the No Mas. He had to. There was no other way.

Sugar Ray Leonard went to the top of the ring to congratulate his old nemesis. It was a joyous scene like if two lost brothers reunited once more. The 16,000 at the packed MSG were jubilant. Some cried for joy. Their hero is back on top and a new chapter in Manos de Piedra's life began.

Aftermath:
After losing to Duran, Moore ahniliated the great Wilfred Benitez in two rounds in a ten rounder. He challenged again for the Jr Middleweight crown, but lost by decision to Champion Buster Drayton. In 1988, while fixing and repairing a car in his driveway, the car somehow rolled over him and Moore died.

Duran, well how many lives and reencarnations did he had in his career? After losing narrowly to Marvelous Marvin Hagler by decision in November 1983, Duran later got decapitated in 2 rounds by Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns in June 1984 for Hearns' crown. It was one of the most brutal one-punch knockouts ever seen in the history of boxing. But 5 years later, at age 37, Duran shocked us once more when he won his fourth world Title against champ and Hearns' conqueror Iran Barkley in the Ring Magazine Fight of the Year of 1989. He later had his third fight with Leonard, losing by unanimous decision the same year. He fought until the year 2001, and after a car crash accident that damaged his ribs in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Duran finally retired for good after 5 decades.

[DrDuke]

The fight was excellent. Classic raging Duran.

[bwu]

Good fight and good write-up. One quibble: Moore's fight with Buster Drayton ended by knockout, not by decision.

[paddy chavez]

One of my favorite ever fights with Duran turning back the clock vs a bigger for

[HomicideHenry]

Moore claimed that he was going to be a "Legend Killer" and make the world forget about these old-timers who he viewed as taking up space in the sport.

Considering Moore lost, combined with his untimely death, his friend Iran Barkley swore revenge on Duran and that itself became one of the great fights of the decade, if not of all time.

[handsofstone]

Incredible performance from Duran, just blitzed through Moore like he wasn't there, you felt for Moore he tried to fight it out but Duran was never gonna lose that fight, he battered him from pillar to post

[elmersalsa]

I passed through the Madison Square Garden in New York City last weekend and I can't believe that Duran redeemed himself 35 years ago. I was like, wow! I am walking outside the arena of great fights of all time.

[elmersalsa]

Good fight and good write-up. One quibble: Moore's fight with Buster Drayton ended by knockout, not by decision.

Thanks

[Nile4000]

Props to Roberto, but still feel that something was wrong with Moore that night. If he was okay, maybe a different fight.

[Ambling Alp II]

Maybe what was wrong with him that he was repeatedly thumbed in the eye.

[Sidney Carton]

Roberto Duran vs Davey Moore: The THUMBING

[elmersalsa]

Roberto Duran vs Davey Moore: The THUMBING

How about this?:

Roberto Duran vs Davey Moore: The Ass Kicking.

[Sidney Carton]

Roberto Duran vs Davey Moore: The THUMBING

How about this?:

Roberto Duran vs Davey Moore: The Ass Kicking.

You don't have a clue what thumbing is.

It's the most dangerous of all fouls

except of course when your modern heroes use it

Duran--Davey Moore

Ali-Terrell

Larry Holmes---------Scott Frank--Scott Ledoux--Leroy Joes

Hagler---Roldan

[elmersalsa]

Roberto Duran vs Davey Moore: The THUMBING

How about this?:

Roberto Duran vs Davey Moore: The Ass Kicking.

You don't have a clue what thumbing is.

It's the most dangerous of all fouls

except of course when your modern heroes use it

Duran--Davey Moore

Ali-Terrell

Larry Holmes---------Scott Frank--Scott Ledoux--Leroy Joes

Hagler---Roldan

Duran whupped that ass and that was final. It was a real ass kicking.

[Ambling Alp II]

Huge win for the "Redeemer".

[elmersalsa]

Huge win for the "Redeemer".

Yes! He did redeemed himself! In an extraordinary fashion!

[Ambling Alp II]

Yes, obviously thumbing his way to victory against a guy with 12 fights certainly redeemed him after quitting like a dog when he was losing to his archrival.

[elmersalsa]

Yes, obviously thumbing his way to victory against a guy with 12 fights certainly redeemed him after quitting like a dog when he was losing to his archrival.

Ahhh get out of here, you hater! Sugar Ray Leonard could never be as great as Manos de Piedra!

Davey Moore got his ass kick by a man considered washed up by many and fighting 20 pounds above his natural weight range. It was one of the greatest and unforgettable performances of the 80s decade. Leonard never had an unforgettable night like that. In fact, your own boy went up the ring and hugged him. That's how special that night was.

[Cojimar 1946]

I thought Mike McCallum was Leonard's archrival.

[Duran1970]

Yes, obviously thumbing his way to victory against a guy with 12 fights certainly redeemed him after quitting like a dog when he was losing to his archrival.

That guy with 12 fights was a 5/2 favorite.

[lazboy]

Great post elm - inspired me to watch it again. Terrific performance, great fun fight. He had Moore figured out after a round - what a cheeky and intimidating smile from Duran, he flashed it multiple times. I watched a version on YouTube without commentary but you can really feel and hear the energy of the crowd. Would have been amazing being there - even seeing it live which I didn’t.

[Ambling Alp II]

Yes, obviously thumbing his way to victory against a guy with 12 fights certainly redeemed him after quitting like a dog when he was losing to his archrival.

That guy with 12 fights was a 5/2 favorite.

Which obviously means Moore was great.

[Duran1970]

Some say Moore was destined for greatness at the time until Roberto ruined him...Moore great? No but all the "experts" picked him to whip the old man.....no matter how you slice it it was a big win for Duran over a younger stronger faster bigger Moore..

[Ambling Alp II]

Would be interesting to know who thought Davey Moore was destined for greatness until he was "ruined" by Duran. It never even occurred to me that Duran would lose to Moore, but I'm not one of "all of the experts." The old man had just turned an ancient 32, so anyway you slice it, thumbing his way to victory against fighter with 12 career fights is an astounding achievement.

[Duran1970]

Give it a rest with the thumb....like that was the reason he won? Please..seems like you picked Moore by all the crying your doing and going on about the thumb...no thumb was needed to beat Moore..stop with the excuses..don't downplay Moore's talent cuz he got destroyed by a legend..that's right, a legend!! Now go watch a Leonard fight hater.