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Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 24 Jul 2010, 09:59
by whiskey
Just wondering if some you lads had stumbled / read some of the other stories about Duran (other than the knocking-out of a horse) ?
A couple I read / heard...
Apparently Duran purchased a LION to live with him at home, in keeping with his ferocious image as well as underlining the fact he is a total nutter. Roberto's party trick was to manually relieve the lion - and then to mimic the lion's expression of delight
Also one time he was training at a Gleesons, according to a Teddy Atlas biog, when this white collar boxer (a lawyer) asked if he could spar with Duran... who then didn't give a sh*t that he wasn't a real fighter and knocked him out cold and laughed.
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 24 Jul 2010, 10:11
by Nightmare Roy
If you haven't read it get hold of Hands of Stone by Christian Giudice, one of the best boxing books ever IMO.
Opening quote from Duran "I am not God but something very similar"

Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 24 Jul 2010, 11:04
by bennie
Duran speaks perfect English but pretended otherwise in his fighting days to keep the arrogant, overbearing likes of Cosell, Dunphy, Bernstein and Pacheco at bay.
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 24 Jul 2010, 12:07
by WestEndRiot
bennie wrote:Duran speaks perfect English but pretended otherwise in his fighting days to keep the arrogant, overbearing likes of Cosell, Dunphy, Bernstein and Pacheco at bay.
Is this true? i've been to a Sportsman's dinner where he was the speaker and he didn't speak a word of English, everything was through his interpreter.
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 24 Jul 2010, 13:47
by Scrap
Speaks Fair English, certainly understands every word you say.
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 24 Jul 2010, 13:49
by Deserter
Nightmare Roy wrote:If you haven't read it get hold of Hands of Stone by Christian Giudice, one of the best boxing books ever IMO.
Opening quote from Duran "I am not God but something very similar"

x2
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 25 Jul 2010, 03:46
by bennie
WestEndRiot wrote:bennie wrote:Duran speaks perfect English but pretended otherwise in his fighting days to keep the arrogant, overbearing likes of Cosell, Dunphy, Bernstein and Pacheco at bay.
Is this true? i've been to a Sportsman's dinner where he was the speaker and he didn't speak a word of English, everything was through his interpreter.
Well, he had a small part in
Miami Vice in 1986 in which he speaks a few lines of perfect English.
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 25 Jul 2010, 06:09
by Poncey
Scrap wrote:Speaks Fair English, certainly understands every word you say.
Yep. Did when I met him but returned in Spanish.
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 25 Jul 2010, 06:15
by banjo
Nightmare Roy wrote:If you haven't read it get hold of Hands of Stone by Christian Giudice, one of the best boxing books ever IMO.
Opening quote from Duran "I am not God but something very similar"

Hmmm....similar to god yet he fights like the devil.

Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 25 Jul 2010, 07:17
by bennie
When a smiling Iran Barkley walked over to Duran as Duran was waiting to hear the verdict after their 12-round war in a snowstorm in 1989, Duran went "Oh man!"
It was a totally spontaneous reaction to how tough it had been in there, a totally English-speaking reaction.
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 25 Jul 2010, 07:37
by palooka
I read in 'The Big Punchers' that Duran had swum across a channel to an island the gather some coconuts. On his return he got into difficulties and people on the beach had to swim out to him and help him out. He (apparently) would have rather drowned than let go of the sack of coconuts!
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 25 Jul 2010, 08:56
by hurlock
so my fav fighter masturbates animals & impersonates there faces :!: & would die for a bag of coconuts???
i smell b.s here.
the coconuts were probably keeping him afloat :!:
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 26 Jul 2010, 07:06
by mahatma
best duran story for me was when he knocked out ray leonards brother immediately after their first fight in montreal- the ring filled after the final bell, with both entourages and leonards brother came towards duran who immediately chinned him- read this in 4 kings book by george kimball
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 26 Jul 2010, 07:27
by Poncey
Eklund deserved it imo.
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 26 Jul 2010, 07:55
by Chambers2
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 26 Jul 2010, 07:57
by bennie
Poncey wrote:Eklund deserved it imo.
Eh?
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 26 Jul 2010, 10:28
by Russ L
I heard he went into a restaurant and ate everything in the restaurant and they had to close the restaurant.
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 26 Jul 2010, 10:35
by bennie
This, actually, could be true. Duran's appetite knows no bounds. He went so hungry as a kid that he cannot stop gorging himself as an adult. His manager, Carlos Eleta, used to promise him ice-cream in the dressing room if he went out and stopped his lightweight challengers, and he stopped all but one.
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 26 Jul 2010, 12:37
by tonyevs
bennie wrote:WestEndRiot wrote:bennie wrote:Duran speaks perfect English but pretended otherwise in his fighting days to keep the arrogant, overbearing likes of Cosell, Dunphy, Bernstein and Pacheco at bay.
Is this true? i've been to a Sportsman's dinner where he was the speaker and he didn't speak a word of English, everything was through his interpreter.
Well, he had a small part in
Miami Vice in 1986 in which he speaks a few lines of perfect English.
Victor Kiam recorded his "I liked it so much, I bought the company" advert, in almost every spoken language known ... yet could only speak English ....
Not sure him having spoken a few lines in English really means he can speak the language fluently..
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 26 Jul 2010, 12:38
by tonyevs
.
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 26 Jul 2010, 12:41
by Coco
Is it true that Duran was jogging through Central Park in the run up to the 1st Leonard fight when he spotted Sugar Ray and his wife having a walked.
Apparently he bounded up to them, called his wife a whore and spat in her face!
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 26 Jul 2010, 13:39
by orbtastic
Has anyone got the list of food that Duran consumed on the morning of the SRL rematch (first one)?
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 26 Jul 2010, 16:44
by Flump
bennie wrote:WestEndRiot wrote:bennie wrote:Duran speaks perfect English but pretended otherwise in his fighting days to keep the arrogant, overbearing likes of Cosell, Dunphy, Bernstein and Pacheco at bay.
Is this true? i've been to a Sportsman's dinner where he was the speaker and he didn't speak a word of English, everything was through his interpreter.
Well, he had a small part in
Miami Vice in 1986 in which he speaks a few lines of perfect English.
I remember that, but I think he was dubbed Bennie, though that could be because he had a strong accent, this is pretty common, a load Bond support players for instance were re-voiced in the 60's especially, including Ursula Andress.
Useless fact for you there....
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 27 Jul 2010, 04:04
by bennie
orbtastic wrote:Has anyone got the list of food that Duran consumed on the morning of the SRL rematch (first one)?
Too many steaks, too much orange juice. You know, the second fight was actually quite close on the cards when Duran quit and if ever a fight sums up the gulf between 12 and 15-rounders this is it. Would Duran have quit in the eighth round a 12-rounder?
Re: Roberto Duran folklore...
Posted: 27 Jul 2010, 04:05
by Adamj1987
He once KO'd a horse apparently 1 of only 2 people ive heard the story about