![]() Pop and Duran engaged in a lively five minute conversation in Spanish about boxing. ![]() Duran saw Holmes ignore my father and walked over to us. Holmes completely ignored my father as he left the rest of the huge crowd with his entourage. After the press conference ended, my father tried to get Holmes’ attention. My father took me and my five-year-old sister to see Duran and Holmes speak. Duran reigned as 135-pound champion for six years and 12 successful defenses and at the age of 27, it was time for him to move up in weight and justify my ranking him the 13th greatest fighter of the last 45 years.Ī week before his JMadison Square Garden fight with former 147-pound world champion Carlos Palomino, Duran appeared with Larry Holmes at a Don King New York City Central Park press conference that was open to the public. Just a few months later, Duran vacated both belts, ending the greatest reign in lightweight history. Duran battered Dejesus for 12 rounds before Dejesus’s corner threw in the towel after Duran dropped him twice. There has never been a lightweight fighter in existence who could defeat Duran in a slugfest. Unlike their first two meetings, Dejesus decided to stand and slug with Duran. That fight occurred in Las Vegas on Januagainst the WBC champion and the only man to ever defeat him, Esteban Dejesus. Duran decided to fight one more time in an attempt to become the undisputed lightweight champion of the world. He had an extreme bad habit of gaining 50-60 pounds between fights due to excessive eating and partying. 1972, just 10 days after Duran’s 21st birthday when he stopped WBA 135 pound champion Ken Buchanan to become a world champion for the first time.įast forward five years later and after successfully defending against two excellent but light hitting fighters in the Dominican Vilomar Fernandez and the Puerto Rican Edwin Viruet in 1977, Duran was increasingly having problems making 135 pounds. It would all come to fruition on June 26. They would bring both discipline and fatherly figures two huge gaps in the then 20-year old Panamanian dynamo’s life. Around this time, Duran hooked up with two trainers who would refine his skill, Ray Arcel and Freddie Brown. This fight took place in the hallowed Madison Square Garden and immediately Duran caught the eyes of boxing fans and the media. Eleta then brought “Manos de Piedra” to the United States and in his 25th fight, Duran destroyed lightweight contender Benny Huertas in only 66 seconds. With the guidance of wealthy Panamanian millionaire Carlos Eleta as his manager, Duran’s hunger and savagery inside the ring saw him destroy everyone thrown at him in Panama. This led to Duran turning pro after only 32 amateur fights at the tender age of 16. As an adolescent, he engaged in street fights with grown men on the streets of Panama City for meager change. Duran, like the vast majority of great fighters, grew up in impoverished conditions. In the history of boxing, there was never a fighter who combined ring IQ, fearlessness, technical skill and savagery better than the Panamanian legend Roberto Duran.
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