Roberto
Durant
coming from
Panama City, Panama. Roberto Durant.
He was the most macho fighter in boxing.
Those demonic black coal eyes.
Hands of stone. Roberto Duran.
Roberto Duran brings an intensity of
fire into the ring. Unprecedented in
ring history of South America. He's one
of the meanest looking fighters inside
the ring and he means it. Hands
of stone.
Acknowledged by most to be the greatest
lightweight in boxing history. He was a
terror who intimidated opponents with
sheer machismo.
You know, when I first saw, yeah, that's
who I wanted to be. Like, I know I
wanted to be a fighter, but then I saw
Roberto Durant. I said, "That's who the
I want to be. million mother people
scared to look at him the devil.
I mean he look at you with those dark
hollow cold eyes and he look right
through you and sometimes that was just
enough.
An intimidator who snatched souls like
Shang Tsung. Your soul is mine.
Monaster Pedra, hands of stone, Roberto
Duran,
you were you were born and raised in the
slums of of Panama, right?
They were very poor, so he had to go out
every day and try to make, you know,
living and sell newspapers or whatever
just to get by. Turning to boxing as a
means to earn a living, Duran had to
carry stones in his pockets in order to
make the 127 featherweight when he
debuted at age [music] 16.
Born in the slums of Panama, [music]
Duran and his family ran the streets day
and night, shining shoes and selling
papers to get by. [music]
He found an order in a disorderly
universe when he was a child in learning
how to fight.
So then you turn pro at 16, which I
guess in the US here would be pretty
young, but not so much there, right?
Poverty and despair have a way of
forging our greatest warriors.
Where do prize fighters come? They come
from desperate,
poor circumstance.
Nothing creates the hunger to succeed
like the hunger to eat. But Duran was
always my favorite just cuz he's a
animal, man.
What a great night and a great showing
for A FUTURE BRILLIANT STAR ON the
horizon, Roberto Duran.
Hands of stone. He was nicknamed Hands
of Stone early in his career for uh
obvious reasons.
His
aggressive, crowd-pleasing style [music]
made him an instant star in Panama.
And a man who is one, if not the
greatest lightweight champion of all
time.
Now listen, you could choose which
division. That's how great he is. He was
a champion at lightweight, welterweight,
junior middleweight, and I believe
middleweight. So, we're all set to go
with this one. It's a scheduled 10 round
junior lightweight battle special
attraction featuring the up and [music]
cominging Roberto Duran from right here
in Panama. Kobayashi comes in at [music]
60 wins, nine losses, four draws. I'm
Sheridan here with this sports classic
for you, Roberto Duran. And the reason I
call it a classic is because Roberto
Durant is going to be a future champion
of the world.
Look at that. He backs him up. Big shot
and drops the CHAMP. ROBERTO DURANT HAS
HIM DOWN. HE'S NOT GOING TO MAKE IT. 6 7
8 9 AND HE'S COUNTING OUT TO 10 under
the ground. They love ROBERTO DURANT.
HE'S GOING TO BE a great champion. I'll
tell you folks, if he gets that shot
they're talking about against the
lightweight champion Kenny Buchanan of
Scotland, it'll be terrific.
And intimidated that we hadn't seen
since Sunny Listen. Roberto Duran had
that we just had it guys cold and just
made them kind of like evaporate
speed. People don't throw him fast, but
he's very fast.
ferocity and savage punching has great
anticipation of punching. He's just all
around marvel in the ring.
Some people will take this spirit out
just like be one of those kung fu
movements where the guy just put his
hand right through your chest.
Boom. Perfect timing.
He punched this guy so hard he messed up
the tracking on this VHS.
In his first title shot, Duran would
take on fellow legend Ken Buchanan in
New York City. He was back in New York
to fight lightweight champion Ken
Buchanan.
The champion Ken Buchanan of Edinburgh,
Scotland and the challenger Roberto
Duran of Panama City, Panama. The
champion, he's proud
10
15
championship.
The challenger is working on a
percentage.
And yes, it is. Johnny scores it. A
knockdown.
I don't know of any other fighter who
was quite that wild in the ring. And
yet, he was in control of himself as a
boxer.
Durant almost as fresh as when he
started.
He battered the champion over 12 rounds.
Now Durant the challenger is just
dynamite with his right hand.
Round 13.
Buchanan collapsed at the end of the
round and the fight was stopped.
Cannon went down after the bell
holding his groin.
The fight has been stopped.
The fight has been stopped. And the
winner, 21-YEAR-OLD
ROBERTO Duran of Panama. [music]
Roberto Duran was now the lightweight
champion of the world.
There's pandemonium in the ring
as people are trying to get in there.
He was celebrated as a hero upon
returning to Panama.
When he returned home, they declared a
national holiday.
Hands of Stone began a reign of
dominance over the lightweight [music]
division that would last 5 years.
But you are a great defensive fighter
and I don't think people talk about that
often, but you you were able to stand in
the pocket and make people miss you and
that was part of you. Your offense was
having such a great defense.
Ran is is called I mean if we read the
sports pages here, one of the toughest
punchers uh for his weight is a brawler
street fighter. Somebody said it's like
being hit by a rock to be hit by this
guy. One knockout after another.
The ram is called hands of stone and he
can really rip you. The left hook is his
big one.
Propelled by a fury unlike few have ever
possessed.
Duran ran his record up to an
astonishing 821.
Great like Joe Lewis, all of those great
fighters from the 30s. Roberto Duran has
qualities of each one. And here you're
talking about a a fighter that's only 20
years old and you're and you're
comparing him with some of the greats of
all time. The Robinsons as you said, the
Louiswises and the Ali shows you what a
great fighter is.
Harry Greb, all of those mer fighters,
the men that stood right in front of you
like he's doing now. He knows he's got
this man in charge. He is punishing him.
Hands of steel, hands of stone. Either
way, he is one of the heaviest punches
for a little man that's ever been seen.
You're trying to take his home and his
money and his wife when you get in the
ring with him. He says you got to kill
him.
I think his first loss was to Esonte
Jesus. He lost a 10-m round decision. At
last, Duran would get a chance to avenge
that loss.
The Cena's Panama City, there's better
than 15,300
on hand for this lightweight title. It
is a big fight. It is revenge in the
heart of Duran to stop this man. The
lightweight championship of the world.
Roberto Duran against Estaban De Jesus.
De Jesus calm, collected.
hands of stone ready to come out looking
and the bell for round one.
Estebon dropped Durant in the first
round.
I can't believe he's down for the hook.
A perfect hook. They're both exchanging
savage hooks. That's toe-to-toe action.
Durant would [music] have to dig deep to
overcome his rifle. Both mean business,
but Durant is throwing everything he's
got this punch. The Jesus is a little
bit more measured, a little bit cooler
about everything.
[music]
He can beat you, man. He's the only man
to have done it. He matched against the
Jesus and knocked out the Jesus
uh back in the days when they went 15
rounds.
OH, NOW THE SAME PUNCH THAT OUT IN ROUND
ONE. A devastating barn burner so far
and it doesn't show any signs of letting
up. [music]
[music]
He knocked the hes out in Panama out
for a right hand. THE COUNT IS BEING
PICKED UP. HE LOOKS LIKE he's not
getting up. He's sitting down very
comfortably. He's not getting up. HE
CANNOT. IT'S ALL OVER. It's over. THEY
HAVE AWARDED IT TO ROBERTO DURAN. HE
KEEPS HIS TITLE. ROBERTO DURAN, THE
VICTOR IN HIS HOMETOWN in Panama. Hands
of Stone reigned over the lightweight
division [music] for 5 years as
undisputed champion.
Thank you very much, Tom. Today's match
marks Duran's sixth defense of the title
he won by stopping Kim Buchanan back in
1972.
He defended his title 12 times,
accumulating a record of 62 and one
with 54 wins coming by way of knockout.
His fights were must-see events in
Panama where he was revered as a hero.
With each spectacular knockout, his star
rose.
Oh, he's out.
They should have knocked him out.
The entire [music] boxing world wanted
to witness the famed Hands of Stone.
Nobody cared in those days about
unbeaten.
What they cared about is what Duran did,
which is you fight the best guys [music]
out there.
You and he fought so many great fighters
at so many weight classes.
Fernandez to the right of your screen
is dynamite.
He had great reflexes, great defense. He
was aggressive, but he was an aggressive
counter puncher, an aggressive boxer.
[music]
Not only was he aggressive, but he break
it down. A great body puncher, good
[music] hand speed, great technique.
That hurt. No question. That was a lift
up in the liver. That's one of the
toughest shots to take in boxing.
He's out. He's not going to get up. A
kidney shot by Roberto L.
[music]
The lightweight champion of the world.
His sixth title defense. He's knocked
out 40 of 50 people. He's fought 10.
Young Ortiz from Mexico stay in there
within the defense.
Well, I tell you, it's going to be an
interesting fight for the simple reason.
I don't know if Durant can handle a
southpaw.
He's lost just once in his career in an
over thee match. And he later reversed
that same decision. Duran is 24. Ortiz
is 26, so age should not be too much of
a factor.
Ortiz was viewed as a real threat to
Duran.
I'm very intrigued by this fight. I'm
watching Duran. He's not his usual
confident self.
A skilled southpaw who is known for his
toughness.
Remember 135 is the limit for the
lightweight championship bout. Round
number one.
We're on
Duran. He is strong and he likes to
fight. A right hand gets through on RT
Duran. Believe him.
Look at the back on this young man. 135
lbs and he's nothing but layers of
muscle across that back.
Battering him round after round.
This back to you. 135 lbs. A fighting
machine. He likes it.
Oh, and the challenger is down with a
right hand uppercut.
17 seconds left in the round and they're
counting now. It's over. A knockout with
14 seconds left. Roberto Durant is a
champion. Still the champion of the
world among the lightweights.
Roberto, he was in Rocky, too. And he's
[music] supposedly Rocky's sparring
partner. The way he could move his head
just an inch, it's impossible to hit
him. A grudge match [music] with
Estabban De Jesus was set.
A final fight to settle the rivalry once
and for all.
[screaming]
as a lightweight. I think he was
unbeatable as a lightweight, although he
had his greatest fight as a
welterweight. A touching side story to
this rivalry was how close these two
warriors became. Estabban died of AIDS
[music] and in a time when the disease
was shrouded in misinformation,
Duran lovingly embraced his [music]
greatest rival and told him he would
always be the champ.
Roberto was now struggling to make the
135 weight. He began ballooning between
[music] fights. All right, let's go and
see at Madison Square Garden the great
fight between Roberto Duran and Monroe
Brooks. And Francancy Durant looks to me
to be a little heavy around the waist. I
wonder how fit he is for this fight. He
would see a right hand coming and just
[music] ride with it
and then return fire.
Yeah, come right back.
And then he could tie you up in the
inside, tie one arm up, work you over,
spin you around, pivot
from Madison Square Garden, New York,
round eight scheduled for 10
just standing in there flatfooted now
measuring
a hard lift to the body.
That's it. It's all over. Arthur McCanni
says, "Sorry, Monroe. You've really had
enough. It was a lift to the body."
Despite his historic reign, Duran was
still relatively low paid. If Duran
wanted to make millions, he would need
to move up to welterweight and take on
bigger names.
Nobody wanted to fight him. There were
no opponents and they would wait for him
to get weight and then try to make him
fight. Nobody will spark him. Roberto
Duran hardly needs any advertisement.
The undisputed lightweight champion of
the world. He outgrew in weight the
lightweight classification. He's moved
on upward to this the welterweight
classification. Regaled by the press and
deservedly so as the fighter of the
decade of the 70s. 70 fights in all, 69
victories. And Roberto Durant attempting
to prove he can make that transition
from 135 to 147 lbs. Of course, a legend
as the lightweight champ.
In the crowd, Sugar Ray Leonard
witnessed Duran taking more shots than
normal, sparking the idea that Duran was
vulnerable.
Good exchange in which Willington got in
a couple of good combinations. Roberto
got in his usual sledgehammer
completely down for the first time in
his career. Roberto Durant with a
tremendous combination has ended.
Leonard saw a chance to knock out Duran
because Duran was slower at the higher
weight,
but he wasn't as strong as he's going to
be. The last fight he wasn't quite as
strong. This fight he's strong and the
next fight he's going to be very strong.
As I told you, the monster is loose and
on the way to the title.
Leonard knew what knocking out the famed
hands [music] of Stone would do for his
reputation. I am I think that um after
this particular fight, the press will
realize that the guys that they say
Sugar can't deal with or this guy's too
strong for Sugar, Sugar can't punch,
Sugar has not been in the ring with
anyone that is a legitimate fighter.
These statements I will be able to
[music] silence completely once and for
all. And so the super fight [music]
between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto
Duran was set. Sugar Ray thought he was
facing a big name on the downside of his
career.
He thought wrong.
We were watching the news.
Sugar. Sugar. Sugar.
I think I think he's made an order for
Sugar Ray. I think Durant because his
his style, he walks in, you know, right
off and the other fell so fast and he's
such a great boxer.
Few [music] gave Durant a chance.
She rather stop him. Why? I think you're
a much better fighter than
in the boxing game is listed as the nine
to five favorite among the odds makers.
Truly motivated by [music] a real
challenge, hands of stone was ready.
Well, Sugar Ray Leonard, who fights with
a flare, and Roberto Duran, who fights
with a fury, square off tomorrow night
in Montreal for the WBC welterweight
title. In Panama, the entire country
watched their [music] hero.
It would be a historic clash.
Most of the world believed Duran would
be outmatched against Sugar Ray at
welterweight.
I've talked to fighters that have fought
him and everyone underestimates him.
They think they can win until they're in
the ring with them.
Jugger Ray Leonard defending against the
challenger Roberto Durant.
[music]
There Roberto Duran in his dressing
room. Intense. He has approached this
fight with an almost religious furball.
He was repl
against the undefeated, ever popular Ray
Leonard.
Beats him.
Lynn was a welterweight. He got beat by
Roberto Duran who was a lightweight.
Hands of Stone had defeated the
previously undefeated Sugar Ray Leonard
to become the welterweight champion of
the world.
The new champ signed autographs and
talked [music] to friends in Midtown
Manhattan. Roberto Duran, hero and giant
killer. [music]
He won the first fight with Sugar Ray.
He was on top of [music] the world. He
was the king. He went out and started
doing what he does when he's not
fighting, partying, eating, drinking.
How much did he blow up? What' you say?
I forget. I think he was close to 40
lbs. And so, so Ray so Ry demanded that
the rematch be in 6 weeks. So, you know,
Duran is in New York just partying it up
for like 3 weeks. They call him from
from Panama, say, "Hey, you got to come
and train. You fight. You're fighting in
3 weeks." and he was close to 200 lb.
From where Burle comes and making that
little bit of money fighting as a
lightweight for all [music] them years
and not making millions, he wasn't going
to pass it up.
But this guy gains weight and loses
weight faster than anybody. This side of
well this side of Tommy Lorta.
He was out of training after a fight. He
put on tremendous amounts [music] of
weight. I mean 30 40 lb over what he
should be fighting at.
He doesn't like to train anymore. He
sometimes appeared listless, even
uncoordinated.
Unable to pass up the massive payday,
Duran took a fight he knew he [music]
couldn't properly prepare for.
He fluctuates in weight so badly. Back
in October, Roberto Duran may have
weighed as much as 190 lbs.
But he catches a right to left lands.
All right, that's the Ray Leonard
punches through the crowd. These two men
do not like each other.
This time, Leonard danced. What I heard
he was up to pretty close to 200 lb from
147 to 200.
Leonard came the fight and as you said
Larry confidence personified very
confident. If he can do this for 15
rounds
then you have a new champion.
Praying on Duran's lack of conditioning.
Leonard made a joke of the fight.
He showboated and mocked hands of stone.
doing a little dodgy now and a little
Ali.
He's taunting Durant. As the fight
progressed, Duran knew he was simply in
no [music] shape to fight.
And he's got Durant openly, not just
furious, but puzzled. He's taunting
Durant.
troubled by the moment.
He say when the Sugar Ray started
clowning around, he said, "That's it.
There's going to be a third fight. And
in the third fight, I'm going to be the
real me again."
The infamous moment.
And what's happening? Durant says, "No,
no."
I think he's quitting. He said, "No
more." And then he did it a second time.
He's saying no. No, he quit. I don't
understand it. I think Durant quit. I
don't understand. Duran has quit.
Roberto Durant has quit.
Angry at being made to look the fool.
Duran uttered the famous words and quit.
No respect for him [music] as far as a
man's concerned. I respect him as a
fighter. Don't get me wrong. I respect
him as a fighter and as his
accomplishments, his credentials, but as
a man, I don't I can't how can I
stain on Duran's [music]
character Duran after the Nomas fight
became a pariah. He was despised by most
of his countrymen.
Even his own countrymen [music]
turned against him.
The stink of Na still hung over Duran
[music] when he challenged the unbeaten
WBA 154 champion Davy Moore.
Baby Mo to come back after after no m
and everybody was like ah he's on his
way out and then do what he did. It just
that right there was inspiration for me
like man.
[music]
It was less of a fight
and more of a therapeutic release for
Duran.
Heat up
here.
Wow, look at this. Oh, how focused.
All the anger of no boss was unleashed
on the unsuspecting champion Davy Moore.
[music]
The spectacular win put Duran back in
the limelight.
This prompted the marvelous one to give
Duran a title shot. You can hear this
crowd very much apparently in the corner
of Roberto Duran. Be prepared for a play
st.
Listen to this crowd. The crowd is
absolutely electric.
A fight no one gave Duran any [music]
chance in
scoring more effectively there. That was
a good left hand to the body and there's
a good right hand by Durant. Duran was
well out of his natural weight class
and was now waiting into some serious
deep water against the far bigger Marvin
Haggler.
That time it was Haggler with a counter
punch right hand.
Haggler was an action fighter who never
ran from back and forth exchanges.
And there was a left hand says no I'm
not hurt. For the substantially smaller
[music] Durant to go the distance with
this beast during the height of his
reign was simply remarkable.
If you want this fight,
let the give it to you.
And still
the strong showing in the Haggler fight
prompted another big day for Duran
against Thomas the Hitman Hearns. Duran
had never been knocked out.
He has returned as Thomas the Hitman.
Yeah, [cheering] you got these two guns
coming out, you know, playing the
Eastwood. You're going to have a
shootout. You're just going to have a
shootout.
Round one then. Roberto Duran in the
You remember the old westerns,
the gunslingers,
you know, that was Clint Eastwood with
that music. Can you do that music for
me?
Hearns was 25 and in his prime. Duran
was 33 [music]
and well over his natural weight class
against Roberto Duran when you knocked
him far out.
That's going to be it. That's going to
be IN IN THE SECOND HAS DONE WHAT he
said he'd do.
Duran's a guy who had never been knocked
out. learned. And now one round all
those people that doubted him and
doubted his charisma and doubted his
fighting ability by stopping one of the
toughest fighters. The game has ever
seen in the second round, but his
punching was explosive.
And the Hitman did what he's become
famous for.
The knockout [music] seemed like the
end.
Sidebar, I've got a pretty sick
documentary on Tommy here on this very
YouTube channel you're watching.
Subscribe and click the bell.
At age 38, Duran took a fight against
the WBC middleweight champion, the
Blade, Iran Barkley. Barkley had just
demolished Tommy Hearns.
You know, Al, there's a saying in
boxing. A fighter can look like he's in
great condition. All of a sudden, he
walks up the stairs, the bell rings, and
he doesn't have it anymore. That's
happened to Roberto Duran like three
times. This is going to be some test for
a 37y old guy against a tough guy like
Kyan Barkley.
Many suspected this fight would be the
final nail in the coffin of Duran's
career.
It appeared his glory days were long
gone.
There she is.
So he was and still is. He's the most
famous panamanian today.
He's still the hero of the Latino
boxing.
Didn't matter. He's panameanian. He can
Mexican Puerto Rican.
Oh, he's out.
God, they sure had a [ __ ] memory.
Roberto Durant continued fighting for
many more years, ultimately finishing
with a record of 103 wins, 16 defeats,
and 17 knockouts.
Considered by many to be the greatest
lightweight ever, pound from bound, the
best fight of the last two decades.
A man who intimidates opponents with
those angry eyes.
Roberto Durant.
Hands of stone.
Nobody brings it home like it show.
Nobody.
Make it so.