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Roberto Carlos Durán Samaniego (born June 16, 1951) is a Panamanian former
professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...
who competed from 1968 to 2001. He held world championships in four weight classes:
Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing (sport), rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) boxing weight classes, weight class in the spor ...
,
welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term ''welterweight'' was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...
,
light middleweight Light middleweight, also known as junior middleweight or super welterweight,PeBoxRec/ref> is a weight class in boxing but also may include other combat sports. Boxing The light middleweight division (also known as junior middleweight in the Intern ...
and
middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...
. Duran also reigned as the undisputed and lineal lightweight champion and the lineal welterweight champion. He is also the second boxer to have competed over a span of five decades, the first being Jack Johnson. Durán was known as a versatile, technical brawler and pressure fighter, which earned him the nickname "''Manos de Piedra''" ("Hands of Stone") for his formidable punching power and excellent defense. Durán is regarded by many as one of the greatest boxers of all time and considered to be the greatest latino boxer of all time. In 2002, Durán was voted by '' The Ring'' magazine as the fifth greatest fighter of the last 80 years, while boxing historian
Bert Sugar Herbert Randolph Sugar (June 7, 1936 – March 25, 2012) was an American sportswriter known for his work covering boxing and baseball. As the author of over 80 books, ''The New York Times'' called Sugar an "accomplished raconteur with a bottom ...
rated him as the eighth greatest fighter of all time. The
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
voted him as the best lightweight of the 20th century, with many considering him the greatest lightweight of all time. Durán retired for good in January 2002 at age 50, following a car crash in
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
in October 2001, after which he had required life saving surgery. He had previously retired in November 1980, June 1984 and August 1998, only to change his mind. Durán ended his career with a professional record of 119 fights, 103 wins, and 70
knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...
s. From May 1971 up until his second fight against
Sugar Ray Leonard Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as Sugar Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professionally between 1977 and 1997, winning quintuple c ...
in November 1980, as well as in his fight against
Wilfred Benítez Wilfred "Wilfredo" Benítez (born September 12, 1958) is an American-born Puerto Rican former professional boxer and the youngest world champion in the sport's history. Earning his first of three career world titles in separate weight division ...
in January 1982, Durán was trained by legendary boxing trainer Ray Arcel.


Early life

Roberto Durán was born on June 16, 1951, in Guararé, Panama. His mother, Clara Samaniego, was a native of Guararé and his father, Margarito Duran, an American of Mexican heritage was stationed in Panama for the U.S. Army at the time of Roberto’s birth. He was raised in the slums of El Chorrillo in the district "La Casa de Piedra" (The House of Stone), in Panama City. He began sparring with experienced boxers at the Neco de La Guardia gymnasium when he was only eight years old.


Amateur career

Durán competed as an amateur, compiling a record of 29–3Hands of Stone by Christian Giudice, p. 43 (other sources say 18–3 or 13–3), with all 3 losses coming in Durán's first 3 amateur fights. Following his amateur career, Durán made his professional debut in February 1968 at the age of 16.


Professional career


Lightweight

Durán won his first 31 consecutive professional fights, and scored knockout victories over future
Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, ...
Champion Ernesto Marcel and former
Super Featherweight Super featherweight, also known as junior lightweight, is a weight division in professional boxing, contested between and . The super featherweight division was established by the New York Walker Law in 1920, although first founded by the New ...
Champion Hiroshi Kobayashi, culminating in his first title bout in June 1972, where he defeated Ken Buchanan at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
for the WBA
Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing (sport), rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) boxing weight classes, weight class in the spor ...
Championship. Durán, as a 2-to-1 underdog, scored a knockdown against the defending champion just fifteen seconds into the opening round and battered him throughout the bout. He was well ahead on all three cards as the bell rang to end the 13th round, at which time Durán (apparently not hearing the bell) continued to throw a couple of extra punches as Buchanan lay on the ropes. As Durán continued punching, the referee, Johnny LoBianco, grabbed him to pull him away. He pulled down on Durán's arms, which led to a seemingly accidental low blow. Buchanan dropped to the canvas in pain. His trainer Gil Clancy later said he had believed the blow to have been caused by a knee. Durán was not disqualified from the bout; instead, he was deemed as winner by thirteenth-round technical knockout. Columnist Red Smith of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' wrote that LoBianco had to award the victory to Durán, even if the punch was a low blow, as "anything short of pulling a knife is regarded indulgently" in American boxing. Buchanan said he left the fight "with sore balls". Durán followed up on his title winning performance with several non-title matches. Later that year, in another non-title bout, he lost a ten-round decision to Esteban De Jesús. Durán got back on track with successful title defenses against Jimmy Robertson, Hector Thompson and future Lightweight Champion
Guts Ishimatsu , better known as is a Japanese actor, comedian, tarento and former professional boxer who competed in the Lightweight division from 1966 to 1978. He is a one-time former WBC Lightweight Champion and an OPBF Lightweight Champion. As a boxer, h ...
. In 1974, Durán avenged his loss to De Jesús with a brutal eleventh round knock out. In 1976, he defeated future
Light Welterweight Light welterweight, also known as junior welterweight or super lightweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional boxing In professional boxing, light welterweight is contested between the lightweight and welterweight divisions, ...
Champion Saoul Mamby. Overall, Durán made twelve successful defenses of his title (eleven coming by knockout) and amassed a record of 62–1, his last defense coming in 1978 when Durán fought a third bout with De Jesus in a unification match wherein Durán once again knocked out De Jesus and captured his WBC Lightweight Championship. Durán later visited De Jesús in 1989 when De Jesús was dying of AIDS. “When I see him there so thin, my tears run out because he used to be a muscular guy," Durán said. "I start crying and I hug him, and I kiss him and I tell my daughter to kiss him.” The picture of their embrace was widely distributed, at a time when AIDS patients faced significant stigma. Durán gave up the Undisputed Lightweight Championship in February 1979.


Welterweight and The Brawl in Montreal

Vacating the Lightweight title was a buildup for an attempt at the
Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term ''welterweight'' was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...
title. Durán earned wins against former WBC Welterweight Champion Carlos Palomino and Zeferino Gonzales, among others, setting the stage for a title bout against then-undefeated WBC Welterweight Champion
Sugar Ray Leonard Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as Sugar Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professionally between 1977 and 1997, winning quintuple c ...
. The venue chosen was the
Olympic Stadium ''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports ...
in
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
(the same location where Leonard won an Olympic gold medal during the
1976 Summer Olympics The 1976 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Montreal 1976 (), were an international multi-sport event held from July 17 to August 1, 1976, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal ...
). Durán resented the fact that he was getting only one-fifth of the money that Leonard was getting, despite the fact that Durán was entering the bout with an incredible 71–1 record and seen by many as the best boxer of the decade of the 1970s. To the surprise of Leonard and his camp, who had expected a warm homecoming from the place where Leonard had won Olympic gold, Leonard only got a mixed reception in Montreal, while Durán was incredibly popular with the crowd, with Leonard later admitting that Durán's popularity in Canada "threw me for a loop". On June 20, 1980, Durán captured the WBC Welterweight title by defeating Leonard via a 15-round unanimous decision (145–144, 148–147, 146–144), although it was incorrectly announced as a majority decision in the ring with the 148–147 scorecard being incorrectly announced as 147–147. The fight became known as "The Brawl in Montreal".


"No Más" in New Orleans

After defeating Leonard in Montreal, Durán gained iconic status in his home country, Panama. Leonard initiated the rematch clause and asked for the fight to be the following November. In their second fight, Leonard successfully changed his tactics, using more footwork and movement than he had in their first fight, and Durán was unable to get Leonard against the ropes. During the seventh round, after Leonard had gained a slight lead on the scorecards, he began taunting and mocking Durán. Towards the end of the eighth round, Durán suddenly stopped fighting, and according to referee Octavio Meyran and ABC commentator Howard Cosell, Durán repeatedly said "No más" ("no more"), which was denied by Durán, his cornermen Ray Arcel and Freddie Brown, and his manager Carlos Eleta, with Durán claiming he had said "No quiero pelear con el payaso" ("I do not want to fight with this clown eonard). According to Meyran, in addition to saying "No más", Durán also said in broken English "I don't box anymore". In a 2016 interview, Durán claimed that what he actually said was, "No sigo" ("I won't go on"). For a brief time after the "No más" debacle, Durán retired from boxing, but soon changed his mind, not wanting to end his career on such a bad note.


Light middleweight and middleweight

He took some time to recover from that fight and gained even more weight to contend for the WBC
Light Middleweight Light middleweight, also known as junior middleweight or super welterweight,PeBoxRec/ref> is a weight class in boxing but also may include other combat sports. Boxing The light middleweight division (also known as junior middleweight in the Intern ...
title, but losing in his first attempt at a championship in that division on January 30, 1982, against
Wilfred Benítez Wilfred "Wilfredo" Benítez (born September 12, 1958) is an American-born Puerto Rican former professional boxer and the youngest world champion in the sport's history. Earning his first of three career world titles in separate weight division ...
by a 15-round unanimous decision, this after having defeated Nino Gonzalez and Luigi Minchillo, two rated Light Middleweights, both by ten-round decisions in non-title bouts. Durán was also to lose his comeback fight in September 1982 in Detroit. Kirkland Laing, from London, shocked the boxing world, producing the type of display his talents promised yet he so rarely produced, taking the split decision. After being relegated to a 10-round walk out win over Englishman Jimmy Batten at The Battle of The Champions in
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
, Durán signed with promoter Bob Arum. This marked the beginning of a comeback in which he beat former world champion and now hall of famer José Cuevas via a fourth round knock-out, which earned him a second crack at the light middleweight title, this time against WBA Champion Davey Moore. The WBA title bout took place at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
on June 16, 1983, which also happened to be Durán's 32nd birthday. The still inexperienced Moore (12–0) was game through the first three rounds, but by the 4th, Durán said he knew Moore couldn't hurt him, and an onslaught began.He That Was Lost Has Been Found, ''Sports Illustrated'', June 27, 1983 The pro-Durán crowd at ringside cheered as Durán relentlessly punished Moore. By the end of the sixth round, Moore's eye had swollen shut and he was floored near the end of the seventh. Finally the fight was stopped in the eighth round as Moore was taking a horrific beating and Durán won his third world title. After the victory, Durán was hoisted up in the air as the crowd sang "Happy Birthday" to a sobbing Durán.
Durán later fought for the World
Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...
Championship, meeting Marvelous Marvin Hagler in Las Vegas on November 10, 1983. During the fight, Duran broke his hand and lost in a very competitive fight that went the full fifteen rounds. After 13 rounds, two of the judges had Durán one point ahead, and the other judge had it even. Hagler fought tenaciously to win the final two rounds and get a unanimous decision victory. The judges' scores were 144–142, 144–143, and 146–145. Despite the loss, Durán became the second man to take Hagler to a fifteen-round decision ( Vito Antuofermo was the other) and the only one to do so while Hagler was the world champion. In June 1984, Durán was stripped of his Light Middleweight title when the WBA did not approve of his fight with WBC Champion Thomas "Hitman" Hearns and took away recognition of Durán as world champion the moment Durán stepped into the ring to box Hearns. Durán again made history in the fight, but this time it was the wrong kind. Hearns dropped Durán twice in the first round and as he rose to his feet after the second knockdown, which ended the round, the former champion did not know where his corner was. Hearns went on to knock Durán down a third time in the second round and the fight was stopped, marking the first time in his career that Durán had been knocked out in a fight (the "No Más" fight was officially recorded as a technical knockout, because Durán quit). Durán then retired for a second time, but changed his mind over a year later, and was back fighting in early 1986. Durán did not contend another title fight until 1989, but made the shot count when he won the WBC Middleweight title from
Iran Barkley Iran Barkley (; born May 6, 1960) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1999. He held triple champion, world championships in three weight classes, including the World Boxing Council, WBC middleweight title from 1988 ...
in February. The fight is considered one of Durán's greatest achievements, as the 37-year-old former lightweight champion took the middleweight crown, his fourth title. In a tough, back-and-forth fight, Durán knocked Barkley down in the eleventh round and Durán won a split decision (118–112, 116–112, 113–116). The bout was named the 1989 "Fight of the Year" by '' The Ring''.


Super middleweight

Duran moved up to
super middleweight Super middleweight, or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing In professional boxing, super middleweight is contested between the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, in which boxers can weigh between 160 pounds ( ...
for a third fight with
Sugar Ray Leonard Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as Sugar Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professionally between 1977 and 1997, winning quintuple c ...
in December 1989 (a fight dubbed ''Uno Más'' — One More — by promoters), where Leonard's WBC super-middleweight title was on the line, although Leonard's camp insisted that the fight with Durán be at a 162lbs catchweight instead of the 168lbs super-middleweight limit that Durán favoured. In the end, both weighed in below the 160lbs middleweight limit. Durán was uncharacteristically flat for most of what was a strange fight. Although Leonard won the fight by a wide unanimous decision (120–110, 119–109, 116–111), by the end of the fight Leonard looked the worse for wear as he had suffered several bad cuts. Leonard's lip was busted by a headbutt in the fourth round, his left eye was cut in the eleventh round and his right eye was cut in the twelfth round. The cuts required more than 60 stitches. Durán didn't fight again until 1991, so had given up his WBC middleweight crown that he had won against Barkley. Durán seemed to be in decline after the third fight against Leonard, but he persisted and worked his way into title shots for the lesser IBC super-middleweight and middleweight titles in 1994, 1995 and 1996. Durán fought Vinny Pazienza twice, in June 1994 and January 1995, for the IBC Super Middleweight Championship, with Pazienza winning both times by unanimous decision. In the first fight, Durán put Pazienza down in Rounds 2 and 5, but referee Joe Cortez controversially ruled the Round 2 knockdown to be a slip. The first fight divided the people watching as some felt that Durán had won a close fight, but others felt that Pazienza had won either narrowly or widely after finishing strongly in the last five rounds. The second fight was more lopsided in Pazienza's favour, as despite the official judges giving Pazienza the win by scores of 116–112, 117–111 and 118–110, the TV commentators expressed puzzlement at the closeness of the official scoring as they thought that Pazienza had won every round in a 120–108 shutout. In 1996, Durán fought Héctor Camacho for the vacant IBC Middleweight Championship. At the end of the fight, fans and TV commentators seemed in complete agreement that Durán had won the fight in an excellent performance, but the three judges saw the fight very differently and awarded Camacho the victory by a very controversial unanimous decision. Durán's old rival, Sugar Ray Leonard, commentating at ringside, was baffled at the scoring and called it an early Christmas gift for Camacho, with the result motivating Leonard enough to come out of a 6-year boxing retirement to face Camacho himself in 1997. In 1997, Durán was defeated by former champion Jorge Castro in Argentina. Durán then fought Castro in a rematch bout in Panama and won via unanimous decision, maintaining his unbeaten record in Panama. In 1998, at the age of 47, he challenged 28-year-old WBA Middleweight Champion William Joppy. Joppy, a trim, quick-fisted fighter, battered Durán to defeat in just 3 rounds. It was Durán's most emphatic loss since the Hearns fight, over a decade earlier. Durán then announced his retirement for the third time in August 1998, but soon changed his mind and was back fighting in March 1999. In June 2000, Durán avenged a previous loss to Pat Lawlor from 9 years before and won the NBA Super Middleweight Championship on his 49th birthday. He lost the title a year later to Héctor Camacho in a rematch bout and in what would be Durán's final fight.


Retirement

In October 2001, Durán traveled to
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
to promote a
salsa music Salsa music is a style of Latin American music, combining elements of Cuban and Puerto Rican influences. Because most of the basic musical components predate the labeling of salsa, there have been many controversies regarding its origin. Most ...
CD that he had just released. While there, he was involved in a car crash and required life-saving surgery. After that incident, he announced his retirement from boxing at the age of 50. Announcing his retirement, Durán cited the weight issues of his friend, Argentinian football legend
Diego Maradona Diego Armando Maradona Franco (30 October 196025 November 2020) was an Argentine professional association football, football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two ...
, as motivation for getting back in shape, stating "as of now, I am exercising so that when the etirementhonors arrive the people will see me in shape. I don't want to
ook Ook, OoK or OOK may refer to: * Ook Chung (born 1963), Korean-Canadian writer from Quebec * On-off keying, in radio technology * Toksook Bay Airport (IATA code OOK), in Alaska * Ook!, an esoteric programming language based on Brainfuck * Ook, the ...
like Maradona did, all fat." Durán's five world title belts, which he won in four different divisions, were stolen from his house in Panama in 1993 during a robbery allegedly staged by his brother-in-law, who gave them to memorabilia seller Luis González Báez, who stood trial for trying to sell stolen goods. González Báez allegedly sold the belts to undercover
FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
agents. He alleged that Durán authorized the sale of the five belts to him during a time that Durán was facing financial trouble. On September 23, 2003, a federal judge in
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
ordered the five belts returned to Durán. His 70 wins by knockout place him in an exclusive group of boxers who have won 50 or more fights by knockout. He is ranked number 28 on '' The Rings list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. On October 14, 2006, Durán was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in Riverside, California, and on June 10, 2007, into the
International Boxing Hall of Fame The International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, right next to exit 34 of the New York State Thruway, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected on ballots cre ...
in Canastota, New York. In June 2020, Durán was diagnosed with
Covid-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
after going to hospital with
common cold The common cold, or the cold, is a virus, viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the Respiratory epithelium, respiratory mucosa of the human nose, nose, throat, Paranasal sinuses, sinuses, and larynx. ...
symptoms. Durán underwent treatment for the disease. Coincidentally, the diagnosis came on the 48th anniversary of Durán's first world title victory against Ken Buchanan, which took place on June 26, 1972. He was released from the hospital weeks later. Today he is the brand ambassador of Panama Blue, Panama's premium bottled water. Durán is a licensed ultralight aircraft pilot in Panama. He flew a Quick Silver MX model. Durán's daughter, Irichelle Durán, was a professional boxer herself who garnered a record of one win and two losses in three bouts, with one win by knockout. She is a resident of
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
. In March 2024, it was revealed that Durán suffers a heart problem known as atrioventricular blockage, He had surgery on Monday 18 March in Panama to have a pacemaker placed in his chest.


Appearances in film/music


Film

Durán's first appearance in a movie was in the 1979 film ''
Rocky II ''Rocky II'' is a 1979 American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the direct sequel to ''Rocky'' (1976) and the second installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, ...
'' as a lightning-fast sparring partner for
Rocky Balboa Robert "Rocky" Balboa (also known by his ring name the Italian Stallion) is a fictional character and the titular protagonist of the ''Rocky'' franchise. The character was created by Sylvester Stallone, who has also portrayed him in eight of ...
. Outside of this, Durán had minor roles in '' Harlem Nights''. Durán's life and boxing career are told in the documentary ''Los puños de una nación'' ("The Fists of a Nation") by Panamanian filmmaker Pituka Ortega-Heilbron. Durán also appears very briefly during an interview for the documentary ''The Panama Deception'' (1992), in which he recounts his experience during the
United States invasion of Panama The United States invaded Panama in mid-December 1989 during the presidency of George H. W. Bush. The purpose of the invasion was to depose the '' de facto'' ruler of Panama, General Manuel Noriega, who was wanted by U.S. authorities for rack ...
. The biopic '' Hands of Stone'' stars
Édgar Ramírez Édgar Filiberto Ramírez Arellano (, born 25 March 1977) is a Venezuelan actor. After studying communications at the Andrés Bello Catholic University, Ramírez worked in media and considered becoming a diplomat. When filmmaker Guillermo ...
as Durán,
Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...
as Ray Arcel and Usher as Sugar Ray Leonard, and was released on August 26, 2016.


Television

Durán played the drug lord Jesús Maroto in ''
Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, Ricardo "Rico" Tub ...
'' season two, episode 19. In "Corporate Warriors", the fourth episode of the second season of the hit American crime drama '' CSI: NY'', Durán is mentioned by the medical examiner while discussing a dead man found to have bone grafts put in his hands to boost his punching power.


Music

The song "The Eyes of Roberto Durán" by Tom Russell, from the album ''The Long Way Around'', contains the lyric, "Panama City – it's three in the morning; they're talking 'bout the Hands of Stone." Durán is mentioned in the third verse of
Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...
' original demo for ''It Ain't Hard to Tell'' in the line: "Metaphors of murder man, hittin' like Roberto Durán, hold the mic in my hand, my lifespan." The musician Jackie Leven recorded a song ("Museum of Childhood") that explores the events of the second world title fight between Durán and Sugar Ray Leonard. Jazz musician Miles Davis, an avid boxing fan, recorded a tribute to Roberto Durán titled "Duran". Durán is also mentioned in the third verse of Paul Thorn's "Hammer and Nail," based on Thorn's nationally televised fight with Durán: Texas rockabilly band Reverend Horton Heat mentions Durán in their song "Eat Steak," off of their album ''Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em''. Durán is mentioned in the salsa song "Pa'l Bailador" by Colombian singer Joe Arroyo in 1989, "A Roberto Duran, Aya en Panama, Mano de Piedra!" (To Roberto Duran, in Panama, Hands of Stones!) Durán is referenced multiple times in the song "Uno Mas" by Alex Soria's band Chino. Durán's 1983 fight with Davey Moore is referenced in the 2014 single, "The Possum," by American songwriter,
Sun Kil Moon Sun Kil Moon is an American folk rock act from San Francisco, California, founded in 2002. Initially a continuation of the defunct indie rock band Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon is now the primary recording moniker of vocalist and guitarist M ...
(i.e. Mark Kozelek), who often writes about boxers. Kozelek sings: "They threw hard vicious guttural B-flats that shook their opponent / Like a tough Roberto "Hands of Stone" Durán, in the seventh round / Davey Moore, June 16, 1983..." Durán himself was a Salsa singer once, leading an orchestra named "Felicidad" after his wife. They recorded albums and frequented television shows in Latin America. Durán is also mentioned by former rap duo Max and Sam (consisting of sports analyst
Max Kellerman Max Kellerman (born August 6, 1973) is an American sports television personality and boxing commentator. Until his departure from ESPN in June 2023, he was the host of ''This Just In with Max Kellerman'' and the co-host of ''Keyshawn, JWill an ...
and his brother Sam) in their song 'Young Man Rumble' with the line "Got skills got stamina got Hands of Stone like the champ from Panama." Durán is indirectly referred to in
Kevin Morby Kevin Robert Morby (born 2 April 1988) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. A former member of Woods (band), Woods and The Babies, Morby has released seven solo studio albums: ''Harlem River (album), Harlem River'' (2013), ''Still Li ...
's song "This Is a Photograph", in which Morby's father's struggle with aging is likened to Durán's career, from his early bravado to the "No Más" fight against Sugar Ray Leonard.


Professional boxing record


Exhibition boxing record


Titles in boxing


Major world titles

* WBA lightweight champion (135 lbs) * WBC lightweight champion (135 lbs) * WBC welterweight champion (147 lbs) * WBA light middleweight champion (154 lbs) * WBC middleweight champion (160 lbs)


''The Ring'' magazine titles

* ''The Ring'' lightweight champion (135 lbs) * ''The Ring'' welterweight champion (147 lbs)


Minor world titles

*
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
super middleweight Super middleweight, or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing In professional boxing, super middleweight is contested between the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions, in which boxers can weigh between 160 pounds ( ...
champion (168 lbs)


Undisputed titles

* Undisputed lightweight champion


See also

*
List of undisputed boxing champions This is a list of Undisputed championship (boxing), undisputed champions in professional boxing. Eras that are not listed do not have any undisputed champions. Championship recognition Titles have been awarded by: *New York State Athletic Com ...
*
List of boxing families This is a list of boxing families with two or more notable boxers. Many families have had multiple members become famous in the sport of boxing, with some having held multiple world titles. While this does not have extensive details, their highe ...
* List of boxing quadruple champions * List of Panamanians


References


External links

*
Official website
hosted by CMG Worldwide as Durán's representative

at the
International Boxing Hall of Fame The International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, right next to exit 34 of the New York State Thruway, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected on ballots cre ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duran, Roberto 1951 births Living people People from Los Santos Province International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees Panamanian people of Mexican descent Panamanian people of American descent World Boxing Association champions World Boxing Council champions Panamanian aviators Panamanian male boxers Super-middleweight boxers The Ring (magazine) champions World lightweight boxing champions World welterweight boxing champions World light-middleweight boxing champions World middleweight boxing champions Salsa musicians 20th-century Panamanian male singers 20th-century Panamanian singers