What really happened to Roberto Duran?
December 3rd, 2009
By Klaas Mabetlela: On the night of November 1980, Roberto Duran shocked the world when he turned his back and refused to fight any longer against the challenger, Sugar Ray Leonard. He won his career defining fight against the same Leonard hardly 5 months earlier in Montreal. How does a man who never displayed cowardice before and after this fight can took such a drastic action? Experts say our biggest strengths can result in our weakest moment and I think that is what happened. Everything he fought for in his life, all his frustrations about the establishment, the hatred of his opponent and personal woes collided on that chilly November night.
That is the reason why he skipped Jr welterweight division and went straight after Leonard t welterweight division after oblitering the lightweight division to such an extent that most rate him as the best of all-times in that division. There were other benefits like taking his career to another level and earning the biggest payday of his career. I think to Duran, the burning passion was to correct the boxing order and ensure that boxing is left for real men. Duran was in such a stance and trance for their first fight in 1980 that he would have beaten any boxer that night. He displayed all; boxing of the highest quality, intensity, fighting spirit and physical fitness second to none. Yes, Sugar Ray Leonard could have boxed more but I do not think he had too much choice that night.
He went on to beat the then undefeated Sugar Ray Leonard to top the pound for pound list without any dispute. I think that win was the beginning of the build up for no mas. Duran won the fight he was supposed to lose against all odds and he was on top of the world. His win brought him more attention than he never knew existed, he was a mainstream superstar not only a boxing superstar and he can beat any man in front of him. He went on to enjoy the trappings of being a mainstream superstar and that impacted in his mental and physical preparations for the rematch which took place barely 5 months later.
Duran expected round one of this rematch with Leonard to be round 16 of their first fight but Leonard has done his homework thoroughly and was mentally and physically fitter to carry out his strategy to the tee. The frustration of being humiliated by the man you hate the most, lack of proper preparation, questionable conditioning and Leonard’s ability to stick to his plan were all too much for Roberto Duran. He did the unthinkable and something totally out of character; he allowed the demons that helped him to the top defeat him mentally and gave up.
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just remember both their fights were just 5 months apart, who in boxing does that today? duran quit because he was made to look like an idiot, plain n simple. duran was a warrior even after this he shocked everyone by really beating up davey moore for the jnr middle title, taking a peak hagler the distance close loss then he almost got killed by thomas hearns( which for me is still one of the most devastasating ko’s of all time), another loss, then some years later at the age of 37 he beats up iran barkley(who had kayoed hearns) to win the middle title remarkable! whatever happened to duran after this is irrelevent, because leonard & hearns were both completely shot by the time they had turned 37 yet duran took camacho the distance at the age of 45, but leonard got totally annilated by camacho at 40(although that was stupid for ray to ever come after 6 years) what was he thinking? no warm up fights, sugar really soured his legacy when he done that.but all of these fighters leonard/hearns/hagler/duran in their prime were superhuman, way better than the champs of today, and that is how we should all remeber them, they were the best of the lighter weight classes arguably of all time.
MR.ROBERTO DURAN
WAS IS THE BEST IN AND OF THE RING BAR NONE !
Duran fustration, ray was fighting like A clown THE WORDS NO MAS WILL LIVE ON, SO WILL MR DURAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lets hope Mayweather will fight Pacquiao as real man,as Pacman always does,speed for speed,power for power,strenght for strenght, to prove to us boxing fans who really is the best boxer pound for pound.
An article appeared in The Commercial Appeal, the local newspaper for Memphis Tenn. shortly after this fight had taken place. It stated that the IRS had filed a lawsuit for 1.4 million dollars against Duran. When they attempted to hold his purse so they could get their tax money they discovered that Duran’s purse was already in the bank in Panama. That kinda tells the real story. I am sure that those of you with better computer skills than mine can find this article if you so desire.
This is the same bogus explanation they’ve been trying to sell since it happened, and it doesnt hold water. Both fights were very similar – very close with Duran in pursuit and Leonard floating. Duran won the first fight in the later rounds, and in the second fight, was in position to possibly do the same. At the very least, he was still in the fight. He was never hurt in the 2nd fight, and Sugar has lost rounds by running. I think Duran was WINNING the round that he quit. We may never know what really happened, but this lame explanation doesnt cut it. The word “fix” doesn’t cover as much copy space, but it seems more fitting and direct than a desperate search into the psyche of Duran.
I saw both fights and Leonard #2 wasnt the same fighter. Duran should always be remembered for that night. Many a fighter hung in there until they couldnt go on when they were in there with him. He should have done the same.
‘guest’ you are an idiot, if you want toe to toe boxing go watch MMA! The sport is called boxing, not fighting!
This was a great article! One of the best I have read on the subject. I think you got it absolutely right. What a lot of people don’t understand is that Duran before and after the first SRL fight wasn’t the same fighter. He never had that same hunger again. The young Duran wanted to kill his opponents, and after he beat SRL he never had that same hunger again. Sure, he still had some great moments later in his career too, but the lightweight version of Roberto Duran was close to unbeateble. In my eyes the best p4p fighter ever.
I am 61 yrs old now. I watched both fights, Duran-Leonard 1 and 2. Somehow, we had the priviledge to watch them live on TV here in Manila. I only knew Duran and Leonard then through the newspapers so I had no idea how they fight. All I knew was Duran had the “hands of stone” and Leonard was a small Ali. So, I was thrilled to see the first fight and had praises for both mainly because both readily mixed it up from start to finish and both had their shining moments, a see-saw battle, non-stop action, one of the best fights of the decade.Before the last round, Leonard’s corner knew they were behind and Duran went on to give Sugar his first loss. In the second fight, Leonard turned from fighter to clown. He hit and ran, refused to engage Duran toe-to-toe (reason why he lost the first fight), taunting Duran like a naughty chimpanzee, making faces, clowning with his fists. Suddenly, it was not boxing anymore but a circus. Duran wanted a serious battle, Leonard resorted to showboating. Fight no. 2 was a big letdown to boxing. It wasn’t only Duran who said “NO MAS”…I also did. I didn’t want to continue watching such lousy fight anymore!
Mayweather will employ the same Leonard’s hit and run tactics against an aggressive fighter Pacquiao. Pacquiao will keep chasing Mayweather and keep throwing wild punching to air. Cotto’s boxing style gives a clear blueprint how to frustrate Pacquiao.
In the end, Pacquiao will end up “NO MAS”.
i felt the same way as comment 3 here. i lost something for both guys too that night. but duran more.
one thing duran never should have done -gotten into the ring with hearns. timber!
but duran fought hagler very tough, and nearly took him.
That was the fight where I lost some respect for both fighters. Ray for not facing Duran and fight like he can and Duran for quitting and not showing sportsmanship.
I witnessed that bout and it was not one-sided. Duran got frustrated because Leonard did not want to fight. He would stick and run. Duran is not used to soft/boring kind of boxing. He wants toe-to-toe, to engage and exchange like real men. But Leonard’s style was much like dancing – flick his curled fingers, tap Duran a little bit and then run. Guess much like what Money May mighy show up with Pacman……I you were a real fighter, you may do a no-mas also if you want to engage and the other would consistently run. Becuase you do not go atop the ring to be in a racing duel. Hope running and clinching would one day be discredited in boxing.
Very good article – though more should be side about the one-sidedness of the fight that led to his frustration also….