By the late boxing had lapsed into a moribund state and interest in it was on the wane. Sugar ray leonard was born ray charles leonard in wilmington, north carolina, on may 17, 1956. Duran during the 10 year period from 1980 through 1989, 9 fights occurred that featured sugar ray leonard, marvin hagler, thomas hearns and roberto duran fighting against each other. Hearns destroyed duran with one punch 35 years ago big. Leonard, hearns, hagler, duran, and the last great era of boxing.
A book any boxing fan or anyone really, would appreciate. The bout took place on june 20, 1980 at the olympic stadium in montreal, canada. Sugar ray leonards upset of marvin hagler remains a. Leonard s lawyer, mike trainer, set a precedent of squeezing out. Strengthen your knowledge of the hands of stone true story by watching a ray arcel interview and a video that highlights the infamous rematch between roberto duran and sugar ray leonard, which duran quit in. When roberto duran fought hagler in november of 1983, he knew he couldnt meet force with force because hagler was too strong. Leonard watched this from ringside as a broadcaster and later took it up a notch or two when they fought. Duran entered the ring that night in vegas, as a man who had recently suffered defeat, after defeat, after defeat. The match revealed a more canny leonard, one who could weave, feint, and clearly outbox duran.
Those questions have haunted roberto duran, his fans and boxing observers since he infamously, and seemingly inexplicably, quit his nov. I know he played duran s game and stood flat footed trying to go toetotoe for most of the fight, but i thought he countered and fought off the ropes masterfully numerous times and appeared to have far more left in the tank as they went the distance i had. Sports illustrated november 24 1980 sugar ray leonard. Read four kings leonard, hagler, hearns, duran and the last great era of boxing by george kimball available from rakuten kobo. Duran and felicidad are the parents of eight children. Millions crowded into closedcircuit theaters around the world while ringside seats sold for record sums. Sugar ray leonard sugar ray leonard, roberto duran, and those closest to them remember the triumph and heartbreak of their classic wbc championship bouts. Both fighters bounced up and down and tried to keep warm in the ring. Mar 08, 20 20th of june, 1980olympic stadium, montreal, quebec, canada wbc welterweight world title. Leonardduran bout may be boxings richest by lee benson, desert news, december 7, 1989 leonard wins with unanimous 12round decision by ed schuyler jr.
Lists of the best fights in boxing history, a guide to sanctioning bodies, and details on world champions from around the globe. Sick history of the sweet science of boxing pictured. The almost annual showcase featuring these hall of famers made their. Nov 25, 2015 just five months after one of the greatest fights in modern boxing history, sugar ray leonard and roberto duran met in a rematch that somehow managed to transcend the original. Superfight is just a mirage wrote harry mullan, in this, our original fight report from leonardduran iii on december 7, 1989 in las vegas. Christian giudices book hands of stone, on which the movie was based, puts the wedding sometime shortly after durans 1980 victory against leonard, when felicidads parents finally approved of him. Roberto duran tells the real story behind the no mas bout. Uno mas was the final chapter in the trilogy between 2 living legends. Leonard s rematch with duran, held in new orleans on november 26, 1980, is still known as the no mas fight. It takes two to tango and both of us made our mark in the history books. Marvelous marvin hagler recalls the war with thomas. Roberto duran vs sugar ray leonard 1 explained brawl in.
Boxing 1980 vintage sports magazines for sale ebay. The fab four consists of four great boxing legends. Leonard looked calm, flashing the now wellknown smile while duran paced like a caged tiger who couldnt wait to unload on his prey. How would you rank the fab four in the all time greats. Roberto duran archives the fight citythe fight city. Oct 04, 2011 when the author requested an interview with him for this oral history, he declined due to health concerns but granted permission to use his book, four kings, which focuses on the careers of hagler, leonard, hearns, and duran. Elva duran has 14 books on goodreads with ratings. Thomas hearns, billed as the showdown, was a professional boxing match contested on september 16, 1981 for the wba, wbc, the ring and lineal welterweight titles. Sugar ray leonard and roberto duran left us bitterly disappointed. Roberto duran tells the real story behind the no mas. Roberto duran aka hands of stone and sugar ray leonard, who makes the 2nd defense of his wbc super.
The decade went out with a whimper rather than a bang. Nov 23, 2016 sugar ray leonard sends the perspiration flying as he hits roberto duran with a hard right hand during the 6th round of their welterweight championship fight on november 25, 1980. Nicknamed the motor city cobra, and more famously the hitman, hearns tall, slender build and oversized arms and shoulders allowed him to move up over fifty pounds in his career and become the first boxer in history to win world titles in five weight divisions. Search the worlds most comprehensive index of fulltext books. Roberto duran aka hands of stone and sugar ray leonard, who makes the 2nd defense of his wbc super middleweight. Roberto duran vs sugar ray leonard i high quality youtube. Rivalries in boxing are often connected to trilogies, but marvin haglers middleweight title defense against the explosive thomas hearns was once in a lifetime sporting theater. Sugar ray leonard fights roberto duran for the third and final time on december 7, 1989, the boxer sugar ray leonard triumphs over a lackluster roberto duran in a unanimous 12round decision at. Ray leonard vs roberto duran fan scorecards eye on the ring.
Scheduled for 15 rounds, sugar ray leonard and roberto duran were about to make history by beginning a trilogy that would last in the minds of boxing fans for all eternity. Christian giudices book hands of stone, on which the movie was based, puts the wedding sometime shortly after durans 1980 victory against leonard, when. On december 7, 1989, the boxer sugar ray leonard triumphs over a lackluster roberto duran in a unanimous 12round decision at the mirage hotel in las vegas. Sugar ray leonard vs roberto duran iii highlights uno mas. After amassing a 721 record that included a 15round decision over sugar ray leonard in the summer of 1980, he lost to leonard in their famous no mas rematch in november of that year. Just wondering if im crazy for thinking srl beat duran in their first bout in montreal. A fightbyfight look at the career of boxing great manny pacquiao. A fightbyfight history of sugar ray leonard s boxing career. But 39 years later and the memories are still fresh. After amassing a 721 record that included a 15round decision over sugar ray leonard in the summer of 1980, he lost to leonard. Sugar ray leonard boxing fan apparel and souvenirs for.
It gained its name from the moment at the end of the eighth round when duran turned away from leonard. Sugar ray leonard vs thomas hearns i highlights the. Jan 01, 2008 four kings chronicles the decade of title bouts and battles between four fantastic boxers. Looking back on what well never see again leonard vs. May 08, 2017 roberto duran, the former world boxing champion nicknamed hands of stone, has fond memories of a hellraising career but is happy with the calmer life he leads now. Leonard snatches victory from the jaws of defeat with a dramatic late stoppage. Sugar ray leonard, thomas hearns, roberto duran and marvin hagler.
Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Sep 16, 2019 a native of detroit, his climb up the ranks, while just as fast and impressive as leonard s, was also more bluecollar, unaided by constant television exposure and lucrative endorsement deals. Sugar ray leonard boxing fan posters for sale ebay. At the height of his career, he was considered one of the 20th centurys finest fighters. The sugar ray leonard roberto duran trilogy boxing article. The fight was shown live on closed circuit television at approximately 1,200 locations and on payperview, which was available to an estimated million homes in the united states. Roberto duran, panamanian professional boxer who was world lightweight, welterweight, juniormiddleweight, and middleweight champion. Leonard and duran had a contracted weight limit of 162 pounds.
It was not only one of the most lucrative matches in boxing history. The story about roberto duran is one about an amazing fighter and a survivor of great poverty. Thomas hearns born october 18, 1958 is an american former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 2006. Roberto duran, billed as the brawl in montreal, was a welterweight professional boxing match contested between wbc, the ring and lineal champion sugar ray leonard and roberto duran. Leonard became a sensation in the boxing world during the 1980s, providing a superstar presence that boxing lacked after muhammad ali retired in 1981. Just five months after one of the greatest fights in modern boxing history, sugar ray leonard and roberto duran met in a rematch that somehow managed to transcend the original. Sugar ray leonard fight in its entirety, then watch duran and leonard being interviewed about the fight. Sports illustrated november 24 1980 sugar ray leonard sports illustrated on. It is 1982 and sugar ray leonard is the king of not only the welterweight division, but of the entire sport of boxing. The fifth of seven children of cicero and getha leonard, he was named for singer ray charles. Jun 15, 2019 duran entered the ring that night in vegas, as a man who had recently suffered defeat, after defeat, after defeat. Leonard was the wbc super middleweight champion, and duran was the wbc middleweight champion. All of them evolved with their respective fighters.
Duran who was stepping up to welterweight had been the lightweight champion for 6 years between 1972 and 1978. Sugar ray leonard vs roberto duran iii highlights uno. Leonard goes toe to toe with the fierce duran and ultimately loses his. Aug 25, 2016 those questions have haunted roberto duran, his fans and boxing observers since he infamously, and seemingly inexplicably, quit his nov. Iran the blade barkley vs roberto hands of stone duran represents a very special page in the history book of boxing. Jun 6, 2017 tale of the tape, sugar ray leonard v roberto duran. A classic rivalry between two different boxing styles and personalities. The classic bout between sugar ray leonard v thomas hearns.
Sugar ray leonard, who fought professionally from 1977 to 1997, won world titles in five weight divisions and held the lineal championship in three weight divisions as well as. When the author requested an interview with him for this oral history, he declined due to health concerns but granted permission to use his book, four kings, which focuses on the careers of hagler, leonard, hearns, and duran. Hands of stone movie vs true story of roberto duran, ray arcel. Sugar ray leonard, roberto duran and the fight the entire world could barely wait to see. Certainly, leonard is a far more sentimental favorite than in the first fight when duran, his greatness long overlooked, was an underdog pick of the largely frenchcanadian crowd over the polished. Sugar ray leonard ii, billed as the super fight and later popularly known. Sugar ray leonard ii, billed as the super fight and later popularly known as the no mas fight, was a boxing match which took place on november 25, 1980, at the louisiana superdome in new orleans, united states. I know he played duran s game and stood flat footed trying to go toetotoe for most of the fight, but i. Sugar ray leonard sends the perspiration flying as he hits roberto duran with a hard right hand during the 6th round of their welterweight championship fight on november 25, 1980. Duran no mas 1980 see the highlights the sugar ray leonard vs. There are also the stories in connection with their names. Or would it be ray leonard, the parttime boxer at the age of thirty whose best. The book also tells the stories of their trainers, promoters, and gyms.
Arguably no athlete in american history has engendered the extremes in emotions that jack johnsonthe galveston giantcreated. So he moved away, made hagler take the first few steps and commit, and then countered him. Sugar ray leonard vs thomas hearns september 16, 1981. Sugar ray leonards upset of marvin hagler remains a boxing. Although leonard was a 95 betting favorite, duran was clearly the crowd favorite inside olympic stadium. Sugar ray leonard s upset of marvin hagler remains a boxing landmark 30 years later the participants involved look back at one of the most contentious results in history. It was the highlight of my career and i give tommy credit for being the man he was that night. Roberto duran ii, also known as the no mas fight, was a boxing match which took place on november 25, 1980, at the louisiana superdome in new orleans, united states. Exploring roberto duran v sugar ray leonard and the no mas. A fightbyfight history of sugar ray leonard s boxing. Who would win between benny leonard or roberto duran. Mar 23, 2019 read about the fightbyfight career record for roberto duran, from 1980 in las vegas to 2001 in denver.
Jun 20, 2019 duran vs leonard i was a greek tragedy in three acts, a thrilling, fast paced, grueling war that ebbed and flowed, duran dominating the early rounds, leonard coming back in the middle frames, and both men battling with fury in the final stages. This is not where i as a historian throw the old guy under the bus because. Its one of the most famous fights in boxing history, but why did duran ask the referee to stop the fight in the eighth round. Billed as the showdown, leonard vs hearns was finally set and few fights in boxing history aroused such anticipation. Leonard, hagler, hearns, duran and the last great era of. In wilmington, leonard s father worked in a soda pop plant, and his mother was a nursing assistant. Tale of the tape, sugar ray leonard v roberto duran. And what i loved most about rays book is his complete honesty in telling his life story. Leonard, hagler, hearns, duran and the last great era. He was either loved or reviled, and the choice was mainly determined by the shade of ones skin. Apr 06, 2017 sugar ray leonard s upset of marvin hagler remains a boxing landmark 30 years later the participants involved look back at one of the most contentious results in history. Ray charles, after who leonard was named, sang america the beautiful before the second leonardduran fight, at the superdome, in new orleans.
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