Roberto Duran is viewed as one of the greatest boxers of all time.
The iconic Panamanian boxer competed an incredible 119 times from 1968 to 2001, becoming a world champion at lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight in the process.
He was one of the famous ‘Four Kings’ alongside Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns, with the group all competing in epic battles with one another throughout the 1980s.
Duran had a trilogy with Leonard, winning one and losing two, whilst also coming out on the wrong end of his bouts against Hagler and Hearns.
Despite sharing the ring with those three legends, Duran had a different name in mind when asked by ESNEWS who was the toughest opponent he had ever faced.
“All fighters are tough, but the toughest of my career was Ken Buchanan because I had to travel, it was 15 rounds and my first world title fight.”
Duran and Buchanan met at Madison Square Garden in New York in June 1972, with the Panamanian winning by 13th round TKO to win the WBA lightweight title at the age of 21.
Buchanan is regarded as being Scotland’s best ever boxer, and first became world champion when he defeated Ismael Laguna in September 1970.
He went on to hold undisputed honours, and was the only Scot to have ever achieved this until Josh Taylor repeated the feat in 2021.
Buchanan ended his career in 1982 with a record of 61 wins and 8 defeats. He sadly passed away in April 2023 at the age of 77 after a battle with dementia.
