Roberto Duran fought 119 times, winning world titles in four weight classes over a career that lasted from 1968 until 2001. Had he not suffered serious injuries in a car crash, he says he would have fought on longer.
The Panamanian icon known as ‘Hands of Stone’ racked up 103 wins and just 16 defeats, with those losses including one to each of the remaining Four Kings – Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns.
Though Duran was punching above his weight in that legendary quartet, he did beat Leonard in their first meeting via unanimous decision over the 15 round distance. He couldn’t repeat the feat when they faced off a second time, quitting at the end of the eighth round in what would become known as the ‘No Mas’ fight. Leonard won again in the trilogy nine years later, that time by decision.
Those victories earned the respect of Duran, who, in a feature with the Ring Magazine, branded Sugar Ray the best he ever faced, overlooking both Hagler and Hearns as well as the multitude of other top fighters he traded blows with.
“I have to say Sugar Ray Leonard because look at what he did in his career after he lost to me. It takes a lot to come back from defeat and Leonard did it.”
Leonard picked up titles in five divisions and is the only of the Four Kings to hold a victory over the other three. The Olympic Gold Medalist is widely classed as one of the greatest of all time as well as providing a model for future prize fighters as the first man to earn over $100 million from fighting.
