Panama’s Living Legend the Boxer, Roberto Durán
“I am not an animal in the ring, I am a fighter. But I fight with all my heart, with all my soul. I was ‘Hands of Stone,’ but my heart was bigger than my fists,” he once declared. On October 14, 2006, when he was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in Riverside, California (in June 2007 he entered the International Hall in Canastota, New York), he wrote:
“I am the only living legend of boxing. Christians say it, and Jews say it, everybody says it.”
Those words—casually written, with colloquial spelling errors—say more about their author than any eloquent prose. Roberto Durán: a name common enough on its own but powerful and resonant when paired with “Manos de Piedra” (“Hands of Stone”) or “El Cholo,” the native of Panama City’s tough El Chorrillo neighborhood, founded in 1915 by immigrants who helped build the Panama Canal.
Undoubtedly, he is considered the greatest Latin American boxer of all time. A five-division world champion: lightweight (widely regarded as the best in that class), and also welterweight, super-welterweight, and middleweight—the first Spanish-speaking boxer to claim world titles in so many divisions.
His status as the best lightweight ever places him above legends like Benny Leonard, Joe Gans, Carlos Ortiz, Tony Canzoneri, and Alexis Argüello. Boxing historian Rich O’Brien ranked him the third greatest fighter of all time, across all divisions. Argentine-Mexican analyst Eduardo Lamazón called him the best pound-for-pound fighter ever, The Ring magazine placed him fourth of all time (just behind Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, and Joe Louis), and historian Bert Sugar ranked him fifth among all weight classes.
A FIGHTER FROM ANOTHER GALAXY
This chronicle is justified by one reason: to answer a question some readers may be asking. On the 16th of this month, Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Durán turned 74. Born in 1951 in El Chorrillo, he is the son of Clara Samaniego, from Guararé (though rumors suggest he was born there), and Margarito Durán Sánchez, a Chicano from Arizona who served in the U.S. Army and left the family when Durán was a child—reappearing 20 years later.
Durán became passionate about boxing at age 8 at the old Neco de la Guardia gym. As a teenager, he had just two amateur bouts, both against Jorge Maynard. On February 23, 1968, he made his professional debut at Arena Colón in Panama City, beating fellow Panamanian Carlos Mendoza in four rounds for his first official purse: $25.
From day one, he displayed an aggressive style—relentless punching, a straight-ahead guard, targeted blows to the sides, and a fierce clinch. His devastating straight right hand, unleashed from a classic orthodox stance, and consistent pressure defined his five-decade career (1968–2001). Among boxers with careers as long as his—from age 16 to 50—are only Mexico’s Kid Azteca (1929–1961) and New York’s Saoul Mamby (1969–2008).
He fought 28 opponents in his first 27 bouts, scoring 24 knockouts across feather and lightweight divisions, eventually rising to the top of the lightweight rankings (135 pounds).
At age 21, he fought his first world title fight against Scotland’s Ken Buchanan (aged 26) for the WBA and The Ring lightweight titles at Madison Square Garden. Buchanan had a 43–1 record with 16 KOs—his only loss to Miguel Velásquez in 1970. Durán, the underdog at 2–1, stunned over 18,000 spectators with an upset. Late in round 12, he slammed a low blow that sent Buchanan to the canvas. Buchanan blamed a foul, but referee Johnny LoBianco disagreed—Durán was awarded the win and world crown.
That victory marked the start of a long reign. Between 1972 and 1978 he defended the lightweight title 12 times against the likes of Jimmy Robertson, Héctor Thompson, Guts Ishimatsu, Esteban De Jesús (twice), Masataka Takayama, Ray Lampkin, Leoncio Ortiz, Lou Bizzarro, Álvaro Rojas, Vilomar Fernández, and Edwin Viruet. Against De Jesús, who had previously beaten him, Durán dropped to the canvas in round one of their rematch but rose to knock him out in the 11th round before a packed crowd in Panama City.
HIS OTHER EPIC BATTLES
Durán competed in 22 world-title contests over a 33-year career, winning 14 of them. His final fight occurred on July 14, 2001, in a failed rematch against Puerto Rican fighter Héctor “Macho” Camacho, to whom he lost twice by decision.
His rivalry with “Sugar” Ray Leonard is among his most legendary. They fought twice: first on June 20, 1980, at the Olympic Auditorium in Montreal, where Durán bullied Leonard and won in a narrow decision—146–144, 145–144, 148–147. Five months later, in New Orleans, came the infamous “No Más” fight, where Durán abruptly quit in round 8, sparking one of boxing’s greatest controversies.
Durán also faced four more iconic champions: José “Pipino” Cuevas, Marvin “Marvelous” Hagler, Wilfred Benítez, and Thomas “Hitman” Hearns. He TKO’d Cuevas in four rounds on January 29, 1983; lost a 15-round decision to Hagler on November 10, 1983; lost to Benítez in a 15-round bout for the super-welterweight title on January 30, 1982; and was stopped by Hearns in round two on January 15, 1984.
THE UNIVERSAL TITLES
Durán claimed four world titles in four divisions:
• June 26, 1972: WBA lightweight title vs. Ken Buchanan
• November 21, 1978: WBA & WBC super-lightweight titles vs. Esteban De Jesús
• June 16, 1983: WBA super-welterweight title vs. Davey Moore
• February 22, 1989: WBC middleweight title vs. Iran Barkley (at age 37)
He was inducted into the Riverside Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006 and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, in 2007.
EPILOGUE
Outside the ring, Durán has shown remarkable resilience: on October 9, 2001, he was in a car crash in Buenos Aires, emerging with eight broken ribs and multiple injuries. In June 2020, he contracted COVID‑19 but recovered fully. In March 2024, he suffered an atrio-ventricular blockage, which required a pacemaker—but once again, his vitality prevailed. His recovery has been an inspiration to fans across Panama and worldwide.
END OF STORY, FOR NOW. Jesús Cova
