Panama boxing legend for Hall of Fame

ROBERTO “HANDS OF STONE”, DURAN , four-time world boxing champion,  let the comfort of his popular Panama restaurant, La Tasca de Duran on Thursday July 7 and headed for Las Vegas, scene of many of his 103 victories, where on Saturday he will be inducted into the Nevada Boxing. Hall of Fame

“I’m very excited about this honor and I hope that on Saturday the Panamanian people enjoy this moment,” Duran told reporters at the Tocumen International Airport.

Duran, who was champion at light middle divisions, welterweight, super welterweight and between 1972 and 1989, will be inducted into the hall along with 18 other boxers, including former champions of the world heavyweight division, George Foreman and Evander Holyfield.

The Panamanian Cholo from Chorrillo, had some 20 fights in Las Vegas during his 33-year career, including the celebrated Puerto Rican Esteban De Jesus (1978), Wilfredo Benitez (1982), and Americans Marvin Hagler (1983), Thomas Hearns (1984), Sugar Ray Leonard (1989) and William Joppy (1998), all for a world boxing title at stake.

Duran amassed a record of 103 wins, 70 of them before the deadline, and 16 defeats, and was regarded in 1999 as one of the greatest boxers of the twentieth century, along  with heavyweight ex monarchs Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali and Rocky Marciano, and former champion welterweight and middleweight Sugar Ray Robinson.

A film about Duran’s life featuring Robert De Niro will soon be released. For information on that and the restaurant go to http://newsroompanama.com/entertainment/film/de-niro-double-creates-%E2%80%9Chands-of-stone%E2%80%9D-portrait