Roberto Duran (b. June 16, 1951) is a famous boxer from Panama. He held world titles at four different weights - lightweight (1972-79), welterweight (1980), junior middleweight (1983-84) and middleweight (1989). He was also the only boxer to have fought in five different decades. He finally retired in January 2002 at age 52 (having previously retired in 1998) following a bad car crash in October 2001, with a professional record of 120 fights, 104 wins with 69 KOs. He was nicknamed Manos de Piedra (Hands of Stone) when at age 14 he knocked out a mule with one punch. June 16 is the 167th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (168th in leap years), with 198 days remaining. ... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Born in Guarare, Panama he had his first professional fight in 1967. After an initial adjustment he won thirty in a row, culminating in his first title bout in June 1972, where he defeated Ken Buchanan at New York's Madison Square Garden for the WBA world lightweight championship. He then made twelve successful defences of his title before giving up the belt in February 1979. Vacating the title was a build up for an attempt at the welterweight title. He fought for the welterweight title in June 1980 and beat Sugar Ray Leonard via a 15-round unanimous decision. In the November re-match, however, Duran shockingly quit in the eighth round after being frustrated by the antics and style of Leonard. The re-match would forever be known as the No Más Fight. Ken Buchanan (born June 28, 1945) is a former world boxing champion. ... World Boxing Association (WBA) is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title, at the professional level. ... Welterweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. ... Sugar Ray Leonard (born 1956) is an American who is a former boxer. ... The No Más Fight was a boxing fight held in New Orleans on the night of November 25, 1980. ...

He took some time to recover from that fight, gaining more mass to contend for the WBC world junior middleweight title, but losing in his first attempt at a championship in that division on the January 30 of 1982, against Wilfredo Benitez by a 15 round unanimous decision. After being relegated to a 10 round walk out win over tough Englishman Jimmy Batten at The Battle of The Champions in Miami, Duran signed with promoter Bob Arum. This marked the beginning of a comeback in which he beat former world champion and now hall of famer Pipino Cuevas via a fourth round knock-out, which earned him a second crack at the junior middleweight title, this time against WBA champion Davey Moore. Duran conquered his third title on his birthday, June 16th, 1983, defeating champion Moore by an eighth round stoppage. The World Boxing Council (WBC) has operated since 1963 as a competitor to Venezuela ‘s World Boxing Association (WBA) and, according to its founders, a way to improve professional boxings standards. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wilfred Benitez (born September 12, 1958), also known popularly as Wilfredo Benitez, is a Puerto Rican boxer. ... The Battle of the Champions, a term used by promoter Bob Arum regarding the November 12, 1982 boxing match between Aaron Pryor and Alexis Arguello. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ... Bob Arum (born December 8, 1931 in New York, New York), is a Harvard_educated lawyer of Jewish descent who helped the White House during President John F. Kennedys time there. ... Jose Cuevas (born December 27, 1957) is a Mexican former world champion boxer. ... The name Davey Moore will probably forever be linked to fame, fortune and death in the sport of boxing. ...

Roberto Duran 1984 poster, with the WBA world Jr. Middleweight belt. The poster was presumably autographed by him; many copies have surfaced on the internet, making the autograph's legitimacy debatable.

Duran later fought for the World middleweight title, meeting Marvin Hagler in Las Vegas in November 1983, but losing the fight over fifteen rounds. In June 1984, he was stripped of his junior middleweight title when the WBA did not approve of his fight with WBC world champion Thomas "Hitman" Hearns, and took away recognition of Duran as world champion the moment Duran stepped into the ring to box Hearns. Duran lost the fight after a vicious second round knock-out by Hearns. Image File history File links Roberto_Duran. ... Image File history File links Roberto_Duran. ... Autograph of king Charles XII of Sweden (1682-1718). ... Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. ... Marvin Hagler Marvelous Marvin Hagler (born Marvin Nathaniel Hagler in Newark, New Jersey May 23, 1954), a native of Brockton, Massachusetts, was a very tough looking character, and a number one ranked Middleweight boxer for many years before he could fight for the title. ... 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Thomas Hearns - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Duran did not contend another title fight until 1989, but made the shot count when he won the WBC middleweight title from Iran Barkley in February. His reign was short lived once again as Duran moved up to super middleweight for third clash with "Sugar" Ray Leonard in December, but lost in a lopsided decision. Duran seemed to be in decline after the fight, he attempted to win further middleweight titles in 1994, 1995 and 1996 (fighting for the minor IBC belt), and 1998 (WBA). After a quick defeat to William Joppy in the last of these shots Duran announced his retirement in August 1998, but was back fighting in 1999. In June 2000 he won a minor super middleweight title from Pat Lawlor but quickly lost it to Hector Camacho. 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... IBC could mean IBC Root Beer Iraq Body Count Interstate Bakeries Corporation Impedance Boundary Condition International Broadcasting Convention This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Héctor Camacho (born May 24, 1962), nicknamed Macho Camacho, is a boxer. ...

After splitting fights with Jorge Castro and losing a rematch to Camacho, Duran went to Argentina to promote a Salsa music CD that he had just released. While there, he was involved in a dramatic car crash and required life-saving surgery. After that, he announced his retirement from boxing. Jorge Castro (born August 18, 1967), a native of Puerto Pesado, Argentina is a boxer who is a former Middleweight champion of the world, but who will probably be remembered, more than anything, for what happened in his second defense of the title. ... Salsa music is a diverse and predominantly Caribbean and Latin genre that is popular across Latin America and among Latinos abroad; the style is the primary music played at Latin danceclubs and is the essential pulse of Latin music, according to author Ed Morales . ...

Duran's five world title belts, which he won in four different divisions, were stolen from his house in Panama in 1993 during a robbery allegedly staged by his brother-in-law, who gave them to memorabilia seller Luis Gonzalez Baez, who will stand trial for trying to sell stolen goods. Gonzalez Baez allegedly sold the belts to undercover FBI agents. He alleges that Duran authorized the sale of the five belts to him during a time that Duran was facing financial trouble. On September 23, 2003, a federal judge in Florida ordered the five belts returned to Duran. 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a Federal police force which is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... 2003(MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... State nickname: Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush (R) Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  - Land 137,374 km²  - Water 30,486 km² (17. ...

His 69 wins by knockout placing him in the exclusive group of boxers who have won 50 or more fights by knockout.

Duran's daughter, Irichelle, is a professional woman boxer. Irichelle Duran (born January 17, 1971) is a female boxer from Panama. ... Womens boxing has existed as an officiated sport since the beginning of the 20th century. ...

External link

http://www.cmgww.com/sports/duran/