While Roberto Duran faced a plethora of elite operators throughout his extraordinary 119-fight career, there was one man, in particular, who separated himself as a remarkably durable opponent.
After cementing his legacy at 135lbs, Duran moved up through the weight divisions and was considered drastically undersized against the likes of Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns.
First, he lost a 15-round unanimous decision to the former up at middleweight, then dropped back down to 154lbs and suffered a second-round stoppage defeat to Hearns.
Those losses arrived in 1983 and ’84 respectively, though Duran had previously been handed blemishes against Sugar Ray Leonard, Wilfred Benitez and Kirkland Laing during that same decade.
Duran had produced a tremendous performance outpoint Leonard in their first welterweight encounter, but ultimately lost their immediate rematch via an eighth-round stoppage.
Many regard this as the most trialling period of the Panamanian’s career, given he was campaigning out of his more natural weight class and often came up against stiff opposition.
Oddly enough, though, it was actually down at lightweight – his most prosperous habitat – where Duran encountered one of his toughest opponent.
While speaking with ESNEWS, the former four-division world champion reveals that Ken Buchanan, who he faced in 1972, was perhaps his most gritty dance partner.
“All fighters are tough, and one of the toughest was Ken Buchanan … the toughest fight of my career was Buchanan because I had a trip, it was 15 rounds and it was his title.”
Scotland’s Buchanan entered their 1972 clash as the WBA world champion, and a sizeable favourite, before ultimately suffering a 13th-round stoppage defeat to ‘Hands of Stone’.
Much of their contest, however, was stained with controversy, as Duran, for all of his talent and doggedness, would frustrate his opponent with a series of head butts and low blows.
Buchanan has previously been undisputed champion — his country’s first and only until Josh Taylor came along — at lightweight and is celebrated as one of the UK’s greatest technical operators. He sadly passed away in April, 2023 at the age of 77.
