Boxing legend Duran diagnosed with Covid 19
One of the all-time great fighters is now in an all-too-familiar recent battle, as Hall of Fame boxing legend Roberto Duran’s family has confirmed he has Covid-19.
The 69 year old Panamanian’s son Robin broke the news Thursday night via Instagram:
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Robin Durán Iglesias (@robinduran20) on
In the posting, which is in Spanish, Robin Duran says that his father was diagnosed recently after a medical exam, as having more than a cold and writing further:
“He is not in intensive care or on a ventilator, he is still under observation. We just talked to the doctor and he tells us that the lungs are fine and there is no indication of seriousness. Let’s continue to have faith that everything will turn out well. I keep you informed. Regards!”
Duran just celebrated his 69th birthday 10 days ago and as we wrote earlier this week, June is the 40th anniversary of arguably his signature win. That’s when he defeated Unbeaten World Welterweight Champ and U.S. Olympic hero, Sugar Ray Leonard, via a thrilling 15-round decision in Montreal, Canada.
Duran had amassed an incredible 73-1 record after the Leonard win that included him having won the World Lightweight championship, previously. Of course, he lost to Leonard in their famous “No Mas” rematch in November of 1980.
Next after winning two non-title fights, Duran lost a 15 round decision to Wilfred Benitez in January of 1982, the man known as “Hands of Stone,” followed that loss with another decision loss to England’s Kirkland Laing and had now lost three times in five fights.
But, he bounced back by winning three fights in a row, including beating American Davey Moore by TKO in the 8th round in Madison Square Garden in June of 1983 and captured the WBA Junior Middleweight Championship. His third World Title in three weight divisions.
Duran was stripped of that WBA belt, when he elected to fight Marvelous Marvin Hagler for the Undisputed Middleweight Championship five months later. Duran lost a controversial 15 round unanimous decision to Hagler that night in Vegas. And then, he agreed to drop back down to 154 lbs. to fight Thomas Hearns.
That fight also just had a dubious anniversary for Duran, as Hearns demolished the Panamanian in just two rounds, dropping him for good with his trademark thunderous right cross.
Duran recovered from that and went on to win a fourth world title at Middleweight, when he beat American Iran Barkley by split decision in February of 1989. Leonard beat him in the third fight of their series, by decision in December of that year.
Duran was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007.
A veteran broadcaster of over 25 years, T.J. has been a fight fan longer than that! He’s the host of the “Big Fight Weekend” podcast and will go “toe to toe” with anyone who thinks that Marvin Hagler beat Sugar Ray Leonard or that Tyson, Lennox Lewis or Deontay Wilder could have beaten Ali!
