Boxing legend Duran released from hospital Thursday

Good news on a Thursday afternoon for Hall of Fame fighter, Roberto Duran, as he was released from a Panama Hospital after battling Coronavirus for the last week.

The World boxing Association social media handle posted this video of Duran being wheeled out of the hospital with numerous Hospital staff and well-wishers cheering him on:

Boxing legend Roberto Durán (@robertoduranbox) was discharged from the hospital and will continue his recovery at home. The world of boxing and the WBA family are happy to know that El Cholo is already with his family and much better in terms of health ?? pic.twitter.com/BYuhUm4j75

— WBA Boxing (@WBABoxing) July 2, 2020

It is believed that the 69 year-old former four division World Champion apparently became exposed to Covid 19 at his birthday party on June 16th. That’s according to his son Robin, who says that Duran had many people over at his residence and was probably infected by one or more of the guests having it and not knowing it,

“You already know what my dad is like, it is very difficult for him to close the doors to someone, and well, on that day, which was his birthday, they wanted to greet him, it was his mistake and he paid very dearly,” Robin Duran said to Panamanian TV network TVN over the weekend.

June was the 40th anniversary of arguably Duran’s 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 8th round TKO in a thrilling performance at Madison Square Garden in June of 1983. Duran captured the WBA Junior Middleweight Championship that night and 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 moving back up to Middleweight, when he beat American Iran Barkley by split decision in February of 1989. Leonard later beat him in the third fight of their series, again by 12 round decision in December of that year.

Duran was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007.