5 Great Victories in the Career of the Legendary Roberto Duran

Roberto Duran is an all-time great. Don't take my word for it—Ring Magazine named him the best lightweight of all time (h/t BoxRec), while he was selected for the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

The Panamanian compiled a 103-16 (70 KO) record and won world titles in four different weight divisions while competing over five decades.

Born on June 16 in 1951, Duran made his debut in 1968 and carried on fighting until 2001, when injuries suffered in a car crash forced him to hang up his gloves.

He gained the nickname Manos de Piedra, which translated into Hands of Stone, because of the power he possessed.

We've picked out five great victories in Duran's long and distinguished career.

Duran was given the chance to challenge for the WBC lightweight title in the summer of 1972, when he went up against Ken Buchanan.

Scotsman Buchanan was the favourite for the bout at Madison Square Garden, having claimed the belt by beating Ismael Laguna at the same venue the previous year.

However, Duran—who had reeled off 28 successive wins as a pro—proved too much for the champion to handle.

Buchanan was put down in the opening round of a fight that threatened to boil over at times.

Sports Illustrated's Mark Kram reported Duran said "used every part of his anatomy, everything but his knee, and he would be accused of that breach of etiquette, too.”

The pair also wound up punching after the bell had sounded to end the 13th round.

Buchanan fell to the canvas after taking a low blow and, after being helped to his corner, the referee made the decision to stop the fight.

The dethroned champion was not impressed with the official's performance, per Kram: "He don't give no protection at all."

Duran’s sixth defence of the WBA title was against Ray Lampkin, an American who went by the nickname "Lightning."

The champion had fought less than a month before, though in his previous four fights he had never been stretched beyond the second round.

The challenger stood his ground early on, seemingly undeterred by having to fight in Duran’s backyard in Panama City.

However, as the rounds ticked by, Lampkin began to slow up.

Duran duly forced a stoppage in the 14th, landing a hook that sent his rival straight to the canvas.

Lampkin was hospitalised by the blow, though Duran did not seem too concerned by the damage he had done, per Lee Groves of Ring Magazine: “I was not in my best condition. Today I sent him to the hospital. Next time I’ll put him in the morgue.”

Duran ended his time as a lightweight in impressive fashion, stopping Esteban DeJesus in the third and final fight between the longtime rivals.

DeJesus had become the first man to beat the Panamanian in 1972, knocking his opponent down in the first round on the way to a points victory in a 10-round contest.

However, Duran gained revenge for that defeat two years later, stopping the Puerto Rican in New York.

For the final installment in their trilogy, both boxers went into the ring as world champions.

They put on a show for the crowd at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and it seemed the judges might be needed to decide a winner as the rounds ticked by.

Duran, though, came up with a right hand that dropped DeJesus in the 12th. Although he was able to get back on his feet, a sustained period of pressure led to a stoppage.

He walked out with both the WBA and WBC belts, making him the undisputed champion in the division. His reign was short, as he took the decision to make the move up in weight.

The first meeting between the pair of all-time greats took place in Montreal, the same city where Sugar Ray Leonard had won an Olympic gold medal in 1976.

The WBC welterweight title was on the line and so too were both boxers' reputations.

Leonard was 27-0 since joining the paid ranks and had become the WBC champion by beating Wilfred Benitez.

Duran, meanwhile, boasted a 71-1 record. His solitary defeat had come against Esteban DeJesus in 1972, but he still found himself the slight underdog going into the "Brawl in Montreal."

The bout was a classic. It was also difficult to score, as the two men gave it their all over 15 absorbing rounds.

In the end, the judges sided with Duran. After initially being given the nod by a majority verdict, it was later changed to unanimous decision after one judge's scorecard was checked again.

In the post-fight interview, Duran—per BoxRec—said: "He is the best I have fought. He hit me hard a couple of times, but I was never in bad shape. He was pretty good, but he had to be because he was fighting me."

The close nature of the bout demanded a rematch, and they duly did it all again later in the same year. The judges were not required the second time around, though, as Leonard won by TKO in the eighth round.

By 1989 Duran was a middleweight who looked to be nearing the end of the road.

He was 37 but was still a big draw, leading to him getting a chance to take on WBC champion Iran Barkley.

The American had stunned compatriot Thomas Hearns the previous year, knocking the "Hitman" out in the third round to dramatically snatch away his title.

He was seen as too big and too young for Duran to deal with ahead of their clash at the Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

But, the wily veteran had not read the script. Using all his experience, not to mention his talent, he found a way to come out on top.

Duran registered a knockdown in the 11th, but the bout went the distance. The scorecards were a little scattered, but two of the judges made the man from Panama the winner.

Against the odds, he had beaten Barkley. It paved the way for another crack at Sugar Ray Leonard, but he again proved unable to topple his longtime adversary.

What are your personal memories of Duran? Let us know your thoughts on the legend (and perhaps where you rate him among the list of lightweights) in the comments section.