The best punch trackers on the market
25th November 2020
By: Noah Abrahams
On the 40-year anniversary of Roberto Durán vs. Sugar Ray Leonard Two, Boxing Guru looks back at the second of three incredible battles.
Both key figures from the ‘Fabulous Four’ Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, Duran and Leonard quartet, the famous ‘No Mas’ fight was arguably the greatest chapter of all three bouts.
Following on from the original WBC welterweight world title fight between the two on June 20th, 1980 in Montreal, Leonard was determined not to lose again in the re-match.
CHECK OUT THE BEST PUNCH TRACKERS ON THE MARKET
An unforgettable battle, a boxing fan will know where they were when Durán beat Leonard by unanimous decision in one of history’s most anticipated sporting events.
Both superstars by 1980, a lucrative night on closed-circuit television went the distance. Almost 50,000 locals watched on as a Greek tragedy took place, Les Québécois (the people of Quebec) astonished by the heavy shots that the man with stone hands was unleashing on his opponent.
Toe-to-toe tactics failed Leonard as vicious Durán uppercuts left the American vulnerable. Duran’s overhand rights countered any Sugar left hooks, the war in the ring edging millions around the world on the edge of their seats. It was a slugfest like never before.
Through to the final stanza, the matchup was close, but with one obvious winner. Stone triumped speed and both boxers made millions as the judges declared their scores 145–144, 148–147 and 146–144 in favour of Durán’s superlative performance.
“He does have a heart. That’s why he’s living,” Duaran said on Leonard’s loss.
Just over five months after Duran (an eventual four weight world champion) had triumphed over debatably one of the greatest of all time, Leonard (an eventual six time world champion) gave ‘Manos de Piedra’ (Spanish for ‘Hands of Stones’) all that he had in the re-match.
The second fight took place on November 25th, 1980 in New Orleans. Coined ‘The Super Fight’, it was Duran’s turn to taste defeat and to eventually utter ‘no sigo’ (Spanish for ‘I won’t go on’).
Following ‘The Brawl in Montreal’, Leonard had demanded a quick re-match. Training even harder to come back stronger in pursuit of the welterweight belt that he had lost, Leonard was a 6-5 favourite.
Duran on the other hand, partied hard in between the two clashes. Whilst still a dangerous competitor, ‘Rocky’ looked out of touch and even overweight on fight night.
https://boxing-guru.com/blog/happy-birthday-sugar-ray-leonard/
Leonard dominated the bout from almost start to finish. Controlling the fight with his superior hand speed and movement, the American looked unrecognisable to when he first went to battle with Duran.
Under the guidance of Angelo Dundee, Leonard won back what he felt was rightfully his title.
With the fight televised in 60 different countries and with 16 seconds left on the clock in round eight of a one-sided grudge match, Duran did something that only a handful of boxers had done before him. Concede to victory!
Leonard overpowered Duran from the first bell to the last. Spinning off the ropes in the first, the challenger set the pace of the fight. Snapping back Duran’s head in the second round, ‘Sugar’ lost the third round, but was still in full control.
Beginning to make a weapon of his jab in the fourth round, Leonard slipped away from Duran in the fifth and unleashed his power in the sixth.
The seventh round at the Superdome was iconic. Leonard wound up his right hand and suddenly snapped out a left jab that caught Duran off guard. Making a mockery of his opponent, ‘Sugar’ continued taunting Duran mercilessly. As Leonard scored again with a hook and two right hands, Duran became frustrated.
https://boxing-guru.com/blog/one-of-the-greatest-ever-happy-birthday-roberto-duran/
In the eighth round, Duran had seen enough. The Puerto Rican turned his back to Leonard, waved his hands in the air and supposedly exclaimed ‘no mas’ (no more in Spanish).
Leonard had averaged 29 thrown punches per round with 17 connecting in each three minute blast.
In the ESPN documentary ‘No Mas’, Duran said that in actual fact, he did not say ‘No Mas’.
Duran explained in the documentary that legendary boxing commentator Howard Cosell had made up the story.
Referee Octavio Meyran, however, says that Duran did say those now infamous words.
“I said, ‘Fight!’ in Spanish,” Meyran said.
“He said, ‘No more.’ I asked again for them to continue boxing, so that I could assure myself and not commit an error.
“Duran said, ‘No more.'”
Duran told the media at the time, that he quit boxing because of stomach cramps. He was fined $7,500 for his non-performance.
http://THE BOXING GAME YOU HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!
Post-Fight Reaction
Sugar Ray Leonard: “I did everything I said I was going to do, and he couldn’t accept it.
“He was frustrated and confused. I did everything I could to make him go off, like a clock wound up too tight. He got wound up so tight, he blew a spring.
“I made him quit. To make a man quit, to make a Roberto Duran quit, was better than knocking him out.”
Roberto Duran: “I am retiring from boxing right now. I don’t want to fight anymore.”
Angelo Dundee: “We were sky-high in the dressing room. Different from last time. Everything was cool, smooth, good.”
The third fight of the trilogy took place nine years post-Leonard’s victory. ‘Sugar’ dominated Duran, completely neutralizing his offensive attack. The fight went the full 12-round distance, with all three judges scoring the fight for Leonard with scores of 120–110, 119–109 and 116–111.
