Roberto Durán (born June 16, 1951) is a Panamanian former professional boxer….who competed from 1968 to 2001….while becoming a four-weight world champion….after having held titles at lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight, and middleweight….which also included reigns as the undisputed and lineal lightweight champion….along with the lineal welterweight champion….as he is also the second boxer in history to have competed over a span of five decades….with the first being Jack Johnson.
Durán was known as a versatile brawler and pressure fighter….which earned him the nickname of “Manos de Piedra” (“Hands of Stone”) for his formidable punching power.
In 2002, Durán was voted by The Ring magazine as the fifth greatest fighter of the last 80 years….and is currently the 26th greatest pound for pound boxer of all time in Boxrec’s ranking….while boxing historian Bert Sugar rated him as the eighth greatest fighter of all time. The Associated Press voted him as the best lightweight of the 20th century….with many boxing pundits considering him the greatest lightweight of all time.
Durán finally retired in January 2002 at age 50 (having previously retired in 1998) following a car crash in October 2001…. with a professional record of 119 fights, 103 wins, and 70 knockouts and 16 losses….who up until his fight with Wilfred Benítez in 1982 was trained by legendary boxing trainer Ray Arcel.
Kirkland Laing (born 20 June 1954) is a retired British Welterweight boxer….who was nicknamed The Gifted One….who fought 56 times in a twenty-year career….with the highlight of his career being a shocking split decision win over Roberto Durán in September 1982…..as seen in this video herewith. The fight was selected as Ring Magazine’s upset of the year.
He was a two-time winner of the British welterweight title….and won the EBU welterweight title in 1990….with a second round knockout of Antoine Fernandez at the Wembley Conference Centre. Laing’s boxing career was sporadic….as he often failed to deliver on his promise….with many times appearing to be under-prepared against less able fighters….who loved to indulge in drink, drugs and women.
In the year following his victory over Duran….Laing went missing….while blowing his earnings from his fight with Piedras de Mano….while In that same period Duran was to fight four times, earning an estimated $6 million.Laing continued to fight until he was 40….and retired after a stoppage loss to future world champion Glen Catley.
