Roberto Duran has had more than 100 fights, but says one man stood out as his toughest opponent
While Roberto Duran faced a plethora of elite operators throughout his extraordinary 119-fight career, there was one man in particular who stood out as a remarkably durable opponent.
After cementing his legacy at 135 pounds, Duran moved up the weight divisions and was considered significantly undersized against Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns.
First, he lost a 15-round unanimous decision to the No. 1 at middleweight, then dropped back to 154 pounds and suffered a second-round stoppage loss to Hearns.
Those losses came in 1983 and 1984, respectively, although Duran had previously suffered blemishes against Sugar Ray Leonard, Wilfred Benitez, and Kirkland Laing in the same decade.
Duran had produced a terrific performance against Leonard in their first meeting at welterweight, but ultimately lost their immediate rematch via eighth-round stoppage.
Many consider this period to be the most trying period of the Panamanian’s career, given that he was campaigning out of his most natural weight class and often coming up against strong opposition.
Oddly enough, however, it was actually at lightweight – his most prosperous habitat – where Duran encountered one of his toughest opponents.
Speaking with ESNEWS, the former four-division world champion reveals that Ken Buchanan, who he faced in 1972, was perhaps his bravest dance partner.
“All fighters are tough, and one of the toughest was Ken Buchanan…the toughest fight of my career was Buchanan because I took a trip, it was 15 rounds and it was his title.”
Scotsman Buchanan entered the 1972 clash as the WBA world champion and heavy favourite, before ultimately suffering a 13th round stoppage defeat to ‘Hands of Stone’.
Much of their fight, however, was marred by controversy, as Duran, for all his skill and relentlessness, would frustrate his opponent with a series of headbutts and low blows.
Buchanan was once undisputed champion – his country’s first and only until Josh Taylor came along – at lightweight and is celebrated as one of the UK’s greatest technical operators. He sadly passed away in April 2023 at the age of 77.
