On this day in history, Roberto Duran shook the world and defeated Sugar Ray Leonard
On June 20th, back in 1980 in Montreal, Panamanian boxing superstar, Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Duran, and the then undefeated brilliant “Sugar” Ray Leonard, starred in an amazing give and take, with the WBC welterweight title on the line.
Leonard, the feted Gold Medalist in Montreal 76 and undefeated in 27 fights, was up against mighty Latino puncher, Roberto Duran, from Panama, who carved out a canyon of 72 bouts, with 57 KO´s, and one avenged loss.
Leonard was certainly no slouch! He`d had defeated Armando Muñiz, Floyd Mayweather Sr., Andy Price, Pete Ranzany, Randy Shields and Marcos Geraldo.
The bell clanged at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Duran vs. Leonard, finally they were face to face. Duran forced the early pace, badly wobbling Ray in the second with a left hook to the temple and going to work on the body.
Leonard who could have used his superb boxing skills to better effect, instead opted to fight flat footed macho style and got caught up in “The Brawl of Montreal.” Duran was stronger and more aggressive in the first half of the fight, but Leonard tenaciously and magnificently fought back to make it close, but lost on the cards that night.
A thrilling and enthralling classic with both great champions giving us a fantastic and very memorable contest.
MAGNIFIQUE!
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