Duran vs Palomino. Was Hands Of Stone Ever Better?

If one decides to rank the finest performances within the superb profession of the good Roberto Duran, his ten spherical tour de power towards Carlos Palomino clearly deserves excessive standing. Duran vs Palomino is each a wonderful instance of the ability and ring intelligence of a real pound-for-pound nice, in addition to a key victory in Roberto’s profession, placing him in good place for his large, million greenback showdown with Sugar Ray Leonard.

Duran had dominated the lightweights since 1972 and within the course of established himself as one of many most interesting boxers of his period, maybe the most effective light-weight since Benny Leonard, actually probably the most dominant since Ike Williams. However now, after a last massive win over rival Esteban De Jesus, he was shifting up and the jury was nonetheless out as as to if Roberto may compete as successfully towards naturally greater males. Having abdicated his 135 pound title in early ’78, Duran bided his time, participating in 4 stay-busy tilts as he waited for a shot on the welterweight crown. As an alternative the right alternative arrived: an opportunity to shine in Madison Sq. Backyard towards a former champion, nonetheless considered a prime fighter within the division.

Carlos Palomino was something however a burned-out ex-champ in search of one final massive payday. Nor had he been a paper champion. Having received the title from Britain’s John Stracey, he had defended it seven instances towards some glorious contenders together with Armando Muniz and Dave Inexperienced. And there was actually no disgrace in dropping his belt to one of the vital gifted boxers within the sport’s historical past, Wilfred Benitez. Whereas Duran deserved to be the odds-on favourite, all agreed this was probably a tricky problem for the previous terror of the lightweights.

The irony was that the battle was on the undercard of a nationally televised world heavyweight title match, Larry Holmes vs Mike Weaver, but there was way more buzz in boxing circles for Duran vs Palomino than for the night time’s fundamental attraction. Actually, with Muhammad Ali having retired the 12 months earlier than, the general public was paying renewed consideration to the decrease weight lessons, particularly as they now supplied such thrilling skills and recent faces as Sugar Ray Leonard, Howard Davis Jr., and Marvin Hagler. Duran, a serious attraction since at the least 1972, was transcending his Latin fan base and assume the profile of one of many sport’s legends and elder statesmen at simply the proper time. However to get to the large alternatives forward, he needed to beat Palomino first.

Other than firmly establishing Roberto as a critical risk at 147 kilos, Duran vs Palomino proved to be maybe the clearest demonstration but of how “Manos de Piedra” had developed into a really full fighter. Having entered the game as a uncooked, highly effective brawler, Roberto had developed, with the assistance of grasp trainers Ray Arcel and Freddie Brown, into a classy boxer-puncher: aggressive, highly effective, but in addition intelligent, artistic and surprisingly exhausting to hit. His fame as a crude slugger now labored to his benefit as he took opponents without warning with the sophistication of his techniques. Palomino had clearly ready for a Duran who would try and overpower him, however Roberto revered the previous champion’s capacity and set about placing all the things he had discovered to make use of, within the course of providing followers a memorable efficiency of ability and technical virtuosity.

Whereas a fast-paced motion battle, there was little drama; many scored it a shutout. Simply as Palomino wasn’t on the identical stage because the defensive wizard Benitez, he additionally wasn’t in the identical league as a motivated and match Duran. “Manos de Piedra,” considerably surprisingly, turned out to be clearly the stronger fighter with the extra damaging punch. It was official: Duran’s fearsome energy had not deserted him within the migration to the upper weight. He scored a knockdown with an overhand proper in spherical six and received virtually each minute of the match. Briefly, a tricky problem, surprisingly, turned a rout.

As Pat Putnam vividly reported in Sports activities Illustrated: “Duran bewildered Palomino with flicking head and shoulder feints; he battered him with punches thrown at blinding velocity. At instances, only for enjoyable, he feinted from the left, feinted from the proper, after which, with Palomino in a flux of frantic confusion, stepped again and flashed a wolfish grin as Palomino untangled himself.”

Might Duran compete with the welterweights? The reply was an emphatic “sure.” A couple of months later Sugar Ray Leonard would defeat Wilfred Benitez for Palomino’s previous title and the countdown instantly started for one of many greatest and most anticipated fights in boxing historical past.                 — Michael Carbert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaUrm26VQh8