Roberto Duran suffered a monumental upset defeat against a man who claimed he was the next Sugar Ray Leonard.
In his esteemed career, the Panamanian cemented his status as one of the greatest boxers of all time. With ferocious punching power and an all-action style, the warrior won the hearts of fans around the globe.
Duran was even named alongside two other boxers as one of the Fighters of the Decade in 1980. But as good as he was, it’s fair to say ‘Hands of Stone’ didn’t have it all his own way.
On one occasion, he lost a fight he was expected to win to such an extent that oddsmakers didn’t even bother setting betting lines.
WOW: Roberto Duran names surprising foe as his toughest opponent as Sugar Ray Leonard snubbed
Kirkland Laing beat Roberto Duran in one of the biggest upsets of all time
On September 4, 1982, Roberto Duran went to war with Kirkland Laing inside the Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
Going into the clash, the Brit was seen as nothing more than a mere comeback fight for the legend, who’d just suffered a defeat to Wilfred Benitez.
However, once the first bell rang, it was clear the underdog wasn’t there to just make up the numbers.
In a compelling contest, Laing utilized his unorthodox style to bamboozle the all-time great, connecting with snappy shots, while Duran frequently missed the target.
By the seventh round, ‘The Gifted One’ was in full flow, detonating a monstrous right hand that rocked the icon to his core.
For the remainder of the fight, Laing had the future Hall of Famer exactly where he wanted him, cruising toward the finish line.
While the contest was officially ruled a split decision, most felt the Englishman had won clearly, in a result that won The Ring Magazine’s ‘Upset of the Year’ in 1982.
In the sanctity of the gym, people who’d trained with Laing had compared him to one of the best to ever lace up the gloves. But it wasn’t until after he’d beaten Duran that the Yorkshireman finally revealed what his teammates had been claiming about him.
In his post-fight interview, he beamed: “For years people have been saying to me that I’m the greatest thing since Sugar Ray Leonard.”
Sugar Ray Leonard made Roberto Duran do something crazy in their second fight
Laing’s victory over Duran is in the history books forever.
However, it’s nowhere near as famous as the night Sugar Ray Leonard earned his revenge over his arch-rival.
On November 25, 1980, inside the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, the American pulled off something truly special.
In a moment that the boxing community will never forget, Duran did something outrageous against Leonard.