If one decides to rank the best performances within the wonderful profession of the good Roberto Duran, his ten spherical tour de drive towards Carlos Palomino clearly deserves excessive standing. Duran vs Palomino is each a superb 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 excellent place for his enormous, 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 very best light-weight since Benny Leonard, definitely probably the most dominant since Ike Williams. However now, after a remaining huge win over rival Esteban De Jesus, he was transferring up and the jury was nonetheless out as as to whether Roberto may compete as successfully towards naturally greater males. Having abdicated his 135 pound title in early ’78, Duran bided his time, partaking 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 champ who was nonetheless considered a high fighter within the division.
Carlos Palomino was something however a burned-out ex-champ searching for one final huge 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 definitely no disgrace in dropping his belt to probably the most gifted boxers within the sport’s historical past, Wilfred Benitez. Whereas Duran deserved to be the odds-on favourite, all agreed this was doubtlessly a tricky problem for the previous terror of the lightweights.
The irony was that the struggle 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 evening’s major attraction. In actual fact, 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 provided such thrilling abilities and contemporary faces as Sugar Ray Leonard, Howard Davis Jr., and Marvin Hagler. Duran, a serious attraction since no less than 1972, was transcending his Latin fan base and assuming the picture of one of many sport’s legends and elder statesmen at simply the precise time. However to get to the large alternatives forward, he needed to beat Palomino first.
Other than firmly establishing Roberto as a critical menace at 147 kilos, Duran vs Palomino proved to be maybe the clearest demonstration but of how “Manos de Piedra” had advanced 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 complicated boxer-puncher: aggressive, highly effective, but additionally intelligent, inventive and surprisingly laborious to hit. His repute as a crude slugger now labored to his benefit as he took opponents abruptly with the sophistication of his ways. Palomino had clearly ready for a Duran who would try and overpower him, however Roberto revered the previous champion’s skill and set about placing the whole lot he had realized to make use of, within the course of providing followers a memorable efficiency of ability and technical virtuosity.
Whereas a fast-paced motion struggle, there was little drama; many scored it a shutout. Simply as Palomino wasn’t on the identical degree 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 nearly each minute of the match. Briefly, a tricky problem, surprisingly, grew to become 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 pace. At instances, only for enjoyable, he feinted from the left, feinted from the precise, after which, with Palomino in a flux of frantic confusion, stepped again and flashed a wolfish grin as Palomino untangled himself.”
May Duran compete with the welterweights? The reply was an emphatic “sure.” Just a few months later Sugar Ray Leonard would defeat Wilfred Benitez for Palomino’s previous title and the countdown instantly started for one of many largest and most anticipated fights in boxing historical past. — Michael Carbert
