Son confirms Duran is in hospital with coronavirus

Roberto Duran, widely regarded as one of the finest fighters of all-time, has tested positive for coronavirus and is in hospital in his native Panama, his son announced on Instagram.

The 69-year-old had mild symptoms and went to a hospital as a precaution because one of his lungs “doesn’t work 100 per cent due to an accident in Argentina a few years ago”.

“My father’s exams have just come in and they confirm that he is positive for Covid-19,” Robin Duran wrote on Instagram.

“Thank God for now he is not with symptoms higher than a cold. We will be passing more information throughout the days.” Duran, nicknamed “Hands of Stone” for his punching power, reigned supreme in the lightweight division for much of the 1970s before stepping up to welterweight and handing

Sugar Ray Leonard his first professional defeat.

Six months later in November 1980, Duran above, lost the rematch in the memorable “No Mas” fight, the Panamanian quitting towards the end of the eighth round after becoming frustrated by the elusive Leonard’s tactics.

He was part of the so-called Fabulous Four, alongside Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns, the group of elite boxers who all faced each other during the 1980s.

In 1983, Duran took Hagler 15 rounds despite being much smaller before being blown away by Thomas Hearns the following year, while he was outpointed in his trilogy fight against Leonard in 1989.

A remarkable professional career that spanned 33 years came to an end in 2001, Duran retiring with 103 wins, 70 inside the distance, and 16 defeats.

Having won world titles at lightweight, welterweight, light-middleweight and middleweight – and being the lineal champion at 135lbs and 147lbs – Duran was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2007.