Duran’s career goes beyond ‘No Mas’
many of Duran’s fights. “He was a big draw card. He had a big following.”
The film portrays the highs and lows of Duran, from his victory over Leonard in the first meeting to him insulting Leonard’s wife.
“With Duran, it was psychological warfare,” Leonard said. “He set a fire under my skin. He made me forget the talents I had. I tried to knock his (explicit) out. He got to me, but that didn’t happen again.”
Leonard defeated Duran for the second time during the “Uno Mas” trilogy fight in 1989 when the two welterweight greats opened The Mirage. Duran, a former four-division champion, fought in Las Vegas 14 times and started with a 6-0 record. But he then lost his next eight fights on the Strip.
The Panamanian struggled to win back his fans after the “No Mas” bout. Arum helped to revive Duran’s career.
“We handled and directed his comeback,” Arum said. “We did the fight with him and Pipino Cuevas in the Sports Arena in L.A., and that win led to the junior middleweight champion- ship before a sold-out Madison Square Garden with him and Davey Moore, and he won the title and was greeted as a hero once again by the Panamanian people.”
Duran, who dominated the 1970s in the lightweight division, got new life from the Moore victory and joined the top-tier class of Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Leonard of the 1980s.
Duran got title shots against Hagler in 1983 and Hearns in 1984, with both fights at Caesars Palace and promoted by Arum. Duran lost both fights, but had his respect back. He finished with 103 wins, 16 losses and 70 knockouts in a career that spanned five decades, from 1968 to 2001.
Leonard, 60, was Duran’s fiercest opponent, but he was rooting for Duran’s comeback.
“Everyone turned their backs on this legend,” said Leonard, who remains a close friend of Duran. “I felt bad for him. It was very difficult coming back from that.” Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal. com or 702-383-0492. Follow on Twitter: @gmanzano24