Boxing legend Roberto Duran made a special appearance at Texas A&M University-Commerce on Tuesday, October 10th. The former world champion interacted with students, faculty and staff through a series of special events.
Duran, known as “Manos de Piedra” or “Hands of Stone,” is a Hall of Fame boxer who won world championships in four different weight classes during a professional career that spanned from 1968 to 2001. He retired with a total of 103 wins. -At 16 years old, he is only the second boxer in history to have fought professionally for 50 years.
His life was dramatized in the 2016 film Hands of Stone, starring Edgar Ramirez as Duran, Robert De Niro as Duran’s longtime trainer Ray Arcel, and musician Usher as Sugar. – Starred as Ray Leonard. He remains a national hero in his native Panama, thanks to his important philanthropy.
At the beginning of his campus visit, Mr. Duran spoke with members of the A&M Commerce community at a luncheon in the Rayburn Student Center. He also spoke to a select group of media personnel and student representatives throughout the day.
Speaking to the media, Duran recalled many memorable moments in the ring and what he has been up to lately. Duran primarily speaks Spanish, so her daughter Yrichel served as an interpreter.
“I spend a lot of time at the beach,” Duran said of his lifestyle now that his fighting days are over. “I also like doing public service. I want to give back to those in need.”
When asked if he still does boxing these days, Duran said he rarely sits down in front of the TV to watch a fight. “I’d rather watch soccer,” Duran said with a laugh, adding that his favorite team is Spain’s Barcelona.
When asked if there are any fighters he’d love to be in the ring with but never had the chance to, he shakes his head. “I fought everyone,” he said.
The main event of Mr. Duran’s visit came later in the evening when he sat down with Dr. Robert Rodriguez, professor and interim associate dean of the College of Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts, for a live talk show-style interview in front of an audience. Number of students, faculty and staff. Upon his entrance, Mr. Duran received a standing ovation from the assembled crowd.
It was also announced that film crews attended the event to gather footage for an upcoming docu-reality series featuring Duran and his family.
Duran took a series of questions from Rodriguez and seemed to relish the opportunity to speak to the A&M Commerce audience, speaking at length about everything from the lows of his tough upbringing in Panama to the highs of winning the world championship title. .
He was also asked about the incident that many claim is his most infamous moment. It was the 1980 “No Mass” fight with Sugar Ray Leonard. Duran infamously threw in the towel in the eighth round and reportedly told the referee, “No mass.” ” or “No more,” indicating his intention to end the fight. He has publicly denied saying such words during the match.
Duran explained why he decided not to fight Leonard, saying that after his first fight with Leonard just a few months ago, he spent most of his time partying hard and gaining weight, and that he didn’t receive a call from his manager telling him he was signing. He said he was blinded. He will fight Leonard in a month.
“When I was training for the rematch, I was feeling really bad,” Duran said. “I wasn’t completely ready for the fight yet. I was too unwell and weak, so I called it off.”
Duran was criticized for years in his native Panama after the “No Mass” incident, but managed to bounce back and win the World Boxing Association title again just a few years later, before returning to hero status throughout Panama. did.
During his talk at A&M-Commerce, Duran also talked about his many other endeavors, including his music and film careers. He detailed his interactions with Sylvester Stallone on the set of Rocky II and also delighted the audience with a small sample of one of his songs.
At the end of the event, Duran answered audience questions and lingered for photos with attendees. He also left a message for the students in attendance: Make sure you surround yourself with good people and you will succeed. ”
(Top photo: Matt Strasen of A&M-Commerce Marketing and Communications)