Roberto Duran '1970'

Roberto Duran.

Enters 1970 (at age 18 1/2) with a record of 15-0-0 (13 KO's).

Fighting at a pound or two above Featherweight (126 lbs.).

On March 28, 1970 - 4-months after his last bout (November 23, 1969),
Roberto is shipped to Mexico City, to take on 22 year-old Felipe 'Micho' Torres 22-9-1 (10 KO's).

In his first professional bout outside of Panama, Roberto (128 lbs.) out-scores the 124 lb. 'Micho' Torres
over 10-Rounds, in a solid and and impressive win, but not without a few hard punches landed on him in the
middlew rounds.
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Saturday Night - May 16, 1970 at the Gimnasio Nuevo Panama

Attendance; 16,000

In a highly anticipated Super-Featherweight bout between 'two-young' Panamanian prospects,
Roberto Duran 16-0-0 (13 KO's) at 128 lbs. takes on Ernesto 'Nato' Marcel 24-2-1 (13 KO's) at 130 lbs.

Duran (just shy of his 19th birthday) and Marcel (just shy of his 22nd birthday), have both fought on the
same fight card several times. The boxing fans at the Gimnasio Nuevo Panama are split evenly between the
two fighters, Duran 'the wild brawler-slugger', and Marcel the 'classic boxer-puncher'.

Ernesto Marcel is from Panama City and middle-income surroundings, while Roberto Duran is from the 'slums'
of El Chorrillo. Also, Ernesto Marcel is 'World' ranked as the #8 Featherweight, and has clearly fought the better fighters.
While Roberto Duran, has 'steam-rolled' a host of 'record-padders'.

A typical 'brawler' vs 'boxer' bout. With Ernesto Marcel using side-to-side movement, and occassionally rushing in to
nail Roberto. Roberto uses pressure, and scores with body punches, and hard left hooks. Through '4' Rounds, Ernesto
Marcel has a 1-Point lead.

But in Rounds 5 and 6, Roberto is the aggressor, and Ernesto is not offering much of an offense. Marcel tries to stay
close to Roberto, in an effort to smother his long-range power shots. But Roberto is the harder hitter, and drives
Marcel back with a steady attack.

In Round 7, 'the best round of the fight' - Ernesto Marcel switches tactics, and turns aggressor. He out-punches Roberto throughout, by staying close and inside, where his faster hand-speed plays to his advantage. Roberto has slowed down a bit,
and Ernesto is pushing him into the ropes.

At the 1:40 mark, the two get into a fast exchange, and Ernesto lands a hard right which straightens up Roberto.
After another toe-to-toe exchange, at the 2:04 mark Ernesto lands a big left hook which shakes Duran.

From there, Ernesto drives Roberto back into the ropes where he attacks with '2' separate flurries, when suddenly at the 2:34 mark, Ernesto walks into a right-hand uppercut from Roberto, which staggers him momentarily.

Roberto then opens up with an 8-punch flurry, before slowing down until the bell.

Round 8 - A very close round. Both fighters stay close to each other, and engage in short inside exchanges. Suprisingly, it
is Ermesto Marcel who pushes Roberto backwards thoughout the round. In the middle part of the round, Marcel lands a sharp
right-hand that catches Roberto's attention. But, Roberto comes back with his own hard left-hook. Marcel slows down a bit,
and Roberto out-works Ernesto over the last 30-seconds, to edge out the round.

Round 9 - Ernesto Marcel mixes a style of inside fighting with side-to-side movement. Roberto tries to press, but
Marcel is out-working him with slightly quicker punching. Duran attempts some body punches, and is fighting on
even terms with the stylist-Marcel. But late in the round, Ernesto manages to score with some right hands to Roberto's head,
and does back him up several times, to edge out Roberto for the round.

Round 10 - With a seemingly 'Dead Even' fight, Ernesto Marcel goes into 'high-gear', and moves with slick side-to-side
movement and a defensive stance. Marcel is boxing like he's protecting a points lead. Roberto Duran presses, and tries to
land on an ever-moving Marcel, but is unable to trap the quick-footed boxing-master.

Throughout 2-minutes, Marcel has yet to throw a punch, and Roberto has landed only a handful of mediocre body punches.
Ernesto is still moving, and occassionally stops to get in-close to Roberto, but does not throw a single-punch. Roberto
does land a couple of body shots, but nothing that is very hard.

Then with both fighters at center-ring, and in close, Roberto throws a mediocre right-hand, then misses with a right uppercut,
as Ernesto backs up, when suddenly Referee Isaac Hererra steps between both fighters, and raises Roberto's hand at the
2:42 mark of Round 10.

It was a 'bizarre stoppage', as in no way was Ernesto Marcel hurt, and there were only '18-seconds' left in the fight.

Round Scoring Though '9' Rounds
Round 1... Ernesto Marcel
Round 2....Roberto Duran
Round 3....Ernesto Marcel
Round 4....Even
Round 5....Roberto Duran
Round 6....Roberto Duran
Round 7....Ernesto Marcel
Round 8....Roberto Duran
Round 9....Ernesto Marcel

Scoring at the time of the stoppage;
Referee; Isaac Herrera.........87-85 (5-3-1 in Rounds) Roberto Duran
Judge; Harmodio Cedeno......86-85 (5-4-0 in Rounds) Roberto Duran
Judge; Juan Carlos Tapia......86-86 (4-4-1 in Rounds) Even

 

Scartissue,

Felipe 'Micho' Torres, a Californian-based Mexican.

Fought at both 126 lbs. Featherweight and 130 lbs. Super-Featherweight early in his career (1967 thru mid-1970)
then at 135 lbs. Lightweight in the later part of his career (mid-1970 thru 1972).

Was a good fighter, who could surprise a few with his power. He wasn't a big-puncher,
but could occassionally deliver a 'knockout punch'.

Defensively, a very smart fighter, who was excellent in 'slipping punches'.
Felipe had a 'rock hard chin' and was never stopped for his entire career, and
may have only been 'floored' once.

Felipe fought alot at the Olympic Auditorium in 1967 and 1968, and did get ranked as the
#7 Featherweight in early-1969, when he got to 22-5-1 (10 KO's).

But, he lost '4' bouts in a row (by Decision) to very good fighters, and fell out of the Top 15 .

Was considered a 'good tough opponent' versus an 18 1/2 year-old Roberto in Mexico City in March 1970,
and someone who could test the young Panamanian.

Felipe 'Micho' Torres did just that, as he did land some good punches in the middle rounds,
but Roberto was the 'effective aggressor' for the last 4 rounds, enroute to a solid 10-Round Decision.

Felipe 'Micho' Torres
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Saturday Afternoon- July 18, 1970 (Arena de Colon, Panama)

The now 19 year-old (129 lbs.) Roberto Duran 17-0-0 (14 KO's), and ranked as the
#9 WBA Featherweight, takes on;

Clemente 'Didi' Mucino, a 26 year-old veteran Featherweight from Mexico, with a
record of 31-7-0 (20 KO's).

Roberto opens up quickly with a two-fisted attack, and stuns the experienced veteran early, with
a left-hook/right-hand. But 'Didi' Mucino hangs tough, and battles back with a hard body assault.

In Round 2, Duran wobbles Mucino with a right uppercut, and splits his lip. It is all Roberto in the round.

Rounds 3, 4 and 5 - Roberto stays with a steady inside attack, consisting of left hooks to the body, and
short right-hands to the head and body. Mucino offers only a token offense, with a left jab and counter
right-hand when Roberto slows down.

In Round 6, Roberto throws a quick steady volley of hard punches, hurting Mucino who eventually collapses
under the offensive charge. Up at '6', the Mexican Featherweight moves to avoid another assault, but is
eventually trapped, and dropped by a Roberto body barrage, and counted out at 2:18 of Round 6.

 

Roberto Duran '1970'

Saturday Afternoon - September 5, 1970 (Puerto Armuelles, Panama)

Roberto at (129 lbs.) 'blasts out' Costa Rican 'Super-Featherweight' - Marvin 'Rojo' Castaneda
at 1:35 of the '1st-Round', courtesy of a single left-hook to the chin.

Nothing much on the 21 year-old 'Rojo' Castaneda, other than a 5-2-0 (1 KO's) record
in Costa Rica, and who was nothing more than a 6-Round Preliminary fighter.

Roberto Duran improves to 19-0-0 (16 KO's), and moves up to the #7 WBA Featherweight.
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Sunday Afternoon - October 18, 1970 (Gimnasio Nuevo Panama)

Roberto, now campaigning as a 'full-fledged' 130 lb. 'Super-Featherweight', takes on another Castaneda,
but this one is Ignacio 'Nacho' Castaneda, a 5' 9" tall Super-Featherweight from Mexico, with a 'spotty'
record of 8-6-0 (3 KO's).

Roberto, fighting at 130 lbs., takes it easy on the fragile 'Nacho' in the
1st-Round. But in Round 2, Roberto slams the Mexican to the canvas
3-times with right-hand bombs.

Castaneda actually makes it to the 3rd-Round, but he is met by another
Roberto barrage, and is saved by the Referee at 0:31 of the Round.

1970 ends with the 19 1/2 year-old Roberto Duran at 20-0-0 (17 KO's),
and now ranked as the #8 WBA (130 lb.) Super-Featherweight.

 

Wrong,

In early 1970 Cassius Clay was a 'janitor' at the 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach.

He usually swept the floors, and cleaned the locker room area. He was shown how
to be a good janitor by 'Stepin Fetchit', who only showed the 'special' sweeping skills to
Jack Johnson, and later the 'young' Cassius Clay.

Clay was later overheard in the locker room, with a wash-bucket in his hand, stating,
'I call it my anchor sweep, as it puts the dirt to sleep'.

:hi:

 

At the end of 1970

Roberto Duran clearly would have had a 'great chance' in defeating either one of the
126 lb. Featherweight Champions.

* WBA Champion - Shoji Saijo (Japan) 27-5-2 (8 KO's)
or
* WBC Champion - Vicente Saldivar (Mexico) 36-1-0 (26 KO's)