Roberto Duran vs. Leonard Tavarez (Paris, France)

Anyone ever see this bout, or tape.

Monday Night - January 21, 1974

Palais des Sports, Paris, France (a 4500 seating capacity, Sports Arena)

Roberto Duran versus Leonard Tavarez in a 'non-title' bout.

It was a Light-Welterweight bout, as both Lightweights came in
above the 135 lb. weight limit.

Roberto Duran, the 22 1/2 year old WBA Lightweight Champion
39-1-0 (33 KO's) was taking another tune-up bout to stay busy,
while trying to stay sharp before his March 1974 bout with Esteban De Jesus.

Leonard Tavarez, a Sengalese living in Paris, France - was a 35 year-old
veteran Lightweight, who was a muscular tricky-boxer, with a snappy left jab,
and very quick feet. Though not a big puncher, Tavarez would unload a good
short right-hand to the body on occassion, his best power punch.

Sporting a 25-13-5 (7 KO's) record, the one-time French Lightweight
Champion had been in and out of the Top 20 Lightweight rankings
several times. Despite the 'spotty record' Leonard Tavarez was a
'quality fighter'.

He had bouts with quality fighters; (11/71 - Jim Watt), (6/70 -Roger Zami)
and two with (2/70 and 4/68 - Ken Buchanan), though he did lose all of them,
he was a 'good opponent' in each bout.

Leonard Tavarez had gone 6-1-1 in his previous '8' bouts, and at the time was the
#2 French Lightweight and the #8 European Lightweight, but he was unranked
in the World Lightweight ratings.

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January 21, 1974

Roberto Duran (WBA Lightweight Champion) stopped French Lightweight
Leonard Tavarez by a TKO 4 last night, in a non-title bout.

Though the Panamanian won, he was not without a scary moment or two,
as the 34 year-old Tavarez hurt Duran with several hard body punches in the
'Second Round'.

The Champion Duran, at 138 1/4 lbs., and with a 'slighted bloated belly', started the
bout by staying outside by boxing with jabs, and not attacking like his usual self.
Tavarez, a lean 136 lbs., and a smart veteran, quicky turned aggressor, and moved inside,
and started scoring with lefts and rights on Duran's body.

In Round 2, Tavarez picked up where he left off, and not regarded as a 'banger'
started whacking the slow starting Champion with hard rights to the body.
Midway in the round, a particular hard right to the body by Tavarez doubled
the Panamanina over, as Duran whinced from the blow.

Sensing he had the Champion in trouble, the former French Lightweight Champion
opened up with a 'two-fisted flurry', as the 4500 Palais des Sport Arena fans cheered
with approval.

In Round 3, Tavarez resumed his attack, but this time Roberto Duran came back with his
own heavy body attack, and hurt Tavarez with a hard left hook to the liver, then a
short right to the stomach which dropped the Sengalese veteran. Upon rising, Tavarez was
met by Duran who maintained the pressure on the fading 34 year-old, and pinned Tavarez in his own
corner, while dropping heavy punches on the hurt fighter. Tavarez just barely made it to the bell.

In Round 4, Roberto Duran rushed from his corner, and let go with several hard punches to the
head, as Tavarez reeled from the assault, and then dropped to one knee. With Tavarez looking hurt,
the Referee then called a halt to the bout at 0:41 of the round.

In an interview after the bout, Roberto Duran did admit that he was hurt by the body punches in
Round 2, and that one hard right to the stomach by Leonard Tavarez hurt bad.

The Panamanian, said that the weigh-in was at the Sunday Night 'press conference', where both fighters
came in under the contract weight of 139 lbs. But after the 'press interview' Roberto Duran headed out to
the Chinese Restaraunt 'The Mandarin' where he over-ate, and probably put on 7 or 8 lbs. which bloated
his stomach. Duran said, 'I ate too much, my belly hurt. He hit me in the stomach in the second round, and
I went Oh No!

 

Manasa,,

Your compliment,,,,,,,,is much appreciated.

Leonard Tavarez later in 1974, fought the Scot, Ken Buchanan for the
EBU (Euorpean Boxing Union Lightweight Championship).

He fought well, before succumbing in Round 14.

Leonard Tavarez, originally from Senegal, another one of those good boxer-punchers from West Africa.

Not sure, but I think his nickname was 'The Stalking Jaguar'.

 

Sir Lord Tywin,,,,,,,,

Yes, Roberto Duran took over in the 3rd Round, and TKO'd Leonard Tavarez in the 4th Round.

But, Tavarez hurt Roberto in the 2nd Round, with a body-shot.

Please read, Sports Illustrated (March 17, 1975) as Roberto talked about getting hurt by Tavarez in the 2nd Round.

Also, L'Equipe (French Sports Newspaper) reported the fight the next day, and mentioned how well Leonard Tavarez
fought in the 1st and 2nd Rounds, before succombing to the heavy punching Lightweight Champion.

:deal

 

Well,

I guess Roberto Duran lied in the 1975 Sports Illustrated interview then...

And the L'Equipe Newspaper account of the fight, must be way off then,,,,,,,according to your account

 

I stumbled upon the highlights of that bout, while searching for information on bouts
held at the Palais des Sports in Paris.

Some brief excerpts from the opening of Round 1, and Round 2 when Leonard Tavarez
whacked Roberto in the belly.

And what looks like the ending of the bout, in Round 4.

Tavarez did look lean. And Roberto looked bigger, at least by 10 pounds.

 

Just going by L'Equipe Newspaper article and what I saw on the old tape of the
bout (excerpts).

I will agree, Leonard Tavarez was by no means a 'banger', with only '7' Knockouts in
'43' bouts, but the tape did show him landing a couple of sharp snappy punches.

I would imagine, that Roberto was probably in more pain due to his over-eating the
night before, than the 'belly shots' that Leonard Tavarez laid on him in the 2nd Round.

Note; Roberto Duran states in Sports Illustrated, 'that he got hurt from a belly punch
in the second round'.

And you say 'no' he didn't.

I think I will believe Roberto Duran over you,,,,,,,,,,Sorry About That.

 

Leonard Tavarez 'The Stalking Jaguar'

Leonard Tavarez after getting run over (TKO'd in 4) by Roberto Duran on January 21, 1974
at the Palais des Sports, Paris.

Tavarez returns back to the Palais des Sports on February 25 (5-weeks later), and defeats
(KO 11) Dominique Azzaro {18-3-1} for the French Lightweight Championship.

Two more Decision wins in 1974, move Leonard Tavarez to the #3 European Lightweight, and a chance
at the EBU Lightweight Title versus Champion and #1 WBC Lightweight,
the Scot Ken Buchanan {55-2-0} on December 16, 1974.

In a Paris, France bout at the (Parc de Expositions), Leonard Tavarez uses his speed a foot
to hang with the tall ex-World Lightweight Champion for the first half of the bout,
before being worn down, knocked down and stopped (L TKO 14).

The 35 year-old Leonard Tavarez retired after the bout, with a record of 28-15-5 (8 KO's).

 

I found it on a Palais des Sports Boxing link,,,,,,,,

I'll search for it and post it.

In the meantime, read the Sports Illustrated article from March 17, 1975.

"Little Man With A Big Punch'

4th Page of the article, with Roberto Duran describing about getting hit and hurt in the
2nd Round by Leonard Tavarez.