Ok, quick story for you guys on ESB because I´m in a hurry but I have to share this with you. I´m in Panama City right now and thought before leaving that it may be nice to check around Panama if time permitted to see if I could find some gyms that either Roberto Duran or Ismael Laguna are involved in... but decided eventually that this may be more difficult and had kind of given up on the idea. Today I´m in a taxi and pass the Roberto Duran statue (pics later) and so asked the taxi driver if he lives in the city, to which he responds yes, and points to a side street while telling me he lives only a block away. Long story short, I get out of the taxi and find his house (took a pic of this too). When I was walking away this guy passes and asks me if Im looking for him, and when I say yes he tells me to follow him... Duran´s garage is open and we walk in.. he wistles and yells for him. I´m a little stunned at this point thinking that I won´t know what the hell to say if I find him there. The door opens and its not him, but a younger guy (not his son, I asked) who tells me that he isn´t there, but in New York, but he will be back next week. I was dissapointed but also very happy. Have some work this week and will try to return next week because I have been told by many people that he is very approachable. Update soon... By the way, by the looks of it Duran is doing well financially. Nice house, statues in the lawn, 3 BMWs and a little moped.. good to see a boxer hold on to some cash.
It was sureal, especially when the door opened and I thought he was going to come out to me standing in his garage when he doesn´t know me from anything... just counting on the fact that he did know the guy I was with. Anyways I gotta get back and see if I can meet him, that would be incredible. The only thing is that he may be in NY for the Cotto vs. Margo fight, or doing something leading up to going to Vegas to see it. If thats happening I won´t be able to catch him but it was a good try.
I got to meet THE MAN last year after the DLH-Floyd weigh in at the MGM Grand. There was a Press Conference following the weigh in, and after it was over, Duran was walking out of it, in the middle of the MGM "walkway" and I ran up to him, and he put his arm around my shoulder, posed for a photo, and we went walking like this, and then I shook his hand, and told him in Spanish that he was the best, and then he smiled and left with his posse. He was three sheets to the wind, and it was awesome.
nice job jack, i have got to meet the man in the future. did you let him know what you thought of hoya?:yep
roberto is the man. got to meet him at foxwoods when he was at paz's 50th win fight. a little pudgy but "hands of stone" when you shake his hand is no joke. Real down to earth fun guy.
Daaaaaaaaaamn, don't tell a guy who has an avatar of Duran that story. :nut LOL, thanks for sharing that.
