Saturday, July 25, 2009

good talk

In the Current "Ring" Magazine it said in Relation to the Clottey-Cotto Fight "...Many along press row thought that Clottey had won...," No Joke. Bob Arum continues to Soldier On with Cotto. Recently I was Watching a Tape on TV of the Feb. 24, 1989 Fight between Iran Barkley and Roberto Duran. This was at Middleweight and Barkley, related to Charles Barkley, appeared to be half again as Big as Duran who had Forged his Loftly Reputation at Lightweight. It was a tough, brutal Battle with the Fighters often Standing Toe to Toe and Trading Haymakers and you really Wondered how the much smaller Duran was able to do it. Duran, at "38" knocked Iran down in the 11th Round and won a Close Decision. Soon after this fight in Feb. 1989 I was reading an Article in one of these Boxing Magazines I buy about an Interview with Roberto a few days after the Fight with Barkley. Duran was asked how he was Able to Defeat the Heavily-Favored Barkley and it said that he Laughingly Replied, "...I didn't....." Also in the Same Interview Duran described Michael Nunn, the leading Middleweight at that time as "...A Queer and a Gay....." The Article ended with "...We're glad to see that Duran has retained his charm." A Couple Months later I was Reading that Roberto Duran was Making an Appearance at a 5-Star Hotel Relating to the WBC Middleweight Championship that he had won from Barkley. It said that the next morning that Duran was seen wearing cut-offs and a T-Shirt and "...Bounding past the Breakfast Buffet Line and Hostess with a Bounce seldom seen in His Step these Days for the Delicacies that Lay Within..." It then said that Duran loaded his plates and Sat Down and was Seen "...Eating Scrambled Eggs, although Seldom Considered to be Finger Food..." with his Hands. The Article was titled "No Mas Forks?" Roberto Duran is Considered to be by Many or even Most as the Best Lightweight of All Time, 135 pound limit, where he was called "Manos de Piedra," Hands of Stone, but he fought as high as 168 pounds Holding his Own Against the Best of Much Bigger Men. Robert was still Fighting at age "50" and doing pretty well, only Retiring after he was in a Serious Car Accident. Roberto Duran is one of the Most Worthy Members of the Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota.

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