Roberto Duran: Rivalry with Sugar Ray Leonard Brought to Life in New Biopic

Boxing fans will have flocked to the cinema in great excitement last month, as “Hands of Stone” finally hit screens across America on August 26th. The biopic stars Edgar Ramirez as legendary boxer Roberto Duran, tracking his life from his childhood in Panama, to eventually becoming the best lightweight ever to lace up his boots.

The major plotline of the movie surrounds Duran’s infamous rivalry with Sugar Ray Leonard, played by Usher Raymond IV. Robert De Niro brings the iconic trainer of Ray Arcel back to life, as he and Duran attempt to take down the Champion.

In an entertaining fight which would later be branded the “Brawl in Montreal”, Duran upset the odds and defeated Sugar Ray Leonard via a unanimous decision and took all three world Welterweight titles with him back to Panama. Although he famously relinquished the titles back to Leonard in the rematch some five months later, that first fight between the two champions is still talked of as one of the best ever seen in the Welterweight division.

The movie itself may have garnered mixed reviews, but it shines new light on one of boxing’s most storied rivalries, as fight fans were treated to some brilliant bouts during the 80’s. Sugar Ray Leonard was the undoubted king of that era, winning world titles at five weight divisions and holding three lineal world titles simultaneously. As well as the highly regarded series of fights with Duran, Sugar Ray had famous fights against Marvin Haglar and Thomas Hearns. His rivalry with Hearns is held in such high esteem, that it is widely recognised as one of the greatest in boxing history.

These four men boxed at such a high level, they were christened “The Fabulous Four” by most corners of the media, as they battled each other for supremacy across the Welterweight and Middleweight and Lightweight divisions. Boxing fans were treated to some unbelievable contests between the four, but the back-to-back contests between Leonard and Duran have proven to be captivating cinematic material and will live long in the memory of all boxing enthusiasts who were lucky enough to witness that incredible era.