'Duran dirty fighter’

Press, 25 November 1980, Page 38

'Duran dirty fighter’

NZPA-Reuter New Orleans

Sugar Ray Leonard’s manager yesterday assailed the World Boxing Council welterweight champion. Roberto Duran, as a dirty fighter as both boxers held final workouts before tomorrow's rematch at the Louisiana Superdome. “Duran resorted to foul tactics in the first fight, but if he tries any roueh stuff this ti time, w’ve got a couple of things prepared,” Angelo Dundee told a press conference attended by handlers of both fighters. “He butted, shoved, held and d<d a lot of other illegal things. The only foul he didn’t commit was to bit my guy when he was down, and that’s only because my guy never went down.” Dundee’s charges were rebutted hv his former mentor, the 81-year-old Rav Arce’, who alone with Freddy Brown, aged 73, trains the W.B.C. champion.

“Angelo was my p»n"' and he’s come a lone wav.” said Arcel, “but he’« wrong' when he says Duran i« a foul fighter Roberto has had 73 fight' and has never even lost e round because of n foul.” Both Arcel and Brow told reporters that, contrarv tn Dundee’s allegations, Leonard was more of a malefactor during their 15-roimd hout in Monteal on June 20, which Duran won by a unanimous decision. Arcel said that after the first round Duran told his co-trainers: “He’s thumbing me and trying to stick his thumb ’n mv eye.” “Those things are sometimes accidental.” Arce’ said, “but Roberto didn’t think so against Leonard.” Dundee, who has also trained Mohammad All throughout his professional career, said that Duran had succeeded in misleading all three Judges during the first fight. “Duran has this mystique about him,” he said. “He’s always moving and throwing a lot of punches and making himself look like he’s doing better than he Is.

“But his head is his best weapon. Whenever he throws a flurry of punches, he always ends up by bringing up his head against his opponent,” Dundee said.