Memory lane fight now on

Press, 28 July 1989, Page 48

Memory lane fight now on

NZPA-Reuter New York It finally became official yesterday — Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran will stroll down boxing’s memory lane one more time. They will fight in November for the third time, nine years after Duran quit against Leonard in the eighth round. The promoter, Bob Arum, promised that Duran would “fight to the last breath” to make up for the infamous “No Mas” fight in New Orleans on November 25, 1980 when he waved his hands and said, “No Mas, No Mas (no more, no more).” The Panamanian nicknamed “Hands of Stone” never fully explained why he had a heart of jelly that night when Leonard took back the World Boxing Council (W.8.C.) welterweight title he had lost to Duran five months earlier. At the news conference yesterday to announce the fight, Duran said he was tired of being asked what happened in New Orleans. “I’ll explain to the world after I beat Sugar Ray Leonard why I quit,” he said through an interpreter. The exact date and site of the fight — dubbed by Mr Arum “Uno Mas” — have not yet been set as promoters are still listening to offers from casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas to hold the fight which will take place either on November 2 or 30. Mr Arum said Duran, aged 38, would get SUS7.S million (SNZI3 million) and Leonard a straight percentage of the profits, which could mean as much as SUSI 3 million (5NZ22.7 million). Duran and Leonard will fight for the W.B.C.’s super middleweight and middleweight titles, with the contract calling for both men to weigh no more than 73.4 kg for the 12-round bout. Duran, with a remarkable 85-7 record in 22 years, handed Leonard the only defeat of his 35-1-1 career and is regarded by many to have been the greatest lightweight ever.