Hands of Stone…And So Much More: Appreciating Roberto Duran

The nickname “Hands of Stone” is one of the better and more delightfully illustrative in the history of the sweet science, but frankly, it is also a bit reductive for my liking, as it too neatly synopsizes what made Roberto Duran special.

Sure, the legend from Panama had savage pop in both hands. But his prowess as a ring technician, as a pugilist-specialist, probably isn’t discussed enough by fight-game analysts.

Check out this examination of a superior Duran outing, that being his 1979 welterweight division tussle against A-grade hitter Carlos Palomino. Hopefully, you’ll better understand the technical wizardry which is sometimes lost in translation when we refer to “Hand of Stone.”

Duran’s ability to hold a commanding edge at close quarters is something a fighter of any era can learn from, and a boxing fan in any era can marvel at.

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