The Michigan Daily - Friday, June 15, 1984- Page 15 WANTS HEARNS' TITLE No more disgrace or Duran J UST THREE and a half years ago it looked like Roberto Duran was finished as a boxer. Less than two years ago he was little more than a pitiful has- been, struggling to keep a once-great career alive. Duran's manager, his promoter - virtually everyone who had once been firmly in his corner, told him to give it up. Everyone, that is, but his ex-promoter Luis Spada. When Duran beckoned for help in September of 1982, Spada answered the call and agreed to train the man they call Manos de Piedra. Spada helped Duran get off the scrapheap and back on his feet. TONIGHT IN Las Vegas the reborn Roberto Duran faces Detroit's Thomas Hearns in 19-rnnnd hattla far Near- RaisingIl el By PAUL HELGREN ns' WBC Super Welterweight (154 pounds) title. It has been an unlikely comeback from the days of no mas, no mas. In a sense Duran fights to erase the legacy of those two words. The date was November 25, 1980. In one of the most astounding occurances in the history of professional boxing, Duran walked away from Sugar Ray Leonard in the 8th round of their ballyhooed rematch, mumbling the now-infamous syllables that would become his scarlet letter. No mas. No more. Duran would have no more of the fight, no more of Leonard and it appeared no more of boxing. DURAN LOST the WBC World Welterweight title that night in New Orleans, but he also lost much, much more. Taken, too, was his pride, a devastating loss to a Panamanian brought up in the Latin tradition of machimo. Whispers of Maricon (homosexual) haunted Duran upon his return to his native land. So deep was his disgrace that longtime manager Carlos Eleta abandoned Duran and urged him to retire. One by one others in the Duran bandwagon followed. A lesser man might have seen the writing on the wall. But not Duran. He had too much pride to end his career on such a sour note. So the comeback began. Initially it looked like Duran's critics were right. His return to the ring looked like a pathetic remake of that great old boxing movie, Requiem For a Heavyweight. Moving up a weight class he was flabby and sluggish. In the four fights following the New Orleans fiasco, Duran went 2-2, including a 10-round loss-by-decision to unheralded Kirkland Laing. THAT'S WHERE Spada entered the picture. It wasn't long before things atarted changing. Spada worked Duran hard, trying to whip him into the rock of a man he once was. "I told him I am not a magician who can change him," Spada told the Associated Press. "He was the only one who can do that. He promised to work hard. I told him if he did not, I would quit. I was not going to waste my time." MAGIC TOUCH or no, Duran respon- ded to the Argentinian's training methods and slowly got back into top shape. After warm up victories with Jimmy Batten and former WBA welterweight champ Pipino Cuevas, Duran was ready. On June 16, 1983 Duran met and knocked out WBA Junior Middleweight champion Davey Moore. Manos de Piedra was back. With his good reputation returned, Duran earned boxing's most unen- viable reward - a fight with Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Though many observers thought Duran would be lucky to escape with his life, the 32-year-old veteran went the distance in a relatively close fight. The loss was anything but a shame for Duran. In fact, he was impressive enough to earn another shot against one of the world's best - Thomas Hearns. Should the Guarare, Panama native pull off the upset and take Hearns' title, he would become the first man to accumulate four titles in his career. It would probably earn him a, rematch with Hagler, too. The odds are heavily stacked again- st Duran (Jimmy the Greek says 13-5 in favor of Hearns). Hearns has all the physical advantages - he is seven years younger, he stands five-and-a-half inches taller, and he has 11 inches more in reach. But Duran has the experience of 81 fights behind him. He also has the psychological edge of being a legend aearching for a place in hiatory. That may not be enought to stop the "hit-man," but one thing is certain We will never hear the words "no mas" pass the lips of Roberto Duran again. Hearns vs Duran When: Approximatelylo:3 p.m. tonight (E.D.T.). Where: Caesar's Palace, Las vegas. Local: Michigan Theater, closed-circuit. Tickets $35 and $25. The Records: Thomas Hearns ...... .38-1 (32 knockouts). * RobertsDans......76-5(57 knockouts). The Odds: Hearns favored 13-5, according to Jimmy the Greek. The Tape: Hearns Duran 25 AGE 32 154 WEIGHT 154 61" HEIGHT 57' 70' REACH 07" I j Roberto Duran, who turns 33 on Saturday, goes after his fourth title tonight against Detroit's Thomas Hearns. "Hands of Stone" is 5-0 in June fights, in- cluding wins over Ray Leonard, Carlos Palomino and Davey Moore. 0 PEPSI SALE Liter Bottles $1.69/8-pack . 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