Roberto Duran Quotes

Panama, Boxer
June 16, 1951

Roberto Durán Samaniego is a Panamanian former professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 2001. He is a four-weight world champion, having held titles at lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight, and middleweight; as well as reigns as the undisputed and lineal lightweight champion, and the lineal welterweight champion. He is also the second boxer to have competed over a span of five decades, the first being Jack Johnson. Durán was known as a versatile brawler and pressure fighter, which earned him the nickname of "Manos de Piedra" ("Hands of Stone") for his formidable punching power.

Some of the old refs have favoritism toward some of the fighters that are currently fighting. There should be a changing of the guard with the refs, the same way there are with fighters.

Roberto Duran
I laugh when Floyd Mayweather says that if he went back in time he would beat us all. I'll tell you this: if he was in the same era as Hagler and Hearns and Leonard and me, I don't think he would be such a big name. There is too much talk.

Roberto Duran
- Would
- Mayweather

De La Hoya doesn't know about salsa. He should keep on singing mariachis and leave the salsa to me. I'm good at salsa.

Roberto Duran
- Good
- Singing
- Should
Yes, it's true I once knocked out a horse. It was at a fiesta in my mother's home town of Guarare. Someone bet me a bottle of whiskey that I couldn't do it.

Roberto Duran
- Someone
- Knocked
Right now, it's very difficult to single out one fighter, pound-for-pound, who is the best. Right now, it's very complex. Miguel Cotto, Mayweather and Zab Judah's a good fighter as well.

Roberto Duran
If I had the medical clearance to fight, I would want to fight the best. The best would be Mayweather.

Roberto Duran
- Would
- Medical
I really feel that if it wasn't for the accident, I'd still be fighting. I would have handled some of these fighters. I would have made sure that the doctors would have declared me physically sound; and after that, I would have trained.

Roberto Duran
Getting hit motivates me. It makes me punish the guy more. A fighter takes a punch, hits back with three punches.

Roberto Duran
- Getting
- Punish
- Motivates

Everybody says it: black, white; everybody calls me a legend. Italians, Jews. Everybody.

Roberto Duran
- White
- Everybody
- Italians
I was born to be champion of the world.

Roberto Duran
- World
- Champion
Currently, I'm working with a company called DRL Promotions with my partners Dan Wise and Luis De Cubas. We're currently representing over 30 fighters.

Roberto Duran
There is only one legend. That's me.

Roberto Duran
- Legend
I'm not God - but I am something similar.

Roberto Duran
- Something
- Similar
Nobody stands out right now. Everybody has similar styles. None of these fighters have reinvented the wheel and created a new style.

Roberto Duran
- Created
- Nobody
- Similar

The life of a boxer is about fighting for world titles.

Roberto Duran
- World
- Fighting
- Titles
I want to thank America. You opened your heart so I could enter. Thank you everybody who lives in the United States, who saw me grow into becoming a world champion.

Roberto Duran
- Heart
- Becoming
- Everybody