Broadcasting
| Country | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | ITV |
 United States | ABC |
| Date | March 16, 1974 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | Gimnasio Nuevo Panama, Panama City, Panama | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title(s) on the line | WBA and The Ring lightweight titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tale of the tape | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Durán wins via 11th-round KO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Roberto Durán vs. Esteban de Jesús II was a professional boxing match contested on March 16, 1974, for the WBA and The Ring lightweight titles. [3]
15 months prior, undefeated WBA lightweight champion Roberto Durán faced top ranked contender Esteban de Jesús in a non-title bout in Madison Square Garden. Durán was dropped in the opening round and de Jesús outboxed the champion the rest of the way to earn a unanimous decision victory and give Durán his first loss. [4]
After that fight, both Durán and de Jesús would go on impressive win streaks. Durán would go 10–0, successfully defending his lightweight title three times while also winning seven non-title fights to bring his record up to 41–1 then while de Jesús had gone 7–0 to also bring his record up to 41–1. Finally, the long-awaited rematch was made official for March 16, 1974 in Durán's native Panama. [5]
For the second time in a row, de Jesús would score and opening round knockdown, dropping Durán with a left hook during the first minute of the round. Durán arose from the knockdown and unlike their previous fight, fought aggressively and by the third round, had taken control of the fight. In the final minute of the seventh round Durán scored a knockdown of his own after he landed a barrage of punches finishing with a right hand after which De Jesús crumpled to the ground, though he survived the round despite a furious rally from Durán. A clearly exhausted de Jesús would make it to the 11th round, though Durán sent him down again following a five-punch combination, though he narrowly missed beating the referee's 10-count and Durán was named winner by knockout. [6]
Confirmed bouts: [7]
| Weight Class | Weight | vs. | Method | Round | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightweight | 135 lbs. | Roberto Durán | def. | Esteban de Jesús | KO | 11/15 | Note 1 |
| Bantamweight | 118 lbs. | Marcos Britton | def. | Jorge Madrigal | TKO | 1/10 | |
| Featherweight | 126 lbs. | Mario Mendoza | def. | Enrique Maxwell | KO | 7/10 | |
| Featherweight | 126 lbs. | Rodolfo Francis | def. | Norberto Reyes Blanquicet | TKO | 1/10 |
| Country | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | ITV |
| United States | ABC |
Roberto Carlos Durán Samaniego is a Panamanian former professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 2001. He held world championships in four weight classes: Lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight. Duran also reigned 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, technical brawler and pressure fighter, which earned him the nickname "Manos de Piedra" for his formidable punching power and excellent defense.
Esteban de Jesús was a Puerto Rican world lightweight champion boxer. De Jesús, a native of the town of Carolina, Puerto Rico, was a gymmate of Wilfred Benítez and was trained by Benitez's father, Gregorio Benitez. He was the first boxer to defeat Roberto Durán as a pro, and the only fighter to defeat Duran during his lightweight reign. His career was mired in controversy, problems, and scandals.
Ken Buchanan was a Scottish professional boxer who competed between 1965 and 1982. He held multiple championships at lightweight; the World Boxing Association (WBA) and Ring magazine titles from 1970 to 1972; and the World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1971, briefly reigning as undisputed champion until being stripped of the WBC title four months later. At regional level he held the British title twice in 1968 and 1973, and the European title from 1974 to 1975.
Antonio Cervantes is a Colombian boxing trainer and former professional boxer who competed from 1961 to 1983. He held the WBA and The Ring light welterweight title twice between 1972 and 1980.
During the 1970s, boxing was characterized by dominating champions and history-making rivalries. The decade had many superstars, who also had fierce rivals. Alexis Argüello, for example, who won the world Featherweight and Jr. Lightweight titles in the '70s, had to overcome Alfredo Escalera twice before the decade was over.
Pernell Whitaker Sr. was an American professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 2001, and subsequently worked as a boxing trainer. He was a four-weight world champion, having won titles at lightweight, light welterweight, welterweight, and light middleweight; the undisputed lightweight title; and the lineal lightweight and welterweight titles. In 1989, Whitaker was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He currently holds the longest unified lightweight championship reign in boxing history at six title defenses. Whitaker is generally regarded as one of the greatest defensive boxers of all-time.
Mike Tyson vs. Donovan Ruddock, billed as Fight of the Year, was a professional boxing match contested on March 18, 1991 at the Mirage in Paradise, Nevada. At the time the two fighters were the top two ranked contenders for the WBC, WBA, and IBF world heavyweight championships that were at the time held by Evander Holyfield. The bout was a twelve-round championship eliminator fight, with the winner becoming the mandatory challenger to Holyfield's crown.
George Foreman vs. Tommy Morrison, billed as the Star-Spangled Battle, was a professional boxing match contested between George Foreman and Tommy Morrison on June 7, 1993, for the vacant World Boxing Organization Heavyweight Championship.
Roy Jones Jr. vs. Vinny Pazienza, billed as The Devil and Mr. Jones was a professional boxing match contested on June 24, 1995 for the IBF super middleweight championship.
Pernell Whitaker vs. Oscar De La Hoya, billed as Pound for Pound, was a professional boxing match contested on April 12, 1997 for the WBC welterweight championship.
Wilfred Benítez vs. Sugar Ray Leonard was a professional boxing match contested on November 30, 1979, for the WBC and The Ring welterweight titles.
Thomas Hearns vs. Roberto Durán, billed as Malice at the Palace, was a professional boxing match contested on June 15, 1984 for the WBC and The Ring super welterweight titles.
Davey Moore vs. Roberto Durán was a professional boxing match contested on June 16, 1983, for the WBA super welterweight title.
Ken Buchanan vs. Roberto Durán was a professional boxing match contested on June 26, 1972, for the WBA and The Ring lightweight title.
Roberto Durán vs. Esteban de Jesús was a professional boxing match contested on November 17, 1972. The fight was the first in the famed Durán–de Jesús trilogy of the 1970s. Though Durán held both the WBA and The Ring lightweight titles, neither was on the line.
Roberto Durán vs. Esteban de Jesús III, billed as The Combat Zone, was a professional boxing match contested on January 21, 1978, for the WBA, WBC and The Ring lightweight titles.
Roberto Durán vs. Ray Lampkin was a professional boxing match contested on March 2, 1975, for the WBA and The Ring lightweight titles.
Nigel Benn vs. Iran Barkley was a professional boxing match contested on August 18, 1990, for the WBO middleweight title.
Oscar De La Hoya vs. Ike Quartey, billed as The Challenge, was a professional boxing match contested on February 13, 1999, for the WBC welterweight title.
Julio César Chávez vs. Tony Lopez was a professional boxing match contested on December 10, 1994, for the WBC super lightweight title. The fight was the featured bout on a boxing card promoted by Don King dubbed Noches de Campeones.