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“They’re Too Old to Be Fighting”: Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran Send Fans Into a Frenzy by Locking Horns 33 Years Down the Road

Published 06/20/2023, 6:15 AM EDT

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As hot-headed a sport as boxing is, from time to time legendary rivalries have risen and left their indelible mark in the sport’s history. One such rivalry that has stood out even among iconic rivalries that gripped the heart of boxing fans was the intense and relentless feud between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran. The duo faced each other three times in the ring, with Duran winning the first fight and Ray winning the last two fights.

Duran who had an uncanny ability to get under his opponent’s skin managed to agitate Leonard too who went on a slugfest against Duran in their 1st bout. However, he was totally outperformed by his opponent. Leonard suffered a staggering defeat, the first in his professional career. However, the rivalry didn’t end there.

In their rematch, Leonard was able to achieve a TKO victory over ‘El Cholo’ in the 8th round of the matchup. The final bout was held years later and this time ‘Sugar’ won by a unanimous decision, ending the long rivalry. Boxing promoter Michael Benson recently shared a picture of both legends together. In the picture, both boxers, now old, are seen doing a face-off. In the caption he revealed, “When Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran reunited at the WBC convention…” The picture sent fans into a frenzy as they shared their responses in the comments.

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Fans erupt in excitement and admiration: Reactions to iconic fighters’ photo

The post ignited a frenzy among the fans who had a variety of things to say about the picture. The reaction from fans has been a mix of excitement, skepticism, and admiration.

One fan named Mike Panzino possibly thought that the post was serious. He shared his concern for the fighter’s age and wrote that “They are too old to be fighting again!”.

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Another fan named Eastcqastlsd hilariously compared the legendary rivalry between two icons with the recent rivalry between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia. He joked that this is what they’ll be like in 50 years.

However, Wilder FTW noted that while Leonard looked like he was just “playing around”, Duran looked “actually menacing”.

Moreover, Chris commented on the greatness of the two retired boxers. He wrote, “Both are in top 5 of all time.”

Another fan named Melv Bamb hailed Duran as the greatest lightweight boxer of all time. Furthermore, he claimed that Duran only started to lose fights after he got older and his opponents were bigger in size than him.

A user named Steven took a hilarious jab at the boxing promoter Eddie Hearn. He jested, “Eddie Hearn doing the figures to see if this one is a goer.”

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The duo getting together all these years and posing for the picture is definitely a wholesome moment. Fans are definitely pleasantly surprised to see the photo as it was evident from the comments. What do you think about their legendary rivalry? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Watch This Story: Top 5 Biggest Rivalries In The History Of Heavyweight Boxing

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Written by:

Chirag Radhyan

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Chirag Radhyan is a Boxing Writer at EssentiallySports. He has authored over 300 articles and loves to talk about the animosity between athletes, leading up to a fight. His coverage of the off-court drama between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury received widespread appreciation from readers.
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Edited by:

Shibu Immanuel