On June 20, 1980, the great Sugar Ray Leonard was set to defend his World Welterweight Championship belt in Montreal against Roberto Durán in a highly anticipated WBC Title bout. Leonard had won the Welterweight crown in 1979, and the former '76 Olympic Champion was the clear favorite to retain his belt over the tough, fiery brawler out of Panama. Durán had risen to fame in the Lightweight division where he defeated Ken Buchanan in 1973 to win that title, and he had successfully defended it 12 times before voluntarily relinquishing it in 1979 to move up in weight class. Durán was a feared puncher, a terrific competitor, and a man of great ring savvy. His heavy hands earned him the nickname "Manos de Piedra" (Hands of Stone). He used this to his advantage against Leonard, forcing the more finesse fighter to abandon his smooth style and trade blows at close range. After 15 hard-fought rounds, Durán was declared the winner via unanimous decision. "The Brawl in Montreal," as Durán -Leonard I became known, may have been the greatest achievement of Roberto Durán's Hall of Fame boxing career, and set up the unforgettable "No Mas" rematch later in the year.
Presented here are the trunks worn by Durán in his famous victory over Sugar Ray Leonard. They are custom-designed for Durán made of white satin with red trim at the waistband and the upper thigh area. "ROBERTO" appears across the right leg and "DURAN" across the left, each sewn in bold black lettering. Wear is evident with some light soiling, stretching, and faint bleeding of the red waistband into the white fabric. Based on their feel and smell, the trunks have been laundered. The pair was originally sourced directly from Roberto Durán himself and come with a letter from his wife, Felicidad. The Duráns sold the trunks to a boxing equipment manufacturer several years ago. Accompanying the important relic is a June 30, 1980 issue of Sports Illustrated with Durán and Leonard on the cover, the shorts perfectly photo-matched. These trunks memorialize perhaps the best moment of Roberto Durán's illustrious career, and one of boxing's most memorable fights.
Includes LOA's from Roberto Durán's wife and Craig Hamilton of JO Sports, Inc.