One of the most thrilling slugfests in boxing history, the Duran vs. Leonard rematch was over just a quickly as it was planned. The 1976 Gold medalist, Leonard was so distraught with the insults that were thrown his way after the first meeting when he disregarded his usual slick and elusive fighting style and adopted a flat-footed punishing style against the Panamanian which would ultimately lead to his demise via a close decision from the judges.
The rematch was a different story and can be best described by Leonard himself: "The whole fight, I was moving, I was moving," Leonard explained. "And Voom! I snapped his head back with a jab. Voom! I snapped it back again. He tried to get me against the ropes, I'd pivot, spin off and Pow! Come under with a punch."
Presented are the fight worn gloves by the Hall of Fame welterweight Roberto Durán from the rematch with Sugar Ray Leonard, unquestionably the most famous of their encounters. We may never know for certain exactly why it happened, but in the closing seconds of the eighth round, Durán turned his back to Leonard and addressed referee Octavio Meyran, uttering the two words that have become the unofficial title of the fight, “No Mas.” Durán claims he was suffering from stomach cramps due to overeating after the weigh-ins. Leonard was unwilling to cede responsibility however, telling journalists, "I made him quit. To make a man quit, to make Roberto Durán quit, was better than knocking him out."
Durán retreated to his hotel while Leonard would reclaim the belt due to the eight round stoppage. A detailed letter of provenance from Durán’s close friend is as follows and accompanied the gloves:
"In usual fashion I went up to Roberto Durán's hotel room after the fight. The room was on the 13th floor (if my memory is correct) of the Hyatt Regency. By the time I arrived to Durán's room it was crowded. I recall seeing the usual members of Durán's camp but also several reporters from the newspapers worldwide and also representatives of the WBC wre in Durán's room, inquiring why Durán chose to stop the fight with the infamous words 'No mas.'
Before Durán departed for the hospital, because of his complaints of stomach problems, a member of Durán's team came to me and said, 'Negrito, take these gloves back to your room with you.' So I carried the gloves with me to my room at the Best Western. They have remained in my possession ever since."
The "Cleto Reyes" model gloves are marked with a "WBC" logo below the left wrist and the label of a local New Orleans sporting goods store on the right, each visible in fight film (whereas the "Cleto Reyes" labels are hidden beneath wrapping tape). "Durán" is written in marker inside each sweat-stained wrist, one notated with a number "2." Of note is the fact that prior to a fight, both fighters select two pairs of gloves. The pair they deem best are routinely assigned number 1 and the other pair serve as the backup gloves and are assigned number “2” What likely happened is after having the tape applied on fight night, Durán did not like the fit on one glove and substituted the backup glove which is allowed by commission rules. An examination of video and still photos indicate these gloves are a perfect match including areas on the backhand of the gloves where the tape was removed and removed some of the labeling.
Fight worn gloves from any fight, even one that marked a low point for the hall of fame fighter are considered a treasure. These Durán gloves rank among the most desirable relics from the era to ever reach the hobby’s auction block and have been a part of the now famed, Al Tapper collection ever since the original sale at Heritage back in 2013.
Estimate: $25,000+