FROM THE ARCHIVE
GIVE AND TAKE:
Thirty-four years ago, in the winter of 1989, the general perception was that Roberto Duran was wearing every bit of his 37 years. So common was this belief, in fact, that 28-year-old WBC middleweight titleholder Iran Barkley saw a manageable mark in Duran for the first defense of the belt he’d taken from Thomas Hearns a few months earlier. Things wouldn’t work out the way he wanted, however. Rather than putting Duran out to pasture on February 24, Barkley found himself in a back-and-forth battle that would continue for 12 scorching rounds while a snowstorm raged outside the Atlantic City Convention Hall. Duran, far from tired and frail, used his experience and fresh-as-ever tenacity to weather the younger man’s bombs and wear Barkley down, ultimately securing a split decision victory on the cards and minting The Ring’s 1989 Fight of the Year.
MORE FROM THE RING:
10 Fights That Cemented Duran’s Legacy, Part 1
10 Fights That Cemented Duran’s Legacy, Part 2
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