TBT- “No Más”: Roberto Durán vs Sugar Ray Leonard II (1980)

In June 1980 Roberto Durán bullied and out‑brawled Sugar Ray Leonard in Montreal to win the WBC welterweight title and hand Leonard his first professional defeat. Five months later, on November 25 in New Orleans, they met again in a rematch dubbed “The Super Fight.” Leonard was determined to avenge his loss, while Durán—now a national hero in Panama—enjoyed the spoils of fame. He had also regained more than 20 pounds between bouts, taking Leonard’s rematch offer on relatively short notice.

From the opening bell in the rematch Leonard flipped the script. Instead of exchanging in the trenches, he stayed on his toes, using dazzling footwork, quick jabs and taunts to frustrate Durán. Leonard even mocked his rival by winding up punches and dropping his hands, a humiliating tactic that drew cheers from the crowd. Durán grew increasingly agitated as he failed to pin the American down. In the eighth round, after missing a wild right hand, Durán abruptly turned his back and gestured that he wanted no more. Referee Octavio Meyran waved the fight off, giving Leonard a technical knockout and the belt. Durán’s apparent words—“No más, no más” (“No more, no more”)—became part of sports folklore, although he later insisted he never uttered them and that he quit because of stomach cramps. Regardless of the exact phrasing, Leonard’s masterful adjustment and Durán’s surrender transformed the rivalry and stained the proud Panamanian’s image for years. Leonard would go on to win titles in multiple weight classes, while Durán eventually redeemed himself but never fully escaped the shadow of that night.