Reader Responses to Working Class Hero

In response to Phil Gibbons’ ’78 “Celebrating Duran,” (Apr.-May ’22) letter: I am flattered by your interest in my thesis. In the future, please send your misunderstandings directly to me at [email protected].”

I was initially intrigued to read about Alexa Howard’s (’20) senior thesis concerning Roberto Durán. That is until I reached this passage; “Durán was portrayed as ‘savage’ and ‘brutal’ in comparison to his American opponents—particularly the white ones—who were often classified as being more technical and intelligent fighters, Howard found.” Really? Roberto Durán fought for or defended a world title on 23 occasions. Of those 23 occasions, only four times was his opponent white. Twice he fought title fights with Vinnie Pazienza, whose style and personality have been characterized in many ways, but “technical” and “intelligent” are not two words usually associated with him or his boxing style. Duran also fought Jimmy Robertson, a journeyman not in Durán’s league, and won the lightweight title from Ken Buchanan, who was a Scot, not even an American. Following his defeat of Buchanan in 1972, for close to a decade, Duran was routinely referred to as the greatest pound for pound boxer in the world, in an era in which Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, et al. were still active. I hope this brief critique is a misrepresentation of Ms. Howard’s scholarship. To imply that the media denigrated Roberto Duran based on his ethnicity is absurd.

I was heartened to read about Alexa Howard’s ’20 senior history thesis on Roberto “Mano de Piedra” Duran, a timeless and much loved Panamanian hero. I grew up in Panama during the years leading up to the return of the Panama Canal by the U.S. Government, and came to admire “El Cholo”—as he was affectionately called by his fellow Panamanians, referring to his indigenous origins—as a true fighter amidst life’s multi-layered adversities. In 2016, as Panama’s Ambassador to the United Nations, I had the honor to welcome Duran to New York for the release of his life film, “Hands of Stone.” We Panamanians—at a population of 4 million—may not be many, but we do get around! With global championships in four weight classes, and three returns after retirement, Duran is a living example of the resilience of a people. How extraordinary that a young woman attending Brown as first generation would come across Duran and find such a meaningful connection to a boxer’s life. Congratulations Alexa for your achievements and for paying tribute to this legendary Panamanian. I would love to read your thesis.