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local heroes on September 8, 1973. Suzuki, a flamboyant personality with more courage than skill, was an attention-lover who later became a comedian and actor (Black Rain, Empire Of The Sun) and was noted for unintentionally humorous comments, such as, “My life has turned three hundred and eighty degrees because of boxing,” and, “I know the human being and the fish can coexist peacefully.” He came into the fight with a 25-10-5 record and the intention of unseating the brash young champion, and succeeded in gashing Duran’s eye in the third round, but was sent to the canvas five times before the bout was stopped in the tenth round. The champion attacked from the outset, producing some of the best boxing of his career, and by round eight Suzuki’s eye was badly swollen. Duran floored him twice in the ninth and a further three times in the tenth before the referee called a halt. Marcel also won in style.

In a post-fight interview, Duran said, “I am a little tired. Suzuki was very good.”

“Who was better, Suzuki or Thompson?” asked the reporter.

“Thompson, muy fuerte. Very strong.”

From December 1972 to February 1973, Duran only needed eleven rounds to dispatch Tony Garcia in Panama, Leonard Tavarez in Paris, France, and Armando Mendoza in his hometown in three non-title bouts. “Duran had a problem when he traveled to Europe,” said Plomo. “He fought against Tavarez who was [French] champion. It is not known whether Duran ate something that made him sick, a beefsteak or something else, or if he was given something in bad condition on purpose, you can never be too sure about what people who love their country may do, the cook perhaps…I was already getting him ready and he asked to go to the bathroom. Then, in the middle of the fight, when they were interchanging blows, all of a sudden, pruuff! The excrement went off. He had diarrhea. That happened after he had already knocked Tavarez down and they had put up his hand. He had to go running to the bathroom.”

A dramatic photograph of a thunderous Duran right cross appearing to cave in Tavarez’s face later appeared in several publications. “The 35-year-old Frenchman was bleeding from the nose as early as the first round and barely escaped a knockout when he was floored at the end of the third, only to be saved by the bell,” reported Boxing News. “Duran launched another fierce attack in the fourth and Tavarez’s manager, Jean Traxel, threw in the towel after one minute of the round.”

A WEEK BEFORE Christmas, 1973, the promotional group Top Rank, headed by the ambitious former attorney Bob Arum, announced that Duran would defend his title against the only man to beat him, Esteban DeJesus, for his biggest ever purse of $125,000. DeJesus, as challenger, would receive $40,000. Arum had promoted most of Muhammad Ali’s title defenses in the Sixties and was one of the first to spot the opportunities afforded by closed-circuit cinema broadcasts, foresight that would make him a major player. The fight would have happened sooner but Eleta had deterred previous approaches with his stringent demands, including not leaving Panama to fight. “The trouble started when Duran … reportedly had been assured that he would be too tough for DeJesus,” wrote columnist Alberto Montilla, after the first fight. “However, Esteban gave Duran a boxing lesson and Duran, report had it, felt he had been suckered into a bad deal in New York. This was not true.”

If there was an ideal mix for a prizefighter, Esteban DeJesus had all the ingredients, just not in sufficient abundance to qualify for greatness. A magnificent counter-puncher, he instinctively understood the nuances of the fight game. DeJesus had not received due credit for beating Duran in their first fight. Many blamed poor conditioning on Duran’s part, while Duran had the excuse of his injured elbow. DeJesus was undefeated since beating Duran at the Garden.

Eleta urged Duran to remember the feeling he had in the restaurant after the first loss. Losing was a sign of weakness, and no man could strip him of his virility. He wore gold rings and the Armani