Duran celebrates a win over Roni Martinez in 1995

Yet it is perhaps a touch ironic that a fighter so unfailingly tough may well be remembered as much for the infamous night when he apparently quit.

That was in 1980 when Duran, at the height of his considerable powers, gave up during his world welterweight title rematch against the formidable Sugar Ray Leonard.

Having been beaten by the Panamian eight months earlier, Leonard completely changed his strategy for the rematch, refusing to enter into a brawl with Duran.

In the seventh round, Sugar Ray began to mock and tease his opponent, something that seemed to completely befuddle Duran.

Duran was outboxed by William Joppy in 1998

At the end of the eighth round Duran, clearly frustrated by his inability to combat Leonard's flashy tactics, uttered "No mas" (No more) and refused to fight on.

Leonard was awarded the bout by a technical knock-out, and Duran's reputation was forever tarnished.

The Panamanian later claimed he had been suffering from stomach cramps - an excuse refuted even by his trainer, Ray Arcel.

Yet, as he would do many times later in his career, Duran bounced back.

Camacho revels in his defeat of Duran

In 1983, after winning the WBC middleweight title against Davey Moore, Duran - fighting above his natural weight - courageously took the seemingly-invincible Marvin Hagler to 15 rounds.

That won him respect, but a devastating knockout second round knockout loss to Thomas Hearns the following year appeared to signal the end for "Hands of Stone".

Not so. Duran returned to the ring in 1986, and three years later took on Iran Barklay - conqueror of Hearns - for the WBC Middleweight title.

Against all the odds, Duran won on points - the last great victory of his career.

The Panamanian fought Leonard for the WBC Super-middleweight title late in 1989, but the fight revealed two fighters well past their prime, and Leonard won a disappointing bout on points.

Another title

Duran did not hang up his gloves, although his fights in the 1990s were little more than a succession of pay-days against generally mediocre opposition.

Duran, naturally, still won more than he lost, and even managed to clinch the less than prestigious NBA super-middleweight title, beating Pat Lawlor in Panama City, in June 2000.