José Durán (boxer)

José Manuel Durán ( born October 9, 1945 in Madrid ) is a former Spanish boxer, European Champion and World Champion of WBA light middleweight.

Amateur career

He took part in the European Championships 1967 in Rome, where he, however, in the first fight the Dane Jørgen Hansen defeated on points. In the 5th Mediterranean Games in September of the same year in Tunis, he won the bronze medal in the welterweight division.

In 1968, he won the Spanish Championships and participated at the Olympic Summer Games in Mexico City, where he however lost in the second fight on points against eventual bronze medalist Vladimir Musalimow.

Professional career

He had already contested in November 1967 his first professional fight. After the Olympics, he was finally pro and won his first 22 fights in a row, 11 of them prematurely. In June 1970, he suffered his first defeat when he (61 wins - 8 losses ) the two -time European champion Jean Josselin was defeated on points. However, he won the rematch in May 1971 on points.

He also defeated in another battle among others the Cubans Ángel " Roberto " García ( 110-47 ), who later became British champion Bobby Arthur ( 16-5 ), the Spanish champion Antonio Torres ( 55-4 ), the former world title challenger Domenico Tiberias ( 63-15 ) and Giancarlo Garbelli ( 72-13 ).

On June 30, 1973, he was in Burgos Spanish champion in the light middleweight and beat until early 1974, inter alia, also former European champion Bo Högberg ( 36-4 ) and the French Francis Vermandere (24-1 ).

Durán had thus boxed at the top of the European ranking and received on June 7, 1974, the shot at the EBU title in the light middleweight division against the French champions Jacques Kechichian. Durán won the fight by unanimous decision over 15 rounds, Kechichian then ended his career.

In the following title defenses he defeated in Berlin the unbeaten German Eckhard Dagge ( 13-0 ) by TKO in the eleventh round and the two-time former European champion Hans Orsolics ( 42-7 ) by TKO in round 14 In January 1975, he also won in Vienna against the unbeaten Franz Csandl ( 18-0 ) on points where he had him in the 14th round on the ground. In February 1975, he still won against the German champions Peter Scheibner on points and had thus established itself at the top of the world rankings.

On May 7, 1975, he boxed in Monte Carlo against Brazilian Miguel De Oliveira ( 41-1 ) for the world championship title of the WBC light middleweight, but this was subject to more than 15 rounds on points. Only one and a half months later, he tried again to secure the EBU title, but was defeated this time ahead of the current title holder Eckhard Dagge.

After five construction disputes, in which he remained unbeaten, he got another chance at the world title of WBA Light Middleweight. He defeated the Japanese in Tokyo titlist Koichi Wajima ( 31-4 ) by KO in the 14th round of the title but lost in the first defense on October 8, 1976 just after points to Miguel Ángel Castellini ( 61-5 ).

After another defeat to WBC champion Rocky Mattioli ( 51-4 ), he finished his career in May 1978.