On This Day: Roberto Duran TKO'd Davey Moore at Madison Square Garden

39 years ago today, Roberto Duran became a three-weight world champion with his stoppage victory against Davey Moore.

'Hands of Stone' was just three years removed from his famous 'No Mas' loss, where Duran declined to continue fighting in his rematch with Sugar Ray Leonard. While that fight left a stain on his legacy, many forgot what happened afterward.

The Panama-native decided to move up in weight. He won two rebound fights against Nino Gonzalez and Luigi Minchillo the following year. However, he followed up that win streak with back-to-back losses to Wilfred Benitez and Kirkland Laing.

While many assumed that Duran was likely on the backslide due to his age and a series of wars, he somehow clawed his way back into contention. He racked up wins over Jimmy Batten and Jose Cuevas in quick succession. The win streak offered him a shot against WBA super welterweight champion Davey Moore.

The clash between the two was set for Duran's birthday on June 16th. The boxing icon would get a massive birthday gift in the form of the WBA super welterweight title. Duran couldn't be stopped that night in New York.

Moore did his best early on, trying to find a home for the jab and avoid his opponents' ruthless combinations. However, the attempts were to no avail. Duran began to find a home for his combinations, and began busting up the champion in the middle rounds.

In round six, Moore's eye began to swell shut, which didn't help matters. In round seven, the champion was floored after a huge combination. Finally, in round eight, Duran began an onslaught that forced an end to the bout. With the victory, he had secured his third world title.

Watch Roberto Duran's finish for Davey Moore below:

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Roberto Duran faced Marvin Hagler following the win

Roberto Duran's victory over Davey Moore gave him another shot at glory.

Following the victory, he decided to move up in weight to middleweight to challenge Marvin Hagler. 'Marvelous' was the current reigning WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring middleweight champion at the time of the contest.

Going into the contest, the bout itself had a lot of hype. While some might've considered Duran slightly past his peak, Hagler was one of the pound-for-pound greats of the sport.

In the end, the fight lived up to the hype. Both men put it all on the line in a shot to glory as they put on one of the greatest fights in middleweight history. While it was a more tactical fight than some anticipated, it still took a lot of action as it went the full 15-round distance.

At the end of the fight, Hagler retained his title via a close decision. While that wasn't the outcome Roberto Duran had hoped for, he got the opportunity thanks to his stellar knockout a few months prior.