A very popular fighter, "Pipino" Cuevas was a talented puncher who made a habit of winning by knockout; As champion, he successfully defended his title eleven times and scored ten knockouts; Veteran  promoter-matchmaker Don Fraser once said, "Cuevas is the most dangerous puncher I've ever seen in the welterweight division."

Cuevas vs Duran

Roberto Duran vs Pipino Cuevas. Just two or three years earlier, an absolute dream match, but now a meeting of ex-champions, if not has-beens; two once proud warriors, both legendary, both now seemingly on their way to retirement. Had they clashed in 1979, they could have sold-out virtually any stadium in Latin America or the U.S. At that time they were among the most feared fighters in all of boxing, icons revered in their respective home nations of Panama and Mexico.

The man who ruled the world from July of 1976 to August of 1980 has an amazing career to look back on. Cuevas was a feared puncher; an assassin who made a habit of breaking bones. Whether it was the jaw of his opponent or his ribs that he busted, Cuevas left a trail of carnage behind him during his reign as WBA welterweight king.

For his part, Roberto Duran had been wandering through the wilderness since the disgrace of his defeat to Sugar Ray Leonard in November of 1980. Having quit against his nemesis in New Orleans. Duran was barely welcome in his home country of Panama, and he had since suffered losses to both Wilfred Benitez and, in a shocking upset, fringe contender Kirkland Laing. Needless to say, the stock and marketability of both Pipino and Roberto had plummeted, a fact evidenced by their modest purses of fifty grand plus a cut of the gate. Two or three ears before, a Duran vs Cuevas showdown would have meant million dollar paydays.

No less than 11 title retentions followed, with Cuevas destroying good men like Billy Backus, Pete Ranzany, Harold West and Harold Volbrecht. Cuevas also defeated Espada a second and a third time during his reign, and he won a 15 round decision over the tough Randy Shields (Shields being the only man to take Cuevas the 15 round limit in his entire career).