The ghosts of greatness were exorcised at the Memorial Sports Arena on Saturday night, as Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Durán delivered a blistering reminder of why he once ruled the lightweight and welterweight divisions. In a battle of battered legends dubbed The Return of the Champions, Durán dismantled former WBA welterweight king José “Pipino” Cuevas with a fourth-round technical knockout, sending a jolt through the boxing world and putting himself squarely in line for a shot at the junior middleweight crown.

Once a dream matchup for Latin boxing supremacy, this bout arrived a few years too late but still carried high stakes. Both warriors came in with reputations on the ropes—Durán having stumbled to a shocking loss against Kirkland Laing just four months earlier, and Cuevas suffering a lengthy layoff following a defeat at the hands of Roger Stafford in one of 1981’s biggest upsets.

But despite the decline in their stock, the electricity in the air was undeniable. A raucous, predominantly Latino crowd of nearly 17,000 packed the arena, generating a $408,000 gate and shaking the rafters with chants for their respective heroes. Pride, redemption, and a crack at WBA champion Davey Moore were all on the line.

Cuevas started strong, charging forward behind his trademark left hook, but Durán absorbed the fire early, refusing to flinch. By round two, the Panamanian icon had dialled in a punishing jab and began asserting control. The tide turned decisively in round three as Durán closed the distance and unloaded vintage combinations that left Cuevas reeling.

The final chapter came fast and ferocious. In the fourth, Durán’s fists flowed like the hands of time turning back. A blistering right hand sent Cuevas crashing into a corner—kept upright only by the ropes, but ruled a knockdown by the referee. Moments later, a merciless barrage forced Cuevas to the canvas again. As the Mexican veteran struggled to rise, his corner waved the white flag of surrender.

With the win, Durán—now 75-4 with 56 knockouts—reclaims a place among boxing’s elite and sets up a title clash with Moore. For Cuevas, now 29-8, the road back looks far more uncertain.

In a night that was meant to judge whether Durán still had it or Cuevas had simply lost it, the answer rang loud and clear: The Hands of Stone still break bones.