BOXING legend Roberto Duran delivered a knockout talk to a crowd of 'Hands of Stone' fans in York.

The former four-weight world champion visited Henry's Gym in Acomb on Sunday, where he received a warm welcome from about 150 people.

The Panamanian star, who won 103 of his 119 bouts during a glittering career, posed for photographs at the gym, which was opened by York’s former world championship fighter Henry Wharton four years ago.

He then entertained the audience with stories of his famous fights and flamboyant lifestyle outside the ring, and gave them an insight into his impoverished upbringing.

Interviewed by comedian Mark Peters, 65-year-old Duran talked about the biggest fights of his career, including his battles with Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns, who together are known as the 'Four Kings'.

He said he felt like the "King of New York" after his first fight and win over Sugar Ray Leonard in 1980.

Duran told the audience how he received just one month's notice for his rematch with Leonard and had to lose a lot of weight in that time, which "cost him physically", he added.

He said he suffered stomach cramps during the fight, known as 'No Mas', and quit in round eight thinking he would be able to face Leonard again soon afterwards and train for it properly. However, they did not fight each other again for nine years.

He claimed he never said 'no mas', meaning 'no more' in English, to end the fight, and that the words were possibly made up by a journalist. He said he just waved his hands to stop the fight.

The first time he won a world title, against Scotland's Ken Buchanan in 1972, was one of his "biggest achievements" of his career, he said.

He also believes his victory over Buchanan was probably his "toughest", because it was his first world title fight.

Duran, accompanied by his son Robin, who served as his translator, said he was "impressed" by the turnout and the gym itself and praised what Henry is doing for young people in the York area.

He said: "It is very good what Henry is doing for young people in York, like they are doing in Panama because many kids from the streets, they [clubs] take them off the bad habits, get them into boxing and give them some line of direction in life".

Henry described Duran as "inspirational" and "one of the greatest men who has put boxing gloves on".

He commented: "I like the fact our young kids can see people like Duran who didn't always win but never let it get him down to a point where he would walk away from the sport."

Duran was only the second boxer to have fought over a span of five decades, from 1968 to 2001, the first being Jack Johnson.