Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press In 1998, William Joppy of Washington, D.C. connected with a right to Roberto Duran of Panama during their WBA World Middleweight Championship bout in Las Vegas. Click photo for larger image.

In a Washington County hotel room sat the personification of the American Dream.

Four-time world champion Roberto Duran, The Manos de Piedra -- hands of stone -- at 53 years old. And he wanted to reflect a little.

How do you interject, how do you say no to a man who once felled a mule with a single blow as a teenager, fought professionally in five decades and posted 104 wins, 69 of them via knockout? You don't.

Duran had the floor, and the Panamanian -- through interpreter Arturo Sanchez -- let fly with a barrage of what he believes the United States has afforded him.

"I think about it all the time, about my life and where it has come and how it has worked out," Duran said. "I first came to the United States when I was 17 years old and was staying at the Hotel Mayfair for a fight in New York City. When I went outside and walked around near Madison Square Garden, no one knew who I was. It was much different than Panama, where everyone knew me.

"I looked up in the sky and said to God, 'The next time I walk in these streets of New York, everyone will recognize me.'

"God granted me that wish."

Fast forward to now, more than 35 years after Duran, in just one round, floored Benny Huertas inside the Garden in his first fight outside of Panama. His life has zigzagged since then. He has reached hero status in his native Panama and also had to endure a near fatal car crash in 2000 that put the brakes on a second, third -- or was it fourth -- comeback attempt.

Duran also uttered the most famous (or infamous) two-word phrase in boxing history -- "no mas" -- ending a late-November 1980 fight with Sugar Ray Leonard and denting the armor of a man who brimmed with Latin American machismo.

But yesterday he was wearing a new hat -- one of a promoter.

Duran has been in the area the past few days promoting a six-fight card that will begin at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at The Meadows. The Mike Acri Promotions card is punctuated by two matchups -- Ray Narh (15-1) squares off with Marty Robbins (21-28-1) in a lightweight bout and Jose Nieves (12-0-2) takes on Sergio Carlos Santillan (20-5-3) in a super flyweight bout. Narh is a fighter from Ghana who has made his home in Pittsburgh the past two years and has knocked out 14 opponents.

While he's here helping longtime friend Acri promote tomorrow's card, local boxing circles have been buzzing with speculation that Duran might, in the future, assist in the training of Paul Spadafora, the former IBF lightweight champion now detained for the October 2003 shooting of his girlfriend.

Acri also is Spadafora's promoter.

Spadafora spent the past seven months in prison but was recently transferred to a state correctional boot camp where, if all conditions are met, he could be released and back boxing in the spring.

"If he is part of Mike's team, I would definitely help him out," Duran said. "I don't like to train guys, I enjoy promoting fights much more. But if Paul is part of Mike's team when he gets out [of boot camp] and he came to me and asked for some help, I would help him out, definitely. I would share my advice with him."

But that's Duran, the once feared knockout artist who has manifested into a selfless ambassador for boxing.

"When I die, this country that gave me an opportunity will remember me for my accomplishments in the ring," Duran said. "And until that day I die, I want to be known as someone who helped other boxers reach that dream."