Ray Lampkin, a former North American lightweight champion who challenged Hall of Famer Roberto Duran for a world title during the 1970s, has died at the age of 78.
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News of Lampkin's death was shared by family members, including his daughter, who announced his passing in a social media post.
Known throughout boxing as "Lightning" Ray Lampkin, the Oregon native built a reputation as one of the top lightweight contenders of his era, using exceptional hand speed and technical skill to climb the rankings.
Lampkin captured the vacant North American Boxing Federation lightweight title in 1974 with a victory over Nick Alfaro and successfully defended the belt twice. His biggest opportunity came in 1975 when he traveled to Panama City to face then-lightweight champion Roberto Duran for the World Boxing Association title.
Lampkin pushed Duran deep into the fight before being stopped in the 14th round by a left hook. Despite the loss, his performance against one of boxing's all-time greats remains one of the defining moments of his career.
Born in Texas and raised in Portland, Oregon, Lampkin fought professionally from 1969 to 1976 and retired with a record of 35-6-1, including 16 knockouts.
His losses came against a collection of elite opponents, including Duran, Esteban DeJesus, Vilomar Fernandez, Randy Shields and Angel Mayoral.
Lampkin was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
