Thomas Hearns’ name goes first in the above headline because, as is boxing tradition, the winner goes first. Okay, officially there was no winner when Hearns and Leonard got it on in their long-time-coming rematch, the official result that of a 12 round draw.
The 1980s sure gave fight fans, boxing fans (MMA not yet a thing) some truly great action. Indeed, though older boxing fans will point to the 1950s as the true golden age, with less old fans pointing to the 1970s in naming that decade as the one that gave the sport its greatest and finest fights, for many fans the 1980s was it.
Fighters can, if they are fashioned from enough of the precious stuff, achieve greatness in a multitude of ways. For some, the long domination of a weight-class confirms their specialness.
35 years ago (October 29 198), the great Thomas Hearns, who had set himself the lofty goal of making boxing history by becoming the first man to win world titles in four different weight divisions, scored a pulverising win that placed him in the history books for all-time.
All-time great Thomas Hearns turns 64 today. Born in Grand Junction, Tennessee, Hearns would go on to become one of Detroit’s most famous citizens.
Thomas Hearns, Tommy to his friends – and we fight fans will always be Hearns’ friends – made a sudden impact type explosion on the welterweight division on this day back in 1980; this the first weight class “The Hitman” would terrorise.
It was 34 years ago today when Iran Barkley won the middleweight title by way of a stunning KO of Thomas Hearns.
The ring career of the great Thomas Hearns pretty much had it all: numerous epic super fights, an armful of world title wins, history-making wins, comebacks, some successful others not, and some of the most intense and thrilling rounds of boxing action ever seen.
12 words: Hagler V Hearns. Instantly recognised and acknowledged by all fight fans, be they young, middle-aged or old. They KNOW.
As great as he was – as in super-great – Thomas Hearns never could get past Iran Barkley and his “Blade.”