15.03.06 – By James Slater: There have been many incredible comebacks in boxing, near miraculous accomplishments pulled off by the likes of Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and “Sugar” Ray Leonard. But it seems to me that when most people reminisce on comebacks, the name Iran Barkley seldom comes up. Yet what he was to achieve after the potentially career ending defeat he was subject to against Nigel Benn, in the summer of 1990, surely ranks up there with any of them.
He took some time off after his one round loss to Benn and upon returning from twelve months of inactivity wisely had a couple of tune-up bouts. Of course, the chances of him actually getting a big fight now were pretty slim, the odds were very heavily against him ever being a world champion again. But Iran was never a person to be intimidated by the odds and on August 16th 1991 he was prepared to give it one more go.. Who knows what the true condition of his eye was at this point? Yet whatever the case, he didn’t appear to have any trouble getting a license (although it’s not clear whether or not he would have done so had he sought one from The British Boxing Board of Control, who had refused to give the go ahead for his bout with Benn). His return to the ring was against a fighter named Juan Hernandez and once again he fought in Vegas. Barkley boxed his way to a ten round points win. Nothing spectacular but a good confidence boost nonetheless. Not wanting to rush things, he took another warm-up bout against a solid journeyman two months later, this time against a guy named Jesus Castaneda. Iran stopped him in eight rounds. So he was back and again winning fights.
Then, in January of the next year, an unexpected opportunity arose. At the relatively new weight division of super middleweight, eight pounds above middleweight, the reigning IBF champion, Darrin “Schoolboy” Van Horn offered him a shot at his title. Barkley was still a pretty big name, the fans certainly still remembered the great fights he had given them and Van Horn probably thought he would be a decent scalp on his record, and a fairly easy payday. He surely can’t have thought he was still overly dangerous. Not by the way he fought him anyway. Van Horn, on the night of January 10th, with his hands held incredibly low, didn’t seem to have a clue who he was in with. What was his game plan? Barkley duly despatched him in two short rounds and in the process taught the “Schoolboy” a painful lesson regarding the meaning of the sport’s phrase “protect yourself at all times”. Iran was now a world champion again. Incredible. After all he’d been through he was back at the top. In the post-fight interview there was only one name Iran called out.
Since losing to Barkley in that shocking three rounder back in 1988, Thomas Hearns had regrouped. He had won a version of the super middleweight title in a thrilling fight with James “The Heat” Kinchen and then in a rematch of their 1981 masterpiece, he had held the great “Sugar” Ray Leonard to a controversial draw the following year. This was a fight almost everyone thought Hearns had won, largely due to the two knockdowns he had scored over his rival. Shortly after this Tommy moved up to light heavyweight and, despite being a big underdog, out boxed the WBA champion Virgil Hill to annexe yet another world title, his sixth in all!
So a rematch with his one time conqueror who had also just reclaimed his former glory was a natural. And Barkley, who had barely finished throwing the punches that had despatched Van Horn, was evidently just as keen. The only question was at which weight; should Iran defend his super middleweight title or move up and challenge Tommy for his light heavyweight belt? In the end he chose the latter. The date was set for March 20th 1992 and the rematch was on! Hearns v Barkley II.
Once again, Iran managed to defeat the great Thomas Hearns. This time, however, it was desperately close. If Iran hadn’t scored the flash knockdown that shocked Hearns in round four, Tommy would have retained his belt courtesy of a draw. It was that close on the scorecards. The bout was also a brutal and quite damaging one. Both men were severely marked up afterwards. Yet Barkley was absolutely bursting with joy at his win, he had other more pleasant thoughts on his mind than his cuts and bruises. After being written off by practically everyone mere seconds after Nigel Benn’s fists (and illegal tactics!) had ruined him in three short minutes, he was back higher than ever before. He was now a three time champion in different weight divisions.
Yes, I believe Iran Barkley was definitely deserving of the comeback fighter of the year award back in 1992. Thankfully, Ring magazine thought so too, giving Iran the plaudits he deserved for making a return to form that surely ranks alongside that of any other boxer in recent memory.
1992 was a terrific year for “The Blade”. If only he’d been able to call it a day at the end of it.