The massive event took place on June 12, 1989, at the Caesars Palace in Nevada, and was billed as the ‘Showdown’. ... Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and 'The Showdown' of 1981. Leonard knew that it was just a matter of time before the fight would be stopped. He would engage in a rematch with both Hearns and Duran in 1989. Sugar Ray Leonard Vs Tommy Hearns ll ( … He didn’t look physically terrifying like Thomas Hearns. --he drops Hearns and finishes him with a relentless flurry of punches a round later. Hearns’ outstanding jab, just like my father predicted, totally carried rounds nine through twelve. See Also: Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns I; Notes. “Eight years of pain, with a little monster following me around,” was how “The Hit Man” described the time between Leonard vs Hearns I and Leonard vs Hearns II. At the end of the 12th round, Leonard’s trainer, the legendary Angelo Dundee, yelled to Leonard that he was blowing the fight. Crónica de la pelea más dramática de la historia: Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Tommy Hearns Hasta el 12° asalto ganaba Hearns. He was being given a boxing lesson and way behind on points one-third into the fight. “Without those guys, there is no Sugar Ray Leonard,” the 60-year-old Hall of Famer told The Ring. Sugar Ray Leonard Vs Thomas Hearns I. September 16, 1981 Las Vegas, Nevada Venue: Caesars Palace. He got up just as the bell sounded to end the round. Best Boxing Matches. 0:33. First to Five? It was promoted as "The War". The Sugar Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns fight in 1981 was significant for so many reasons. Though Leonard did not score a knockdown over Hearns, he would have a big round five, winning the round 10–8 on all three scorecards after dominating Hearns throughout the round. Sugar Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns — September 16, 1981 [Full Fight] Best Boxing Matches. Brace For IMPACT: Should IMPACT sign Samoa Joe? As we sat in the same Puerto Rico Theater where we saw many of the great closed circuit fights of that era, my father explained to me that Hearns would control the fight by keeping Leonard at bay with his incomparable left jab. Leonard (35-1 with 25 KOs) and Hearns (46-3 with 38 KOs) met on June 12, 1989 at Caesar's Palace in a scheduled twelve-rounder for the WBC & WBO super-middleweight titles. Dubbed "The Showdown," the Sept. 16, 1981 unification bout for the undisputed welterweight championship between unbeaten Thomas Hearns and 30-1 Sugar Ray Leonard paired fighters thought by … Norris gave him a one sided beating, as Leonard barely survived the entire 12 rounds. The first half of the sixth round followed the same pattern as the first five rounds until Leonard rocked Hearns with a vicious right cross, left hook combination that stunned Hearns. Finally, after taking an unnecessary beating against Hector Camacho in 1997, Leonard retired for good at the age of 41. Enjoy another Coach Tipo mitt work from Nigeria @coachtipo via IG. On the day of the fight, Hearns' younger brother Henry was arrested for the shooting death of his girlfriend at a house Thomas owned in Detroit. The 1981 Fight of the Year between the WBA World Welterweight Champion Tommy Hearns and WBC World Welterweight Champion Sugar Ray Leonard. A little over a year after defeating Hearns, Leonard was forced to retire due to a detached retina that he suffered as a result of the punishment he took in the Hearns fight. Pero en las últimas tres vueltas -las peleas eran a 15- Leonard … The first two years of his career, I read every article I could find about him in newspapers and magazines. Sugar Ray returned to his corner with his hands aloft. 52:15. He would make one of the most incredible comebacks in boxing history when he defeated Marvin Hagler to win the WBC Middleweight title. Leonard was now both the best fighter and Undisputed Welterweight Champion of the World. He poured it on before referee Davey Pearl stopped the fight. I accept the decision." I was only 11 at the time and didn’t see past the “Hitman’s” vaunted power. Leonard was 29-1, his only loss being the 15-round decision to Roberto Duran 15 months earlier. SUGAR RAY LEONARD draw pts 12 THOMAS HEARNS June 12, 1989; Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, NV HEARNS spent most of the eighties chasing this rematch with Sugar Ray Leonard … The contracts were signed at a press conference in New York City on January 31. He needed a knockout in order to win. In January 1989, promoter Bob Arum announced the long awaited rematch between reigning WBC super middleweight monarch "Sugar" Ray Leonard and reigning WBO super middleweight champion Thomas Hearns. On February 9, 1991, I took my father to Madison Square Garden to see Leonard’s only fight ever in the Mecca of boxing against WBC Super Middleweight Champion Terry Norris. Sometimes finesse carried the day, but for the most part Leonard was required to produce soldier-like courage that belied his movie star exterior. So I'm thankful for what I have. My father disagreed vehemently. Round by round scores, judging, and ratings. Focus on Sport/Getty Images Leonard found that last reservoir of energy to turn things around. It was Hearns who was now dancing on his feet, while Leonard began stalking Hearns. Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns. More on that later. Hearns barely survived the round and my father was surprised that Leonard was able to hurt Hearns and attack him like he did. A year later, Hearns would outbox WBC Super Welterweight Champion Wilfred Benítez to win that title. Quote from the article: "The victory made Leonard the first boxer to win titles in five weight divisions." My father’s foresight was on point, as throughout the first five rounds, the 21-year-old Hearns landed his jab at will to both the 24-year-old Leonard’s head and body. They traded again, before Hearns began to run. You had two of the best, if not the best, fighters on the planet with the winner to be regarded as the best in all of boxing.Leonard, the reigning WBC welterweight champion, had avenged his only defeat to Roberto Duran in the infamous “No Mas” rematch. Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns, billed as "The Showdown", was a professional boxing match contested on September 16, 1981 for the WBA, WBC, The Ring and lineal welterweight titles. When my father and I finally got to see him on television for the first time in 1979, we saw a 20-year-old, 6’1 welterweight with Herculean power in both hands. [1] The two fighters had met previously nearly 8 years before with Leonard rallying in the 14th round to defeat Hearns by technical knockout after trailing on all three of the judge's scorecards. In fact, Sugar Ray Leonard has even stated publicly that he gives their second fight to Tommy. Hearns vs Leonard 2 lived up to the hype, and both men produced one of the best fights ever in the sport. Related Videos. . Watch: Sugar Ray Leonard Wants To Knock Out Hearns Even At 64. boxingnewsandviews.com - Niall Doran • 40m. Leonard was dancing and moving, but couldn’t land his signature, rapid fire combinations. Late in the round Hearns went down, a combination of both fatigue and being hurt. While the latter fight made the majority of fight fans mad at the lack of action, the former was easily the greatest fight in the history of the division. “It’s Showtime!” Network Unveils Loaded Boxing Schedule Through September, AEW and WWE Ratings Report: NXT hits 805k in Tuesday night debut; Dynamite tops 1.2 million viewers, Guide to UFC On ESPN 22: Whittaker vs. Gastelum, Hard Hits || ONE on TNT II was a master class in combat sports programming, AEW Dynamite Breakdown: Young Bucks vs. Death Triangle delivers. James “Buster” Douglas Vs Mike Tyson, The Virtual Fight Game: What everyone should know about eSports Boxing Club. Then, late in the round, Leonard hurt Hearns again with a left hook to Hearns’ ribcage. Wally McNamee/Getty Images "What the fans got to understand is: It was hot as hell in that ring," said Leonard, pointing out that this event was staged outdoors in the searing desert heat of Vegas, with temperatures that climbed into the mid-90s. September 16, 1981 [2] Both Leonard and Hearns had become five-division champions in their previous fights with Leonard capturing both the WBC light heavyweight and super middleweight after defeating Donny Lalonde on November 7, 1988 while Hearns had won the WBO super middleweight only three days before after a earning a close majority decision against James Kinchen. My father was amazed at how Hearns utilized his height advantage by keeping all his opponents at bay with a sledgehammer of a left jab. Leonard frantically attacked Hearns with one rapid combination after another. I'm proud I had a draw. Then in 1985, he would challenge Marvin Hagler for the Undisputed Middleweight title. Leonard was behind on points entering the thirteenth, when--inspired by a legendary tirade from Angelo Dundee ("You're blowin' it, son!") Leonard vs Hearns II wasn’t about Sugar Ray adding to his legacy by blasting a shot fighter out of the ring; it was about Hearns getting the revenge for which he had waited so long. Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns II, billed as "The War", was a professional boxing match contested on June 12, 1989 for the WBC and WBO super middleweight titles. Perhaps ... Boxing legend Thomas Hearns has been involved in a number of media appearances as of late following the sad recent passing of … Eight years on and we’re up at the newly popularized super middleweight class with both men now five-weight world cham… Leonard was knocked down twice and was given a gift draw. He immediately landed a crippling five punch combination that once again hurt Hearns. Sugar Ray Leonard: 34-1 with 24 KOs; WBC Super Middleweight champion Thomas Hearns: 46-3 with 39 KOs; WBO Super Middleweight champion Duan: A little bit of history here as the Fabulous Four steps into a new division. The media described the dream matchup as Leonard the boxer vs. Hearns the puncher. Both fighters, however, accepted the decision with Leonard stating "I think we both showed we're champions. Leonard then vacated his light heavyweight title, deciding to stay in the super middleweight division. Eight years after their epic World Welterweight showdown, “Sugar Ray” Leonard and Thomas “Hitman” Hearns did battle, again in Las Vegas, and this time controversy, not a Leonard rally, robbed Hearns of his revenge. and Hearns declaring "I respect their decision. Sugar Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns II. I couldn’t sleep that night as my favorite fighter in the world had blown a golden opportunity at immortality, although my father did explain to me how that fight was one of the rare occasions in which both fighters won. He easily outboxed Duran in the worst closed circuit fight my father and I ever attended. Sugar Ray Leonard found some extra energy in the later rounds to finish Thomas Hearns in the 14th. Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor.Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed from 1977 to 1997, winning world titles in five weight divisions; the lineal championship in three weight divisions; as well as the undisputed welterweight title. Thomas Hearns was the first fighter I idolized whose career I followed from the very beginning. In 1984, he would become the only man ever to put Roberto Duran to sleep as he knocked him out cold for several minutes in the second round. Round seven saw Leonard race out and stalk Hearns. Leonard and Hearns agreed to fight at a catch-weight of 164 pounds rather than the 168-pound super middleweight limit. A $500,000 per pound fine was to be paid by one fighter to the other should either come into the fight above the catch-weight,[3] though this turned out to not be an issue as Leonard weighed 160 pounds and Hearns came into the fight at 162. After almost eight years, the Leonard-Hearns rematch finally happened. Hearns was badly hurt and took a beating throughout the round. Venue: Caesars Palace. It was one of the rare times that the two best fighters on the planet would face each other. The judges could have ruled that I lost. Round 14 saw Leonard land another crushing right hand that had Hearns all but out on his feet. He eradicated that defeated less than 10 months earlier with perhaps the finest outing of his career, shutting out and stopping Duran in the eighth round of their title bout which is known as the “No Mas” fight. Your email address will not be published. But he beat them all. Thomas Hearns' jab gave Sugar Ray Leonard, right, trouble during the first half of the fight. As soon as Leonard saw that Hearns was hurt, he jumped on him and landed a barrage of punishing shots to both the body and the head. Hearns won by revealing how great of a boxer he was and the incredible heart he showed surviving the sixth and seventh round when he was in deep trouble. 7 years ago. The fight was billed as "The War." [4] Promoter Bob Arum went to the hotel Hearns was staying at to check on him and told the press "Tommy was angry at me for coming by and he said to me: This is not going to affect me. Midway through the 13th round, Leonard staggered Hearns with a rocket of a right cross. This is inconsistent with the info in List of boxing quintuple champions, which has Thomas Hearns three days ahead of Leonard. When Leonard and Hearns fought for the first time, it was to unify titles at welterweight. The ringside crowd loudly protested the decision. Look, I’m here to do a job--I’ve been waiting eight years to knock this guy out. Your email address will not be published. It would be the biggest fight in the history of the 147-pound division until the May 2, 2015 snorefest between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. 23,618 were on hand in the parking lot of Caesar's Palace to witness the titanic struggle between two of the greatest welterweights of all time. After a gruesome original clash, the rematch was filled had a lot of expectations. from Prize Fight Kings. "[5], In a hard fought bout, Leonard and Hearns would go the full 12-round distance and ultimately fight to a draw as one judge (Jerry Roth) scored the fight 113–112 for Hearns, another (Tom Kaczmarek) scored the fight the same albeit in Leonard's favor and the third (Dalby Shirley) had the fight even at 112–112. Thomas Hearns (born October 18, 1958) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 2006. Throughout the 1980s, they were boxing's version of the four horsemen: Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran. The draw was controversial as most who watched the match, including the television announcers had Hearns winning by enough to be surprised by the official scoring. Leonard was winging shots but was thwarted by the constant jabbing of Hearns. Jake Paul’s KO Of Ben Askren, Oscar De La Hoya’s Commentary Highlight Absurd Triller PPV, Greatest Knockouts in Boxing History: 10. Leonard would also win the 12th and final round on all three scorecards as well, though Judge Shirley would give Leonard a 10–8 round as opposed to the other two judges who scored it 10–9; had Shirley scored the round 10–9, Hearns would have been declared the winner by split decision. Leonard’s left eye was badly swollen, a result of the punishment that Hearns was inflicting with his jab. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra", and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns' tall, slender build and oversized arms and shoulders allowed him to move up over fifty pounds in his career and become the first boxer in history to win world titles in five weight divisions: … The first two years of his career, I read every article I could find about him in newspapers and magazines. In the summer of 1981, only two boxers mattered in America: WBA welterweight champion Thomas Hearns, and WBC welterweight champion Sugar Ray Leonard.Since the previous fall, when both men won huge fights – Hearns knocking out the dangerous Pipino Cuevas; Leonard forcing the great Roberto Duran to quit — this was the biggest match boxing could offer, the contest the whole world … Hearns scored the only two knockdowns of the fight, dropping Leonard in the third after grazing him with a right cross that caused Leonard to lose his footing and again in round 11 after landing consecutive right hands. "[6], ^Note 1 For WBC and WBO Super Middleweight titles, Brother of Boxer Thomas Hearns Arrested in Weekend Shooting of Girlfriend, Woman, 20, Is Fatally Shot in Hearns’ Home : Boxer Says Fight Won’t Be Affected; Brother at Police Station in Michigan, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sugar_Ray_Leonard_vs._Thomas_Hearns_II&oldid=1005951459, Boxing matches involving Sugar Ray Leonard, June 1989 sports events in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 10 February 2021, at 06:41. Support the Fight Game Media Network on Patreon, Content ©2008 - 2020 Fight Game Media All Rights Reserved. The eighth round saw a complete reversal of roles. Watch the highlights of the Thomas Hearns vs Sugar Ray Leonard fight! Hearns, the WBA welterweight king was … Thomas Hearns was the first fighter I idolized whose career I followed from the very beginning. Las Vegas, Nevada Sugar Ray Leonard, after making Roberto Duran quit in their November, 1980 rematch to regain the WBC Welterweight title, now turned his attention to a unification fight with Hearns. Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns feature in fight one of a BBC Sounds look back at some of boxing's greatest fights. Required fields are marked *. Hearns returned to his feet and was greeted by Leonard, who came storming in. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns Fan scorecards. On January 24, 1989, promoter Bob Arum announced that Leonard and Hearns would fight on June 12. The jab would blind you before he’d crush you with his magnificent right cross, which he did in destroying WBA Welterweight Champion Pipino Cuevas when he knocked him out in the second round to win that version of the 147-pound title. Thomas Hearns vs Sugar Ray Leonard rematch. 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