Was Leonard vs Hearns I "weigh-in" the day of fight?

I think Hearn's power and speed were optimal at 147, compared to the standards of the weightclasses. The 145-excuse is pretty pathetic, too; asif a grand total of two pounds would've magically made him regain control. It was Leonard - a very hard hitter - beating the **** out of Hearns in rounds 13 & 14, not him gassing.

 

I agree.
But anyway, even if it was a factor, no one made him come in at 145.

And .... I can't see how anyone can say he had "trouble making weight" and at the same time protest that he came in "too light".

 

This is reminisent of the heat mysteriously getting to Sugar Ray Robinson but not Joey Maxim. If Ali had lost to Foreman, we'd be hearing of "heat" excuses on that one for the next 1000 years.

 

:deal


:good

 

I made the mistake of taking a sauna....4 hours before a basketball game.

The first time I jumped, I "skyed" about 2 inches off the floor.
Took my legs away.

 

Steward and company simply "cooked" Hearns too long in the sauna prior to the weigh-in.

 

Remember Manny was still a young (but very successful) trainer then in 1981 it was his 1st big super fight he probably "outsmarted himself".

In 86 Kronk also got caught out at weigh in with Steve McCrory in Sydney for Fenech fight. But in another way.

 

the excuses.

 

The day before weigh-ins didn't come until afterwards. Mancini-Kim was 1982 and the aborted Spinks-Muhammad 2 "weight-gate" was 1983.

 

After sauna Tommy was in the bathroom with shower running hot having another steam.

 

The ref had to be replaced. Watch the fight: Sugar moves and moves and moves and moves and Maxim just follows him conservatively around the ring expending way less energy and throwing way fewer punches. Sugar was wining the rounds easy with much more activity. If you are much smaller than your opponent, your advantage is early (providing they don't catch you with something big). As you start to get less energetic, the fight gets increasingly dangerous for the smaller, more mobile guy. After I saw it I thought it was a legit excuse.

 

Hearns did have trouble, he came in under by 2 pounds too much, and even at fight time, it was observed he came in dry, no sweat on him. Steward is good trainer, but back then he was screwing many up, like Hilmer Kinty, swho developed severe kidney problems many said were due to excessive steam room depriving of fluids, and other techniques Manny has since abandoned.

 

I believe they started it when Oscar Delhoya was coming into first title shots. His first title fight was first time I saw that a weigh-in took place day before instead of same day.

 

Ray would have knocked him out under any circumstance apart from, maybe, a shorter distance.

He embodied his hero that night. There was no way he was going to go home with a loss. Hearns was to fragile, ultimately, to hold off that late charge.


Their rematch, though both were past it, proves that, to a degree. Hearns barely survived 12, and wouldn't have survived 15, despite being ahead on the cards.

 

Remind me again where in the boxing rules it says "If you get tired because you're the smaller man then losing doesn't count" ? These excuses are just pathetic. I can also say that the bigger man needs to spend more energy to keep his bigger body & muscles going.

All this fight proves is that Robinson is human after all, and not impervious to getting tired.