Was Thomas Hearns the best pure boxer of the 80's?

Your boxing knowledge is very limited. Ur like a horse with blinders on who only see s what he wants and only believes what he wants. U need to b impartial and u can't.

 

I don't know about the very best. The 80's had some brilliant technicians. Tommy doesn't really give ground to anyone though and can hold his own with anyone. It's quite fascinating that his pure boxing pedigree was honed in the amateurs, before he discovered that he could punch.
I do think that his boxing skills were aided greatly by his height and reach, as well as speed. These natural talents augmented his superior boxing skills and when you consider that he could punch like a mule's kick, it's a frightening combination.

But I will say that Hagler (since he has been brought up here) had excellent boxing skills as well. He for me is pretty much right up there with Tommy. I've never seen another fighter that could transition from orthodox to southpaw as seamlessly he he could, and he was equally adept from either stance. Awesome jab and uppercut...maybe the best in the business at his peak.

Another guy I'd like to mention is Wilfredo Gomez...typically thought of as a puncher, but he had excellent boxing skills as well. He probably got hit a little too much (thanks to his aggressive style) but the man had serious boxing skills.

 

Whatever, i know what i see, and i saw your boy, Spaghetti legs being carried away like a ragdoll after the side of his grill was smashed by Haglers right hand, i suppose your gonna be dumb enough to try and tell me i saw something different..

I wish to hell they would have had a rematch so i could have had the great pleasure of watching Hagler knock him unconscious again...:dead

 

Yea we all know how u love to call Hearns names. Let me ask u how many title belts to u have??
I have too much respect to call professional fighters derogatory names cause I know how hard it was just sparring dudes a long time ago.

 

classy

 

I don't think Hagler's win over Hearns proved he was the better pure boxer. Having said that looking at how the fight panned out I think both fighters went out for a shootout. Maybe neither of them fancied their chances in a boxing match against the other.

 

He's part of the new breed of Classic poster we've seen over the past few months.

Terrific, ain't it? :-(

 

Couldn't agree more

 

Ray leonard. Was voted boxer of the 80s by ko magazine folks. Hearns, was not a pure boxer to my knowledge of him!!

 

I agree, but even in the Leonard fight, he managed to regain the initiative with pure boxing after being rocked & hunted down by Ray in the 5th. (I think it was the 5th.)

He was by no means a pure boxer, but if he needed to, he could rely on his considerable boxing ability. He did it against Hill too...who was no slouch himself as a pure boxer.

 

hearns could outbox pure boxers but wasn't a pure boxer?
I know what you mean though, funny old game

 

Hearns isn't a pure boxer? WTF?

I guess it's time we define what a pure boxer is. I do not agree with that in the least.

Just because he happened to hit really hard doesn't mean he's not a boxer.

 

I suppose as you say, it depends on what a person's definition a pure boxer is. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure what constitutes a pure boxer by definition. I guess I'd look to someone like Mayweather as an example of a good 'pure' boxer.

Hearns I've never really defined as a pure boxer, simply because he was always looking to take his opponent out. But on the other hand, I guess one could argue that he used his boxing skills to set up the knockouts. Bugger it...it's late here and I'm waffling.

See you guys tomorrow. :good

 

Struggling to see how "boxing on even terms" with a faded, ageing lightweight is a particularly worthwhile accomplishment for a boxer that you're describing as "one of a kind."

Again, what's remarkable about boxing on "even terms" with welterweight that had approximately one fight in five years? And if we're being honest, the first six rounds - before those ageing legs started to show - were anything but even.


I think I'll leave your assertion that Hagler had a better jab than Hearns well and truly alone.

 

Howard Davis Jr, Greg Page, Tony Tubbs, Ray Leonard, and Tyrone Crawley were better pure boxers than Tommy, as was Bernard Taylor and Michael Spinks.